SF340 flight crew is dispatched legally with no alternate; and WX at destination goes down requiring...

Attributes
ACN	764962
Time
Date	200712
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	764962
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to alternate flight crew : executed missed approach
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Weather

Narrative:

Departed for ZZZ with planned fuel of 2800 pounds. ZZZ was forecast to be overcast at 2000 ft and P6SM at time of arrival. No alternate was planned for. During flight; stronger than anticipated headwinds increased time and fuel burn to ZZZ. Flight crew noted the slightly more than planned fuel usage and determined only 1 approach attempt at ZZZ would be possible and initiated alternate plans with dispatch via radio. Dispatch selected ZZZ1 as alternate after the approach. The latest WX report at ZZZ was 2 SM visibility and overcast 005 with MDA bringing the aircraft to 420 ft above the touchdown zone. Upon reaching MDA on the localizer approach there was zero contact with the runway lights or environment and a missed approach was executed. After initiating missed approach procedures and beginning the segment to ZZZ1; flight crew again noted that the fuel burn had been more for the approach than originally planned. Upon determining that ZZZ1 was still best suitable alternate airport; captain declared a fuel emergency with approach to expedite handling; as flight would definitely be going into reserve fuel. Flight landed at ZZZ1 without incident after ILS approach. Fuel upon landing was 600 pounds and no fuel low cwp was observed. Stronger than anticipated headwinds; longer than anticipated approach vectors and WX worse at destination than both forecast and reported at the field.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FLT CREW IS DISPATCHED LEGALLY WITH NO ALTERNATE; AND WX AT DESTINATION GOES DOWN REQUIRING A MISSED APPROACH. FLT CREW DECLARES LOW FUEL EMERGENCY ENROUTE TO ALTERNATE AND LANDS WITH 600 POUNDS.

Narrative: DEPARTED FOR ZZZ WITH PLANNED FUEL OF 2800 LBS. ZZZ WAS FORECAST TO BE OVCST AT 2000 FT AND P6SM AT TIME OF ARR. NO ALTERNATE WAS PLANNED FOR. DURING FLT; STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWINDS INCREASED TIME AND FUEL BURN TO ZZZ. FLT CREW NOTED THE SLIGHTLY MORE THAN PLANNED FUEL USAGE AND DETERMINED ONLY 1 APCH ATTEMPT AT ZZZ WOULD BE POSSIBLE AND INITIATED ALTERNATE PLANS WITH DISPATCH VIA RADIO. DISPATCH SELECTED ZZZ1 AS ALTERNATE AFTER THE APCH. THE LATEST WX RPT AT ZZZ WAS 2 SM VISIBILITY AND OVCST 005 WITH MDA BRINGING THE ACFT TO 420 FT ABOVE THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE. UPON REACHING MDA ON THE LOC APCH THERE WAS ZERO CONTACT WITH THE RWY LIGHTS OR ENVIRONMENT AND A MISSED APCH WAS EXECUTED. AFTER INITIATING MISSED APCH PROCS AND BEGINNING THE SEGMENT TO ZZZ1; FLT CREW AGAIN NOTED THAT THE FUEL BURN HAD BEEN MORE FOR THE APCH THAN ORIGINALLY PLANNED. UPON DETERMINING THAT ZZZ1 WAS STILL BEST SUITABLE ALTERNATE ARPT; CAPT DECLARED A FUEL EMER WITH APCH TO EXPEDITE HANDLING; AS FLT WOULD DEFINITELY BE GOING INTO RESERVE FUEL. FLT LANDED AT ZZZ1 WITHOUT INCIDENT AFTER ILS APCH. FUEL UPON LNDG WAS 600 LBS AND NO FUEL LOW CWP WAS OBSERVED. STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED HEADWINDS; LONGER THAN ANTICIPATED APCH VECTORS AND WX WORSE AT DEST THAN BOTH FORECAST AND RPTED AT THE FIELD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

SF340 flight crew is dispatched legally with no alternate; and WX at destination goes down requiring a missed approach. Flight crew declares low fuel emergency enroute to alternate and lands with 600 pounds.