Narrative:

Departed ilg on a flight to ict. WX at ict for the time of arrival was forecast to be 300 ft overcast and 3/4 mi visibility. Our alternate airport for the flight was mci. WX at mci was forecast to be 800 ft overcast and 1 mi visibility. During the en route phase of the flight, I checked the ict WX on 2 different occasions, first with dayton, oh, FSS and later with columbia, mo, FSS and found the WX at ict to be holding at 200 ft overcast and 3/4 mi visibility. Upon arriving in the ict approach airspace we were vectored for the ILS to runway 19R. After we were established on the localizer several mi outside the marker, ATC issued a special WX report: ceiling 100 ft overcast and 1/4 mi visibility. Since our operation specifications do not allow us to continue the approach, I asked to be cleared to our alternate airport. En route to the alternate (mci), talking to ZKC, I declared minimum fuel and asked for WX at several airports close to us, in an attempt to find one we could land at. All reports were below landing minimums except for olathe, ks, new century (ixd), but ixd was reporting right at minimums. The decision was made by us to try to land at olathe, but during vectors to the airport, a special WX report came out putting that airport also below landing minimums. Next, I once again asked to be vectored to kansas city international. After I contacted kansas city international approach, I asked for their current WX and how many aircraft were ahead of us for the approach to runway 19R. WX was 500 ft overcast and 3/4 mi visibility and we were #5 for the approach. (Many aircraft heading to mci because of WX at other airports.) it was at this time that I felt that coming from the south and being vectored to the north several mi, past the airport, that possibility the WX could go below landing minimums, behind 4 aircraft that could land, have a problem on the runway closing it to air traffic. I did not have enough fuel to cover these possibilities and declared an emergency and requested the closest runway. After declaring an emergency, kansas city international ATC did an excellent job of vectoring us to runway 1L and thus the approach and landing were successful. I feel I had to declare an emergency in this case to prevent an emergency from occurring (fuel exhaustion). I also think the possibility of declaring of an emergency could have been prevented if ATC would have taken our declaring minimum fuel, early in the flight to the alternate, more seriously and put us #1 for the approach to runway 19L. Also, it might have been possible to reduce our passenger load so more fuel could have been on board. In the future, if WX at my destination airport is close to landing minimums and I will arrive with only minimum fuel, I will seriously consider landing somewhere en route to take on additional fuel. In the situation the crew found themselves in, their judgement was correct and actions taken justified to end the flight in a safe manner.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ35 CREW DEPARTED THE EAST COAST, FLEW INTO AN AREA OF SUB MINIMUM WX, AND FOUND THAT THEY HAD TO DECLARE A FUEL EMER IN ORDER TO PROCEED TO THEIR ALTERNATE ARPT.

Narrative: DEPARTED ILG ON A FLT TO ICT. WX AT ICT FOR THE TIME OF ARR WAS FORECAST TO BE 300 FT OVCST AND 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. OUR ALTERNATE ARPT FOR THE FLT WAS MCI. WX AT MCI WAS FORECAST TO BE 800 FT OVCST AND 1 MI VISIBILITY. DURING THE ENRTE PHASE OF THE FLT, I CHKED THE ICT WX ON 2 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, FIRST WITH DAYTON, OH, FSS AND LATER WITH COLUMBIA, MO, FSS AND FOUND THE WX AT ICT TO BE HOLDING AT 200 FT OVCST AND 3/4 MI VISIBILITY. UPON ARRIVING IN THE ICT APCH AIRSPACE WE WERE VECTORED FOR THE ILS TO RWY 19R. AFTER WE WERE ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC SEVERAL MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER, ATC ISSUED A SPECIAL WX RPT: CEILING 100 FT OVCST AND 1/4 MI VISIBILITY. SINCE OUR OP SPECS DO NOT ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THE APCH, I ASKED TO BE CLRED TO OUR ALTERNATE ARPT. ENRTE TO THE ALTERNATE (MCI), TALKING TO ZKC, I DECLARED MINIMUM FUEL AND ASKED FOR WX AT SEVERAL ARPTS CLOSE TO US, IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND ONE WE COULD LAND AT. ALL RPTS WERE BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS EXCEPT FOR OLATHE, KS, NEW CENTURY (IXD), BUT IXD WAS RPTING RIGHT AT MINIMUMS. THE DECISION WAS MADE BY US TO TRY TO LAND AT OLATHE, BUT DURING VECTORS TO THE ARPT, A SPECIAL WX RPT CAME OUT PUTTING THAT ARPT ALSO BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. NEXT, I ONCE AGAIN ASKED TO BE VECTORED TO KANSAS CITY INTL. AFTER I CONTACTED KANSAS CITY INTL APCH, I ASKED FOR THEIR CURRENT WX AND HOW MANY ACFT WERE AHEAD OF US FOR THE APCH TO RWY 19R. WX WAS 500 FT OVCST AND 3/4 MI VISIBILITY AND WE WERE #5 FOR THE APCH. (MANY ACFT HDG TO MCI BECAUSE OF WX AT OTHER ARPTS.) IT WAS AT THIS TIME THAT I FELT THAT COMING FROM THE S AND BEING VECTORED TO THE N SEVERAL MI, PAST THE ARPT, THAT POSSIBILITY THE WX COULD GO BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS, BEHIND 4 ACFT THAT COULD LAND, HAVE A PROB ON THE RWY CLOSING IT TO AIR TFC. I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO COVER THESE POSSIBILITIES AND DECLARED AN EMER AND REQUESTED THE CLOSEST RWY. AFTER DECLARING AN EMER, KANSAS CITY INTL ATC DID AN EXCELLENT JOB OF VECTORING US TO RWY 1L AND THUS THE APCH AND LNDG WERE SUCCESSFUL. I FEEL I HAD TO DECLARE AN EMER IN THIS CASE TO PREVENT AN EMER FROM OCCURRING (FUEL EXHAUSTION). I ALSO THINK THE POSSIBILITY OF DECLARING OF AN EMER COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF ATC WOULD HAVE TAKEN OUR DECLARING MINIMUM FUEL, EARLY IN THE FLT TO THE ALTERNATE, MORE SERIOUSLY AND PUT US #1 FOR THE APCH TO RWY 19L. ALSO, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE TO REDUCE OUR PAX LOAD SO MORE FUEL COULD HAVE BEEN ON BOARD. IN THE FUTURE, IF WX AT MY DEST ARPT IS CLOSE TO LNDG MINIMUMS AND I WILL ARRIVE WITH ONLY MINIMUM FUEL, I WILL SERIOUSLY CONSIDER LNDG SOMEWHERE ENRTE TO TAKE ON ADDITIONAL FUEL. IN THE SIT THE CREW FOUND THEMSELVES IN, THEIR JUDGEMENT WAS CORRECT AND ACTIONS TAKEN JUSTIFIED TO END THE FLT IN A SAFE MANNER.

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.