AN SMA COMMERCIAL PLT MAKES AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WHEN HIS ACFT SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION AFTER MISSING A BACK COURSE APCH TO TPL; TX.
Synopsis
AN SMA COMMERCIAL PLT MAKES AN OFF ARPT FORCED LNDG WHEN HIS ACFT SUFFERS FUEL EXHAUSTION AFTER MISSING A BACK COURSE APCH TO TPL; TX.
Narrative
DEPARTED LIT FOR TPL AT XA50Z DEC/XA/98 ON IFR FLT PLAN. ESTIMATED TIME ENRTE 4 HRS. FUEL ON BOARD 5 HRS. CROSSED UIM VOR AT XD25Z (2 HRS 35 MINS ACTUAL TIME ENRTE). ASKED ZFW FOR VECTORS DIRECT TEMPLE. DENIED. ASKED ZFW FOR TPL WX. ASKED TO STAND BY. ZFW ASKED ME TO SWITCH TO ACT APCH WITH REQUEST. CONTACTED ACT APCH; ASKED FOR TPL WX. EXPRESSED POSSIBLE NEED TO RECOMPUTE FUEL AND/OR DIVERT TO ACT. ACT APCH GAVE ME 'DIRECT ACT.' AT XE08Z ACT SAID 'TPL WX MISSING;' BUT WOULD GET IT FOR ME. APPROX XE10Z- XE15Z; ACT CALLED WITH TPL WX; COPIED AS FOLLOWS: 240 DEGS AT 6 KTS; 10 36 SCATTERED 4 BROKEN 50 OVCST. THEN ACT GAVE ME DIRECT TPL. BASED ON ABOVE WX. PLT ANTICIPATED CANCELING IFR WELL PRIOR TO TPL WITH VISUAL APCH TO RWY 20 TPL; STRAIGHT-IN; ON COURSE APCH WITH LNDG AT XF15Z. (4 HRS 25 MINS ENRTE; TOTAL VFR ARR.) AT XF00Z ACT HANDED ME OFF TO GRAY APCH. I WAS THEN CRUISING AT 4000 FT STILL IN IMC; BUT ANTICIPATING BREAKOUT AFTER DSCNT. GRAY APCH GAVE TPL AWOS (134.975) FREQ. AT XF02Z TPL AWOS RPTED THE FOLLOWING WX: 350 DEGS 21 KTS GUSTING TO 25 HRS 4 200 FT OVCST. GRAY APCH ISSUED INSTRUCTIONS FOR LOC/DME BACK COURSE RWY 33 TPL 'FULL APCH; ADVISE PROC TURN INBOUND.' I COMPLIED; WAS UNSUCCESSFUL COMPLETING APCH; BUT ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH TERRAIN. NOW FUEL CRITICAL. PLT AVOIDED TERRAIN WITHOUT CLB BACK INTO IMC OVER POPULATED AREA. COMS WITH GRAY APCH ENABLED BY OVERFLYING COMMUTER FLT. GRAY GAVE 060 DEG VECTOR. I COMPLIED; BUT SIGNIFICANT XWIND CAUSED GND COURSE TO PASS S OF ARPT. ENG LOST PWR DUE TO UNPORTING OF REMAINING FUEL. PLT MADE EMER LNDG ON HWY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES; NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY; AND ACFT EXPERIENCED MINOR DAMAGE TO R WINGTIP DUE TO CONTACT WITH A LIGHT POLE DURING ROLLOUT. ACFT TAXIED BACK TO ARPT WITH POLICE ESCORT. FACTORS: 1) EXTREMELY RAPID CHANGE IN WX; WORSE THAN FORECAST. 2) HEADWINDS STRONGER THAN ANTICIPATED DUE TO INCREASED ALT FOR PAX COMFORT AND AVOIDANCE OF TURB. 3) VERY DIFFICULT APCH DUE TO WINDSHEAR AND CEILINGS. 4) FLT VISIBILITY LESS THAN GND VISIBILITY. 5) FUEL CONSUMPTION WAS AVERAGE OF 10 GPH. ENG RAN EXACTLY 5 HRS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.