Narrative:

Air filed IFR south of tri city, tn, to land at huntington (hts). About halfway between tri city and hazard VOR, I realized we had either misread or miscalculated the amount of fuel on board. Therefore, I asked the center for vectors to the nearest airport with an IFR approach. They suggested carroll, ky. By the time I locate the approach chart and got the WX, I was already starting the approach. It was a wasted approach. The WX was below minimums and the approach required DME which I did not have. I declared a missed approach and fuel emergency. At this point, I estimated I had 30- 45 mins fuel remaining. The center vectored us to hts where we made a successful ASR approach. (WX was VFR below the clouds.) after much soul searching, I've concluded: it's better to land and properly plan an IFR flight then to rush an air file. Concentrate more on fuel planning. Listen! I should have declined the approach at carroll after the center read the WX rather then attempt it. I should have told the center I didn't have DME rather than waste fuel hoping the clouds would open up and reveal the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA AIR FILES IFR THEN BECOMES CONCERNED REGARDING FUEL STATUS. VECTORED TO ALTERNATE ARPT, MAKES MAP, VECTORED TO DEST ARPT.

Narrative: AIR FILED IFR S OF TRI CITY, TN, TO LAND AT HUNTINGTON (HTS). ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN TRI CITY AND HAZARD VOR, I REALIZED WE HAD EITHER MISREAD OR MISCALCULATED THE AMOUNT OF FUEL ON BOARD. THEREFORE, I ASKED THE CTR FOR VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT WITH AN IFR APCH. THEY SUGGESTED CARROLL, KY. BY THE TIME I LOCATE THE APCH CHART AND GOT THE WX, I WAS ALREADY STARTING THE APCH. IT WAS A WASTED APCH. THE WX WAS BELOW MINIMUMS AND THE APCH REQUIRED DME WHICH I DID NOT HAVE. I DECLARED A MISSED APCH AND FUEL EMER. AT THIS POINT, I ESTIMATED I HAD 30- 45 MINS FUEL REMAINING. THE CTR VECTORED US TO HTS WHERE WE MADE A SUCCESSFUL ASR APCH. (WX WAS VFR BELOW THE CLOUDS.) AFTER MUCH SOUL SEARCHING, I'VE CONCLUDED: IT'S BETTER TO LAND AND PROPERLY PLAN AN IFR FLT THEN TO RUSH AN AIR FILE. CONCENTRATE MORE ON FUEL PLANNING. LISTEN! I SHOULD HAVE DECLINED THE APCH AT CARROLL AFTER THE CTR READ THE WX RATHER THEN ATTEMPT IT. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE CTR I DIDN'T HAVE DME RATHER THAN WASTE FUEL HOPING THE CLOUDS WOULD OPEN UP AND REVEAL THE ARPT.

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.