Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan to point lookout, mo. The forecast WX was 2500 scattered to broken at point lookout. I cancelled my IFR at dogwood VOR after calling flight watch. Flight watch again reported 2500 scattered to broken. I descended to 2000 ft MSL and approached point lookout. I could not identify the runway due to heavy fog. This fog was lake induced around the airport and was unforecast. I made several attempts to identify point lookout while maintaining VFR. I then decided to fly south to harrison but found the south to be a 'wall' of clouds. I did not want to enter the clouds 'even if I were IFR' for fear of icing. I then proceeded north and began to climb as I knew fuel was a factor now. I called flight watch again and asked for WX at springfield, mo. Flight watch reported 2500 scattered at springfield. I contacted springfield approach and proceeded to springfield by radar vectors. Upon reaching 5500 MSL I lost my engine due to fuel starvation. The controller assisted me to air park south (2k2) where I landed with no harm to passenger, myself or the airplane. I stayed the day and flew home the next. I was told by the controller that a 'controller assist' would be filed. I feel the unforecast fog at point lookout caused many of my problems that day. It is important not to enter this type of situation no matter what the WX forecast. I had my fuel reserve but spent valuable time trying to locate the airport. This stressful situation caused a loss of the time being flown, regulations met but still human error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENCOUNTERS FOG AT DEST ARPT. TRIES TO DIVERT, RUNS OUT OF FUEL.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO POINT LOOKOUT, MO. THE FORECAST WX WAS 2500 SCATTERED TO BROKEN AT POINT LOOKOUT. I CANCELLED MY IFR AT DOGWOOD VOR AFTER CALLING FLT WATCH. FLT WATCH AGAIN RPTED 2500 SCATTERED TO BROKEN. I DSNDED TO 2000 FT MSL AND APCHED POINT LOOKOUT. I COULD NOT IDENT THE RWY DUE TO HVY FOG. THIS FOG WAS LAKE INDUCED AROUND THE ARPT AND WAS UNFORECAST. I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO IDENT POINT LOOKOUT WHILE MAINTAINING VFR. I THEN DECIDED TO FLY S TO HARRISON BUT FOUND THE S TO BE A 'WALL' OF CLOUDS. I DID NOT WANT TO ENTER THE CLOUDS 'EVEN IF I WERE IFR' FOR FEAR OF ICING. I THEN PROCEEDED N AND BEGAN TO CLB AS I KNEW FUEL WAS A FACTOR NOW. I CALLED FLT WATCH AGAIN AND ASKED FOR WX AT SPRINGFIELD, MO. FLT WATCH RPTED 2500 SCATTERED AT SPRINGFIELD. I CONTACTED SPRINGFIELD APCH AND PROCEEDED TO SPRINGFIELD BY RADAR VECTORS. UPON REACHING 5500 MSL I LOST MY ENG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION. THE CTLR ASSISTED ME TO AIR PARK S (2K2) WHERE I LANDED WITH NO HARM TO PAX, MYSELF OR THE AIRPLANE. I STAYED THE DAY AND FLEW HOME THE NEXT. I WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT A 'CTLR ASSIST' WOULD BE FILED. I FEEL THE UNFORECAST FOG AT POINT LOOKOUT CAUSED MANY OF MY PROBS THAT DAY. IT IS IMPORTANT NOT TO ENTER THIS TYPE OF SITUATION NO MATTER WHAT THE WX FORECAST. I HAD MY FUEL RESERVE BUT SPENT VALUABLE TIME TRYING TO LOCATE THE ARPT. THIS STRESSFUL SITUATION CAUSED A LOSS OF THE TIME BEING FLOWN, REGS MET BUT STILL HUMAN ERROR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.