Narrative:

Diverted to unscheduled landing in stl. Unable to establish communications with dispatch -- rather than let the fuel become critical I chose to proceed to another airport -- (note WX was VFR), and I had all far requirements fuel/clrncs/qualifications, etc, without receiving their concurrence. I did have communication via company radio in mci. They relayed my intentions to company dispatch. At no time did I compromise the safety of my flight. Poor/lack of communications with dispatch forced me into a compromising situation. See attached for more specific details. Aircraft placard 'APU air inoperative.' flight den-ewr dispatched with fuel stop in mci. During push back fsm informed us that a passenger was concerned about her dog enduring the heat, etc. A check with the pushback crew confirmed that we did indeed have a dog in bin 5...held a brief discussion with the ground crew regarding company policy regarding notification of the crew...'dead dogs on hot day' syndrome...no APU/ground air equals dead FIDO...message hopefully understood. Approximately 100 mi west of mci operations notified us that we would be unable to land at mci because vip and mrs vip were in town and utilizing all ground power units for the remainder of the day. We asked them to call dispatch and notify them of our predicament. We were told to 'standby.' ATC now issued our descent clearance into mci. We told them to 'standby' we might be diverting to a new destination. During the process of 'standing by' we attempted to contact dispatch using arinc. You guessed it...'standby!!!' we did manage to suggest a divert to omaha, since we didn't have the luxury of an indefinite fuel supply. We were told not to divert to omaha because they didn't have any ground equipment to handle us. Our next suggestion was st louis, and the response was...'standby.' by this time a decision had to be made. We told mci to inform dispatch that we were proceeding to st louis. They acknowledge our request...we passed on our thanks for their fine help and bade farewell. Our arrival into st louis was greeted with a small degree of astonishment...they were expecting a 737- 300...not the inaugural flight of a full blown A-300. All of the necessary ground support was promptly attached to the aircraft. We had not forgotten the 'hot ramp -- no ground air equals dead dog' syndrome and assured the passenger that one of the crew would personally visit 'FIDO.' the so volunteered to escort 'FIDO,' ala in person, to its anxious owner in first class. 'FIDO' and carrier were much larger than expected. We compromised by allowing 'FIDO' a moments freedom. Some first class designer water (properly chilled) and an appreciative hug from the crew (thank god he had survived). Fueling complete. Paperwork complete. Ready to start engines. The passenger applauded our impending departure from this hellish hot nightmare. Steps were hydraulically locked in place and refused to unlock. An additional 10 min delay accrued while they attempted to separate the stairs from the aircraft. FIDO's final comment, as he lifted his right rear leg...'next time I'm going to walk.' the rest of the flight was uneventful.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A-300 MUST DIVERT BUT UNABLE TO GET PROPER DISPATCH RELEASE. CONTACTS COMPANY GND PERSONNEL TO FORWARD INTENTIONS.

Narrative: DIVERTED TO UNSCHEDULED LNDG IN STL. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH DISPATCH -- RATHER THAN LET THE FUEL BECOME CRITICAL I CHOSE TO PROCEED TO ANOTHER ARPT -- (NOTE WX WAS VFR), AND I HAD ALL FAR REQUIREMENTS FUEL/CLRNCS/QUALIFICATIONS, ETC, WITHOUT RECEIVING THEIR CONCURRENCE. I DID HAVE COM VIA COMPANY RADIO IN MCI. THEY RELAYED MY INTENTIONS TO COMPANY DISPATCH. AT NO TIME DID I COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF MY FLT. POOR/LACK OF COMS WITH DISPATCH FORCED ME INTO A COMPROMISING SIT. SEE ATTACHED FOR MORE SPECIFIC DETAILS. ACFT PLACARD 'APU AIR INOP.' FLT DEN-EWR DISPATCHED WITH FUEL STOP IN MCI. DURING PUSH BACK FSM INFORMED US THAT A PAX WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HER DOG ENDURING THE HEAT, ETC. A CHK WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW CONFIRMED THAT WE DID INDEED HAVE A DOG IN BIN 5...HELD A BRIEF DISCUSSION WITH THE GND CREW REGARDING COMPANY POLICY REGARDING NOTIFICATION OF THE CREW...'DEAD DOGS ON HOT DAY' SYNDROME...NO APU/GND AIR EQUALS DEAD FIDO...MESSAGE HOPEFULLY UNDERSTOOD. APPROX 100 MI W OF MCI OPS NOTIFIED US THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO LAND AT MCI BECAUSE VIP AND MRS VIP WERE IN TOWN AND UTILIZING ALL GND PWR UNITS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY. WE ASKED THEM TO CALL DISPATCH AND NOTIFY THEM OF OUR PREDICAMENT. WE WERE TOLD TO 'STANDBY.' ATC NOW ISSUED OUR DSCNT CLRNC INTO MCI. WE TOLD THEM TO 'STANDBY' WE MIGHT BE DIVERTING TO A NEW DEST. DURING THE PROCESS OF 'STANDING BY' WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH USING ARINC. YOU GUESSED IT...'STANDBY!!!' WE DID MANAGE TO SUGGEST A DIVERT TO OMAHA, SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF AN INDEFINITE FUEL SUPPLY. WE WERE TOLD NOT TO DIVERT TO OMAHA BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY GND EQUIP TO HANDLE US. OUR NEXT SUGGESTION WAS ST LOUIS, AND THE RESPONSE WAS...'STANDBY.' BY THIS TIME A DECISION HAD TO BE MADE. WE TOLD MCI TO INFORM DISPATCH THAT WE WERE PROCEEDING TO ST LOUIS. THEY ACKNOWLEDGE OUR REQUEST...WE PASSED ON OUR THANKS FOR THEIR FINE HELP AND BADE FAREWELL. OUR ARR INTO ST LOUIS WAS GREETED WITH A SMALL DEGREE OF ASTONISHMENT...THEY WERE EXPECTING A 737- 300...NOT THE INAUGURAL FLT OF A FULL BLOWN A-300. ALL OF THE NECESSARY GND SUPPORT WAS PROMPTLY ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. WE HAD NOT FORGOTTEN THE 'HOT RAMP -- NO GND AIR EQUALS DEAD DOG' SYNDROME AND ASSURED THE PAX THAT ONE OF THE CREW WOULD PERSONALLY VISIT 'FIDO.' THE SO VOLUNTEERED TO ESCORT 'FIDO,' ALA IN PERSON, TO ITS ANXIOUS OWNER IN FIRST CLASS. 'FIDO' AND CARRIER WERE MUCH LARGER THAN EXPECTED. WE COMPROMISED BY ALLOWING 'FIDO' A MOMENTS FREEDOM. SOME FIRST CLASS DESIGNER WATER (PROPERLY CHILLED) AND AN APPRECIATIVE HUG FROM THE CREW (THANK GOD HE HAD SURVIVED). FUELING COMPLETE. PAPERWORK COMPLETE. READY TO START ENGS. THE PAX APPLAUDED OUR IMPENDING DEP FROM THIS HELLISH HOT NIGHTMARE. STEPS WERE HYDRAULICALLY LOCKED IN PLACE AND REFUSED TO UNLOCK. AN ADDITIONAL 10 MIN DELAY ACCRUED WHILE THEY ATTEMPTED TO SEPARATE THE STAIRS FROM THE ACFT. FIDO'S FINAL COMMENT, AS HE LIFTED HIS R REAR LEG...'NEXT TIME I'M GOING TO WALK.' THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.