Narrative:

While delivering aircraft to california, several fuel stops were needed. Third fuel stop was to be gallup, NM, with the alternate being flagstaff, az. The entire trip had been in VMC and as I approached the leg to gallup, a fuel calculation showed that I would have enough fuel to reach flagstaff with VFR reserves. A check with flight service showed the WX at flagstaff to be VMC and I then changed the flight plan to flagstaff. As it was my original alternate, I had the approach plates out and reviewed prior to my departure from my last fuel stop. Nearing flagstaff, I was descending out of FL280 for 13000 ft. I had received the ATIS information and did a final review of the airport diagram and the approach. I never flew into flagstaff before and because of mountainous terrain, I wanted to be sure all was covered. About 10 mi from the airport ATC informed me that an accident had just occurred on the runway at flagstaff and the airport was closed for an indefinite period. I now had just over 30 mins of fuel at cruise power and had no idea where an alternate airport was. I asked ATC for the nearest airport and was told that it was at winslow, az, about 40 mi away. I asked to divert to winslow and was cleared to proceed direct. No vectors were given. As I turned toward winslow, it became very clear that I was on top of a solid overcast layer well lower than the 12000 ft reported by ATC. I would need an IFR approach into winslow, an approach that I had never studied before. The aircraft is not equipped with an autoplt and being a high performance jet trainer is very unstable. I found that I could not maintain assigned altitude and find, read and set up for the approach at the same time. There were altitude vibrations in excess of 500 ft during this period. When I reached the IAF it was AB15Z and ATC told me to enter the hold and expect further clearance at AB30Z. I told ATC that I was now fuel critical and needed the approach now and I was cleared for the approach. I closed the flight plan on the ground and no mention of the altitude violation was made. I am not sure that I was entirely within radar contact during the approach. The problems were caused by the following in my opinion: 1) change in route of flight for no good reason. The idea of using the alternate to have a greater fuel reserve when arriving in van nuys was poor because I would have had excess fuel anyway. 2) should have had an alternate plan before I went to flagstaff. The fact that it was VMC made me forget the other factors that could cause the airport to be closed. 3) fuel reserves in a jet aircraft should be calculated at cruise power at the altitude that you will be flying at to get to your alternate. My calculations were at FL280 not 13000 ft. 4) I don't know why I got incorrect WX data from winslow. It was reported by an ASOS system but was way off. This lead to a panic on my part during the set up to the approach as, if the clouds had in fact been low enough that I had to divert to another airport, there was not enough fuel to make it. 5) I don't know why I was told to hold at the winslow VOR (IAF) for 15 mins. Upon landing there was nobody at the field except a pilot who said nobody had been in or out of the field in the past hour. 6) I have never practiced flying this aircraft single pilot while retrieving charts and reviewing approach plates. While in VFR conditions I tried it again without the stress of the situation at winslow, but was still unable to maintain the aircraft within 200 vertical ft. I never thought of taking a second pilot along on this trip because of the expected VMC flight -- things sure can change. 7) should have informed ATC of my inability to hold altitude -- ask for block of airspace.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION FROM ASSIGNED AS COMMERCIAL PLT ON FERRY FLT WITH MIL TRAINER IS DIVERTED TO AN ALTERNATE ARPT WHEN HIS PRIMARY DEST ARPT WAS CLOSED BY AN ACFT INCIDENT. CLOSED ARPT.

