C172 RAN DANGEROUSLY LOW ON FUEL WHEN HE FOUND HIS ARPT OF INTENDED LNDG WAS CLOSED AND THE RWY LIGHTS WERE INOPERATIVE.

Narrative

PLT WAS CONDUCTING A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP FORM CHESTER; LMT (4U3) TO LAKE ELMO; MN (21D) IN THREE LEGS UNDER IFR FLT PLANS. SECOND LEG OF FLT DEPARTED WILLISTON; ND (KISN) WIN FULL FUEL AND ARRIVED AT PARK RAPIDS; MN (KPKD) AS PLANNED AND WITH ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVES. FUEL WAS UNAVAILABLE AT KPKD ARPT; DUE TO INOPERATIVE AUTOMATIC FUELING SYS AND ARRIVAL AFTER NORMAL BUSINESS HOURS OF FBO. DECISION WAS MADE TO FLY TO NEXT ARPT ALONG ROUTE OF FLT; BRAINERD; LMN (KBRD) FOR FUEL; 54 NM AWAY. CALCULATIONS ESTIMATED 1 HOUR AND 23 MNS REMAINING FUEL; ESTIMATED TIME ENROUTE OF 28 MINS; LEAVING 54 MINS OF RESERVE. KBRD WEATHER WAS 3200 FT OVRCAST; VIS 10 MI. SINCE CEILING WAS MORE THAN 2000 FT; NO ALTERNATE WAS REQUIRED FOR FILING IFR. FILED IFR FLT PLAN WITH PRINCETON FSS AND PICKED UP CLRNC. FLT DEPARTED KPKD AT XA16; ABOUT DUSK. UPON ARRIVING OVER KBRD; DISCOVERED THAT RWY LIGHTS WERE OFF AND UNRESPONSIVE TO RADIO COMMANDS OVER PLT CTLED LIGHTING FREQ. RADIO CALL TO ARPT REACHED ARPT MAINT PERSONNEL WHO DISCLOSED THAT TWO RWY WERE CLOSED AND RWY LIGHT OTS. FLT WAS BEING CONDUCTED BY SINGLE PLT; NOW AT NIGHT AND WITH OVRCAST SKY CONDITIONS BELOW CLRED CRUISE ALTS. UPON REVIEWING FUEL STATE; PLT DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZMP. EMER WAS DECLARED SO AS TO MAXIMIZE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO THE SINGLE PLT FOR PURPOSE OF FINDING NEARBY ARPT WITH LIGHTS AND IFR APCH. FLT WAS THEN CONDUCTED TO GRAND RAPIDS; MN (KGPZ). FLT ARRIVED AND LANDED AT KGPZ UNDER NORMAL ENGINE PWR. TOTAL FLT TIME FROM KPKD TO KGPZ WAS 1 HOUR AND 23 MINS. PREVENTIVE OR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS INCLUDE ASSURING ADEQUATE FUEL RESERVES THROUGH MEANS SUCH AS CALLING FBO OPERATOR TO OBTAIN AFTER HOURS FUEL SERVICE.