Small Aircraft
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35; Flight Crew Total 675; Flight Crew Type 289
Physiological - Other; Time Pressure; Fatigue
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach
Human Factors; Procedure; Weather
When flying a return leg from VIH at cruise altitude 9;000 feet; I encountered greater headwinds than were either forecast or anticipated. Winds aloft and ceiling/visibility forecasts were wildly off from what was predicted. On the initial flight of the morning from ZZZ to VIH I experienced a 10 kt. headwind for the duration of the flight. I planned fuel based on calm winds for the return leg with forecasts predicting a tailwind. Per my calculations I would return with 1.5 hours of fuel. In cruise on the return leg; a 5-8 kt. headwind was experienced; reducing the fuel reserve down to one hour at destination. Weather was not as forecast at the destination with visibility and ceilings dropping at the first stop. I attempted an RNAV approach which resulted in a missed approach. When I checked on with approach control the ceilings and visibility there were 400 ft. -4sm visibility. Once at the IAF it had dropped to 200 ft. and 1.5 miles of visibility and rapidly deteriorating. After the missed approach I had 48 minutes of fuel on board. I alerted ATC by saying I had 'Minimum Fuel' at which point they gave me priority vectors for ILS at the alternate. The approach was to minimums; but with the high intensity rabbit lights it was a successful approach and I made a full stop landing with 32 minutes of fuel. Factors were Fatigue/Hypoxia from a 6 hour flying day; my radio working as not as succinctly as it should have been; and impulsivity - trying to return home before dark to increase the odds of the approach being successful. I should have obtained more fuel at the prior airport despite my calculations of 1.5 hours after the return.
Small aircraft pilot reported weather conditions were worse than forecasted which resulted in a missed approach and low fuel state.