Narrative: WHILE DELIVERING ACFT TO CALIFORNIA, SEVERAL FUEL STOPS WERE NEEDED. THIRD FUEL STOP WAS TO BE GALLUP, NM, WITH THE ALTERNATE BEING FLAGSTAFF, AZ. THE ENTIRE TRIP HAD BEEN IN VMC AND AS I APCHED THE LEG TO GALLUP, A FUEL CALCULATION SHOWED THAT I WOULD HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO REACH FLAGSTAFF WITH VFR RESERVES. A CHK WITH FLT SVC SHOWED THE WX AT FLAGSTAFF TO BE VMC AND I THEN CHANGED THE FLT PLAN TO FLAGSTAFF. AS IT WAS MY ORIGINAL ALTERNATE, I HAD THE APCH PLATES OUT AND REVIEWED PRIOR TO MY DEP FROM MY LAST FUEL STOP. NEARING FLAGSTAFF, I WAS DSNDING OUT OF FL280 FOR 13000 FT. I HAD RECEIVED THE ATIS INFO AND DID A FINAL REVIEW OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND THE APCH. I NEVER FLEW INTO FLAGSTAFF BEFORE AND BECAUSE OF MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, I WANTED TO BE SURE ALL WAS COVERED. ABOUT 10 MI FROM THE ARPT ATC INFORMED ME THAT AN ACCIDENT HAD JUST OCCURRED ON THE RWY AT FLAGSTAFF AND THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD. I NOW HAD JUST OVER 30 MINS OF FUEL AT CRUISE PWR AND HAD NO IDEA WHERE AN ALTERNATE ARPT WAS. I ASKED ATC FOR THE NEAREST ARPT AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AT WINSLOW, AZ, ABOUT 40 MI AWAY. I ASKED TO DIVERT TO WINSLOW AND WAS CLRED TO PROCEED DIRECT. NO VECTORS WERE GIVEN. AS I TURNED TOWARD WINSLOW, IT BECAME VERY CLR THAT I WAS ON TOP OF A SOLID OVCST LAYER WELL LOWER THAN THE 12000 FT RPTED BY ATC. I WOULD NEED AN IFR APCH INTO WINSLOW, AN APCH THAT I HAD NEVER STUDIED BEFORE. THE ACFT IS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOPLT AND BEING A HIGH PERFORMANCE JET TRAINER IS VERY UNSTABLE. I FOUND THAT I COULD NOT MAINTAIN ASSIGNED ALT AND FIND, READ AND SET UP FOR THE APCH AT THE SAME TIME. THERE WERE ALT VIBRATIONS IN EXCESS OF 500 FT DURING THIS PERIOD. WHEN I REACHED THE IAF IT WAS AB15Z AND ATC TOLD ME TO ENTER THE HOLD AND EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC AT AB30Z. I TOLD ATC THAT I WAS NOW FUEL CRITICAL AND NEEDED THE APCH NOW AND I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH. I CLOSED THE FLT PLAN ON THE GND AND NO MENTION OF THE ALT VIOLATION WAS MADE. I AM NOT SURE THAT I WAS ENTIRELY WITHIN RADAR CONTACT DURING THE APCH. THE PROBS WERE CAUSED BY THE FOLLOWING IN MY OPINION: 1) CHANGE IN RTE OF FLT FOR NO GOOD REASON. THE IDEA OF USING THE ALTERNATE TO HAVE A GREATER FUEL RESERVE WHEN ARRIVING IN VAN NUYS WAS POOR BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE HAD EXCESS FUEL ANYWAY. 2) SHOULD HAVE HAD AN ALTERNATE PLAN BEFORE I WENT TO FLAGSTAFF. THE FACT THAT IT WAS VMC MADE ME FORGET THE OTHER FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE THE ARPT TO BE CLOSED. 3) FUEL RESERVES IN A JET ACFT SHOULD BE CALCULATED AT CRUISE PWR AT THE ALT THAT YOU WILL BE FLYING AT TO GET TO YOUR ALTERNATE. MY CALCULATIONS WERE AT FL280 NOT 13000 FT. 4) I DON'T KNOW WHY I GOT INCORRECT WX DATA FROM WINSLOW. IT WAS RPTED BY AN ASOS SYS BUT WAS WAY OFF. THIS LEAD TO A PANIC ON MY PART DURING THE SET UP TO THE APCH AS, IF THE CLOUDS HAD IN FACT BEEN LOW ENOUGH THAT I HAD TO DIVERT TO ANOTHER ARPT, THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH FUEL TO MAKE IT. 5) I DON'T KNOW WHY I WAS TOLD TO HOLD AT THE WINSLOW VOR (IAF) FOR 15 MINS. UPON LNDG THERE WAS NOBODY AT THE FIELD EXCEPT A PLT WHO SAID NOBODY HAD BEEN IN OR OUT OF THE FIELD IN THE PAST HR. 6) I HAVE NEVER PRACTICED FLYING THIS ACFT SINGLE PLT WHILE RETRIEVING CHARTS AND REVIEWING APCH PLATES. WHILE IN VFR CONDITIONS I TRIED IT AGAIN WITHOUT THE STRESS OF THE SIT AT WINSLOW, BUT WAS STILL UNABLE TO MAINTAIN THE ACFT WITHIN 200 VERT FT. I NEVER THOUGHT OF TAKING A SECOND PLT ALONG ON THIS TRIP BECAUSE OF THE EXPECTED VMC FLT -- THINGS SURE CAN CHANGE. 7) SHOULD HAVE INFORMED ATC OF MY INABILITY TO HOLD ALT -- ASK FOR BLOCK OF AIRSPACE.

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.