Narrative:

Reporter was PIC of an off-line charter. I received faxed dispatch releases, WX, and NOTAMS prior to takeoff from thunder bay, ontario for a flight to duluth, minnesota where a stop to clear customs was to be made. The flight would then continue to appleton, wisconsin. Upon receipt, the faxes were noted to be of very poor quality and nearly illegible. I received WX through thunder bay radio and telephoned my company's dispatch to clarify pertinent information on the release. After copying the numbers concerning fuel load, burn, and distribution, I asked the dispatcher if there 'was anything I needed to know' about my destination. I was told there was not. En route to duluth, the first officer monitored ATIS and learned that runway 9-27 was closed at duluth. Inquiry of the tower revealed it to have been so for 2 weeks. We did not have data applicable to runway 3-21 and therefore could not legally use it. Our alternate, minneapolis/st paul, did offer customs services on a 24 hour basis and arrangements were made to proceed there. An amended dispatch release was secured via radio. Fuel was not a factor and the remainder of the flight proceeded without incident. At no time were the passenger and crew in danger. A critique of the incident indicated the following needed corrective actions: 1) more diligence by the PIC in specifically soliciting NOTAMS and other pertinent information relating to airports in use, 2) more diligence on the part of the dispatcher in reviewing NOTAMS and other pertinent information and then passing such information on to the flight crew, 3) very important: I believe that runway data for all runways must be supplied to any airport to which a trip is dispatched. We would have been legal to land on runway 3-21 but had not been supplied with the data. I could not receive a satisfactory answer as to why this happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CHARTER ACFT ENCOUNTERS CLOSED RWY AT DEST. NO DATA FOR OTHER RWYS, MUST DIVERT.

Narrative: RPTR WAS PIC OF AN OFF-LINE CHARTER. I RECEIVED FAXED DISPATCH RELEASES, WX, AND NOTAMS PRIOR TO TKOF FROM THUNDER BAY, ONTARIO FOR A FLT TO DULUTH, MINNESOTA WHERE A STOP TO CLR CUSTOMS WAS TO BE MADE. THE FLT WOULD THEN CONTINUE TO APPLETON, WISCONSIN. UPON RECEIPT, THE FAXES WERE NOTED TO BE OF VERY POOR QUALITY AND NEARLY ILLEGIBLE. I RECEIVED WX THROUGH THUNDER BAY RADIO AND TELEPHONED MY COMPANY'S DISPATCH TO CLARIFY PERTINENT INFO ON THE RELEASE. AFTER COPYING THE NUMBERS CONCERNING FUEL LOAD, BURN, AND DISTRIBUTION, I ASKED THE DISPATCHER IF THERE 'WAS ANYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW' ABOUT MY DEST. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT. ENRTE TO DULUTH, THE FO MONITORED ATIS AND LEARNED THAT RWY 9-27 WAS CLOSED AT DULUTH. INQUIRY OF THE TWR REVEALED IT TO HAVE BEEN SO FOR 2 WKS. WE DID NOT HAVE DATA APPLICABLE TO RWY 3-21 AND THEREFORE COULD NOT LEGALLY USE IT. OUR ALTERNATE, MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL, DID OFFER CUSTOMS SVCS ON A 24 HR BASIS AND ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE TO PROCEED THERE. AN AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE WAS SECURED VIA RADIO. FUEL WAS NOT A FACTOR AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT NO TIME WERE THE PAX AND CREW IN DANGER. A CRITIQUE OF THE INCIDENT INDICATED THE FOLLOWING NEEDED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) MORE DILIGENCE BY THE PIC IN SPECIFICALLY SOLICITING NOTAMS AND OTHER PERTINENT INFO RELATING TO ARPTS IN USE, 2) MORE DILIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE DISPATCHER IN REVIEWING NOTAMS AND OTHER PERTINENT INFO AND THEN PASSING SUCH INFO ON TO THE FLC, 3) VERY IMPORTANT: I BELIEVE THAT RWY DATA FOR ALL RWYS MUST BE SUPPLIED TO ANY ARPT TO WHICH A TRIP IS DISPATCHED. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL TO LAND ON RWY 3-21 BUT HAD NOT BEEN SUPPLIED WITH THE DATA. I COULD NOT RECEIVE A SATISFACTORY ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED.

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.