Narrative:

Due to WX delays at nyc airports. We were forced to hold in va area. We contacted our dispatcher and advised him of our situation. The decision was made to divert to a field to get more fuel then continue to nyc. Complicating matters was the fact we wanted to have company maintenance available. Phl was chosen as the divert field after discussion between captain and dispatcher. ATC assisted us in our divert request and told us to fly the dupont 3 arrival into phl. Since our aircraft type does not normally fly into phl, the captain and first officer do not carry the stars to phl. (They do however, carry all ILS approachs for phl). I obtained the ATIS information for phl which reported WX of 1000 ft ceiling and 10 mi visibility. ATIS said to expect the NDB 27 left approach into phl. I advised the captain and first officer who could not locate the approach plate for the NDB approach. (We later came to find out since phl is a divert field, we don't have all the approach charts). As ATC provided radar vectors for the arrival, I obtained by captain's direction, particular information for the NDB 27 approach. This information was provided to me by our company dispatcher via the radio. With this information, I briefed the captain and first officer who flew a successful NDB approach into phl. Throughout the approach, phl approach advised us that all the ILS approachs to phl were down and they didn't know why. I was amazed at how fast we painted ourselves into a corner, but still I did not feel we, at any time, jeopardized safety. By the time we found out that no ILS approachs were available into phl, it was too late to go anywhere else given our low fuel state. Supplemental information from acn 268691: the aircraft had a 4 day history of difficulty in starting the #3 engine. In pbi it took 6 attempts by the crew and maintenance to get a start. Upon arrival in the phl area, ATC attempted to clear us via a STAR, but we could not comply as we had not been issued the STAR by our airline. Upon listening to the ATIS, we discussed both 27 ILS's OTS with the 27L NDB approach in use. We also had not been issued this chart nor the ASR chart. The problems began with an aircraft with maintenance problems: these translated into ATC problems as we directed with maintenance in mind to a field where we unknowingly had insufficient charts for the approach in use.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR'S WDB DIVERSION TO ALT ARPT CREATES OR EXPOSES A DEFICIENCY WITHIN THE AIRLINE MGMNT POLICY ON APCH AND ARR CHART DISTRIBUTION.

Narrative: DUE TO WX DELAYS AT NYC ARPTS. WE WERE FORCED TO HOLD IN VA AREA. WE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCHER AND ADVISED HIM OF OUR SIT. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO A FIELD TO GET MORE FUEL THEN CONTINUE TO NYC. COMPLICATING MATTERS WAS THE FACT WE WANTED TO HAVE COMPANY MAINT AVAILABLE. PHL WAS CHOSEN AS THE DIVERT FIELD AFTER DISCUSSION BTWN CAPT AND DISPATCHER. ATC ASSISTED US IN OUR DIVERT REQUEST AND TOLD US TO FLY THE DUPONT 3 ARR INTO PHL. SINCE OUR ACFT TYPE DOES NOT NORMALLY FLY INTO PHL, THE CAPT AND FO DO NOT CARRY THE STARS TO PHL. (THEY DO HOWEVER, CARRY ALL ILS APCHS FOR PHL). I OBTAINED THE ATIS INFO FOR PHL WHICH RPTED WX OF 1000 FT CEILING AND 10 MI VISIBILITY. ATIS SAID TO EXPECT THE NDB 27 L APCH INTO PHL. I ADVISED THE CAPT AND FO WHO COULD NOT LOCATE THE APCH PLATE FOR THE NDB APCH. (WE LATER CAME TO FIND OUT SINCE PHL IS A DIVERT FIELD, WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE APCH CHARTS). AS ATC PROVIDED RADAR VECTORS FOR THE ARR, I OBTAINED BY CAPT'S DIRECTION, PARTICULAR INFO FOR THE NDB 27 APCH. THIS INFO WAS PROVIDED TO ME BY OUR COMPANY DISPATCHER VIA THE RADIO. WITH THIS INFO, I BRIEFED THE CAPT AND FO WHO FLEW A SUCCESSFUL NDB APCH INTO PHL. THROUGHOUT THE APCH, PHL APCH ADVISED US THAT ALL THE ILS APCHS TO PHL WERE DOWN AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHY. I WAS AMAZED AT HOW FAST WE PAINTED OURSELVES INTO A CORNER, BUT STILL I DID NOT FEEL WE, AT ANY TIME, JEOPARDIZED SAFETY. BY THE TIME WE FOUND OUT THAT NO ILS APCHS WERE AVAILABLE INTO PHL, IT WAS TOO LATE TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE GIVEN OUR LOW FUEL STATE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 268691: THE ACFT HAD A 4 DAY HISTORY OF DIFFICULTY IN STARTING THE #3 ENG. IN PBI IT TOOK 6 ATTEMPTS BY THE CREW AND MAINT TO GET A START. UPON ARR IN THE PHL AREA, ATC ATTEMPTED TO CLR US VIA A STAR, BUT WE COULD NOT COMPLY AS WE HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED THE STAR BY OUR AIRLINE. UPON LISTENING TO THE ATIS, WE DISCUSSED BOTH 27 ILS'S OTS WITH THE 27L NDB APCH IN USE. WE ALSO HAD NOT BEEN ISSUED THIS CHART NOR THE ASR CHART. THE PROBLEMS BEGAN WITH AN ACFT WITH MAINT PROBS: THESE TRANSLATED INTO ATC PROBS AS WE DIRECTED WITH MAINT IN MIND TO A FIELD WHERE WE UNKNOWINGLY HAD INSUFFICIENT CHARTS FOR THE APCH IN USE.

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.