Narrative:

Flight was issued a dispatch release from mia to lima, peru (lim/spim). A redispatch was planned overhead rbr VOR (along A301) to continue to final destination of ciudad del este, paraguay (agt). At the time of approach, destination (agt) WX dropped from 8000 meters to well below instrument minimums. The flight was unable to land at agt and proceeded to the alternate, asu/sgas. Upon arriving over asu, WX was poor and the aircraft made 4 missed approachs. The captain declared an emergency, and requested ATC assistance. ATC advised that the VOR facility had recently relocated from 5 NM from the airport to a position within the airport boundary. The aircraft flew towards the VOR, idented the runway visually, executed a circling approach, and landed. After taxiing off the runway, the engines stopped running due to fuel exhaustion. Sudden and unforecast WX deterioration. Uncharted airport NAVAID changes required heroic efforts by the crew to avert a disaster. Supplemental information from acn 398269: on mar/xa/98 I was PIC of flight from mia to agt. Upon arrival at agt, the WX was below landing minimums. I proceeded to the alternate, asu, where I declared an emergency because of a low fuel state and landed. Forecast WX not valid. Inoperative NAVAID and not notamed. Callback conversation with reporter acn 398269 revealed the following information: destination and alternate WX forecast was good. Destination airport then went to 1500 meters, with the GS notamed inoperative, OTS. The WX upon arrival went to zero, zero. Diversion fuel was 6500 kilos, 14300 pounds of fuel, with minimum diversion fuel at destination airport of 12000 kilos, 26400 pounds, of fuel. Arrival at destination they had 16700 kilos, 36740 pounds of fuel. Arriving at alternate, asu, the WX was 800 ft broken with 3 mi visibility. The 4 NDB's were inoperative, the GS was OTS. The first approach was a localizer approach with DME from the VOR. The next was a VOR runway 20 approach, the third was a VOR runway 2 approach. All 3 approachs were placing the aircraft 5 mi south of the airport, resulting in 3 missed approachs. The PIC stated that the normal traffic is routed into this airport on the day shifts, when the controllers are english speaking. This operation happened at night and the only controller on duty was not bilingual. Every time the first officer asked for landing clearance the controller responded with a WX report in broken english. He did not know what the crew was asking. There was no radar available. The controller was a split position person. After the third missed approach, a new voice came on and informed the crew that the VOR had been moved 2 days prior to the event. No NOTAM had been issued. The last chart available prior to flight's departure did not have the change on the chart, the next one did, retaining the old identifier for the approach, even after considering the relocation of the VOR. Analyst wonders if this airport should be available as an alternate after normal working hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747 FREIGHTER WAS ENRTE TO DEST ARPT OF AGT, PARAGUAY. THE WX FELL BELOW MINIMUMS SO THE ACFT DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE, ASU, 165 NM AWAY. AT ASU THE FLC ATTEMPTED 4 VOR RWY 20 APCHS. CAPT FINALLY IMPLORED ATC ASSISTANCE. WAS ADVISED VOR HAD BEEN MOVED TO THE ARPT. PIC THEN FLEW TO THE VOR, WENT VISUAL AND LANDED. ALL 4 ENGS QUIT DURING RWY EXITING.

Narrative: FLT WAS ISSUED A DISPATCH RELEASE FROM MIA TO LIMA, PERU (LIM/SPIM). A REDISPATCH WAS PLANNED OVERHEAD RBR VOR (ALONG A301) TO CONTINUE TO FINAL DEST OF CIUDAD DEL ESTE, PARAGUAY (AGT). AT THE TIME OF APCH, DEST (AGT) WX DROPPED FROM 8000 METERS TO WELL BELOW INST MINIMUMS. THE FLT WAS UNABLE TO LAND AT AGT AND PROCEEDED TO THE ALTERNATE, ASU/SGAS. UPON ARRIVING OVER ASU, WX WAS POOR AND THE ACFT MADE 4 MISSED APCHS. THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER, AND REQUESTED ATC ASSISTANCE. ATC ADVISED THAT THE VOR FACILITY HAD RECENTLY RELOCATED FROM 5 NM FROM THE ARPT TO A POS WITHIN THE ARPT BOUNDARY. THE ACFT FLEW TOWARDS THE VOR, IDENTED THE RWY VISUALLY, EXECUTED A CIRCLING APCH, AND LANDED. AFTER TAXIING OFF THE RWY, THE ENGS STOPPED RUNNING DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. SUDDEN AND UNFORECAST WX DETERIORATION. UNCHARTED ARPT NAVAID CHANGES REQUIRED HEROIC EFFORTS BY THE CREW TO AVERT A DISASTER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 398269: ON MAR/XA/98 I WAS PIC OF FLT FROM MIA TO AGT. UPON ARR AT AGT, THE WX WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. I PROCEEDED TO THE ALTERNATE, ASU, WHERE I DECLARED AN EMER BECAUSE OF A LOW FUEL STATE AND LANDED. FORECAST WX NOT VALID. INOP NAVAID AND NOT NOTAMED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 398269 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DEST AND ALTERNATE WX FORECAST WAS GOOD. DEST ARPT THEN WENT TO 1500 METERS, WITH THE GS NOTAMED INOP, OTS. THE WX UPON ARR WENT TO ZERO, ZERO. DIVERSION FUEL WAS 6500 KILOS, 14300 LBS OF FUEL, WITH MINIMUM DIVERSION FUEL AT DEST ARPT OF 12000 KILOS, 26400 LBS, OF FUEL. ARR AT DEST THEY HAD 16700 KILOS, 36740 LBS OF FUEL. ARRIVING AT ALTERNATE, ASU, THE WX WAS 800 FT BROKEN WITH 3 MI VISIBILITY. THE 4 NDB'S WERE INOP, THE GS WAS OTS. THE FIRST APCH WAS A LOC APCH WITH DME FROM THE VOR. THE NEXT WAS A VOR RWY 20 APCH, THE THIRD WAS A VOR RWY 2 APCH. ALL 3 APCHS WERE PLACING THE ACFT 5 MI S OF THE ARPT, RESULTING IN 3 MISSED APCHS. THE PIC STATED THAT THE NORMAL TFC IS ROUTED INTO THIS ARPT ON THE DAY SHIFTS, WHEN THE CTLRS ARE ENGLISH SPEAKING. THIS OP HAPPENED AT NIGHT AND THE ONLY CTLR ON DUTY WAS NOT BILINGUAL. EVERY TIME THE FO ASKED FOR LNDG CLRNC THE CTLR RESPONDED WITH A WX RPT IN BROKEN ENGLISH. HE DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE CREW WAS ASKING. THERE WAS NO RADAR AVAILABLE. THE CTLR WAS A SPLIT POS PERSON. AFTER THE THIRD MISSED APCH, A NEW VOICE CAME ON AND INFORMED THE CREW THAT THE VOR HAD BEEN MOVED 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT. NO NOTAM HAD BEEN ISSUED. THE LAST CHART AVAILABLE PRIOR TO FLT'S DEP DID NOT HAVE THE CHANGE ON THE CHART, THE NEXT ONE DID, RETAINING THE OLD IDENTIFIER FOR THE APCH, EVEN AFTER CONSIDERING THE RELOCATION OF THE VOR. ANALYST WONDERS IF THIS ARPT SHOULD BE AVAILABLE AS AN ALTERNATE AFTER NORMAL WORKING HRS.

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.