Narrative:

Flight X executed a missed approach at slc due to turbulence associated with thunderstorm activity. Flight went into holding and contacted me to discuss situation and look at alternatives. Thunderstorm activity just moving into slc. Based on WX at slc, fuel remaining in holding, 12700 pounds, it was decided to divert to boi, the alternate. At time of diversion, the latest boi WX was 290 degrees at 12 KTS, 10 NM visibility clear 26/12 A2989 rmk A02 SLP020. Boi WX from 2 previous hours had been same 10 SM visibility clear. Radar indicated thunderstorm activity between X and boi but thunderstorm activity was east of boi. Upon arrival boi, flight X had an air carrier B flight execute a missed approach due to turbulence and wind shear associated with thunderstorms at boi. Flight X did not make an approach into boi and instead diverted to twf without contacting me. I discovered flight X was diverting to twf after contacting operations personnel in boi and learning that X flight was heading to twf. Flight X had dropped off of my graphical flight following screen. When I reacquired flight X on gff, the information strip indicated that it was cleared to twf and was currently at altitude 7000 ft. I attempted to contact flight X via the company VHF radio but was not successful. I notified twf of the impending arrival of X. ACARS communications with flight also failed to work either from my initiation or from the crew downlink to me. I was not able to talk to the captain until flight had blocked into twf and the captain called me on the telephone. 2 problems with this flight were lack of updated WX radar information and lack of communications with the flight. Our air carrier has available to its dispatcher a 5 min radar composite and a 15 min radar composite. The 5 min radar was over 1 hour 30 mins old and the 15 min radar 45 mins old. Our air carrier is working on a fix for both of those problems. The communication problem was probably a combination of flight X low altitude, WX activity, and geographical area. The captain did not declare an emergency, however he should have since twf is not authority/authorized for B757 equipment. The captain did act prudently as flight X landed with 4300 pounds of fuel remaining.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR B757 EXECUTED MISSED APCH DUE TO TURB ASSOCIATED WITH TSTM AND DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE ARPT. ARRIVING AT ALTERNATE ARPT ANOTHER ACR FLT EXECUTED A MISSED APCH BECAUSE OF TURB SO, FLC AGAIN DIVERTED, BUT WITHOUT COORD WITH THE DISPATCHER. ACFT LANDED AT ARPT WITH MINIMUM FUEL AND, BECAUSE THE ARPT WAS NOT AUTH FOR B757 LNDGS, CAPT SHOULD HAVE DECLARED AN EMER.

Narrative: FLT X EXECUTED A MISSED APCH AT SLC DUE TO TURB ASSOCIATED WITH TSTM ACTIVITY. FLT WENT INTO HOLDING AND CONTACTED ME TO DISCUSS SIT AND LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES. TSTM ACTIVITY JUST MOVING INTO SLC. BASED ON WX AT SLC, FUEL REMAINING IN HOLDING, 12700 LBS, IT WAS DECIDED TO DIVERT TO BOI, THE ALTERNATE. AT TIME OF DIVERSION, THE LATEST BOI WX WAS 290 DEGS AT 12 KTS, 10 NM VISIBILITY CLR 26/12 A2989 RMK A02 SLP020. BOI WX FROM 2 PREVIOUS HRS HAD BEEN SAME 10 SM VISIBILITY CLR. RADAR INDICATED TSTM ACTIVITY BTWN X AND BOI BUT TSTM ACTIVITY WAS E OF BOI. UPON ARR BOI, FLT X HAD AN ACR B FLT EXECUTE A MISSED APCH DUE TO TURB AND WIND SHEAR ASSOCIATED WITH TSTMS AT BOI. FLT X DID NOT MAKE AN APCH INTO BOI AND INSTEAD DIVERTED TO TWF WITHOUT CONTACTING ME. I DISCOVERED FLT X WAS DIVERTING TO TWF AFTER CONTACTING OPS PERSONNEL IN BOI AND LEARNING THAT X FLT WAS HDG TO TWF. FLT X HAD DROPPED OFF OF MY GRAPHICAL FLT FOLLOWING SCREEN. WHEN I REACQUIRED FLT X ON GFF, THE INFO STRIP INDICATED THAT IT WAS CLRED TO TWF AND WAS CURRENTLY AT ALT 7000 FT. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT FLT X VIA THE COMPANY VHF RADIO BUT WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. I NOTIFIED TWF OF THE IMPENDING ARR OF X. ACARS COMS WITH FLT ALSO FAILED TO WORK EITHER FROM MY INITIATION OR FROM THE CREW DOWNLINK TO ME. I WAS NOT ABLE TO TALK TO THE CAPT UNTIL FLT HAD BLOCKED INTO TWF AND THE CAPT CALLED ME ON THE TELEPHONE. 2 PROBS WITH THIS FLT WERE LACK OF UPDATED WX RADAR INFO AND LACK OF COMS WITH THE FLT. OUR ACR HAS AVAILABLE TO ITS DISPATCHER A 5 MIN RADAR COMPOSITE AND A 15 MIN RADAR COMPOSITE. THE 5 MIN RADAR WAS OVER 1 HR 30 MINS OLD AND THE 15 MIN RADAR 45 MINS OLD. OUR ACR IS WORKING ON A FIX FOR BOTH OF THOSE PROBS. THE COM PROB WAS PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF FLT X LOW ALT, WX ACTIVITY, AND GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. THE CAPT DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, HOWEVER HE SHOULD HAVE SINCE TWF IS NOT AUTH FOR B757 EQUIP. THE CAPT DID ACT PRUDENTLY AS FLT X LANDED WITH 4300 LBS OF FUEL REMAINING.

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.