Narrative:

Diversion of flight into lga during effective curfew restr. On aug/xa/99, I was the aircraft dispatcher of a part 121 scheduled passenger flight operating from pit to hpn. The flight was scheduled to depart pit at XA00Z and arrive hpn at XB00Z. The WX at pit, along the route and at hpn was VMC. Hpn NOTAMS reflected the fact that only the runway 16/34 edge lights were OTS. In communications with hpn station personnel, I was informed that the runway centerline lights and approach lights were working. Although an alternate airport was not required under 14 crash fire rescue equipment, in an attempt to increase the safety margin, I listed lga as a destination alternate for hpn. Lga NOTAMS indicated an XC00Z landing curfew. Due to circumstances of previous flight segments, the aircraft used for this flight was about 1 hour late in arriving to pit. Flight X departed pit at approximately XD00. The flight time to hpn would be 1 hour. When flight contacted new york approach control, the captain was informed that the approach lights to hpn runway 16/34 were not operating. The captain then contacted hpn operations via company frequency, who relayed to me his inquiry required runway lighting. I again asked if the approach lights and centerline lights were working, to which the operations agent responded, yes! I rechked the hpn NOTAMS and found no other runway lighting notices. I asked the agent to relay to the captain of flight X that is all that he needed to land. At about XE30Z I noticed an ACARS 'hpn 'on-time' report from flight X. A short while later, I received a call from hpn operations, inquiring about the location of flight X. I immediately sent a like inquiry to the aircraft. I received a response from the captain saying that he was on the ground at lga. As there was no reason to think that flight X would actually have to divert, lga operations personnel had closed the facility for the evening. In discovering the location of the flight, the ATC coordinator called lga ATC to have the airport remain open so that flight could depart for hpn after being svced. In a series of ACARS and cell phone communications with the captain, I was informed that the approach lights to hpn runway 16/34 were not working. I called hpn airport authority/authorized, inquiring about the status of the approach lights. I was informed that the approach lights to runway 16/34 and the localizer to runway 34 were in working order, but they needed to be turned on manually and that a 30 min notice would be required. I stated my concern that there were no NOTAMS reflecting the status of the approach lights. With this in mind, I once again released the flight to hpn. Approximately 20 mins prior to departing lga, I called hpn operations and told them to have both the approach lights and localizer to runway 34 turned on. After being fueled, the aircraft departed lga at XF30Z and landed at hpn at approximately XF45Z. I was later informed by the captain, that neither the approach lights nor localizer were on when he landed at hpn. Causes: 1) late flight. 2) listing of a curfew restr airport as an alternate on the dispatch release. 3) lack of necessary and proper NOTAM information for hpn. Corrective actions: 1) avoid use of lga as alternate for late evening flts. 2) hpn must ensure that the NOTAMS reflect accurate information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER SURPRISED WHEN ACFT DIVERTS TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: DIVERSION OF FLT INTO LGA DURING EFFECTIVE CURFEW RESTR. ON AUG/XA/99, I WAS THE ACFT DISPATCHER OF A PART 121 SCHEDULED PAX FLT OPERATING FROM PIT TO HPN. THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART PIT AT XA00Z AND ARRIVE HPN AT XB00Z. THE WX AT PIT, ALONG THE RTE AND AT HPN WAS VMC. HPN NOTAMS REFLECTED THE FACT THAT ONLY THE RWY 16/34 EDGE LIGHTS WERE OTS. IN COMS WITH HPN STATION PERSONNEL, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE RWY CTRLINE LIGHTS AND APCH LIGHTS WERE WORKING. ALTHOUGH AN ALTERNATE ARPT WAS NOT REQUIRED UNDER 14 CFR, IN AN ATTEMPT TO INCREASE THE SAFETY MARGIN, I LISTED LGA AS A DEST ALTERNATE FOR HPN. LGA NOTAMS INDICATED AN XC00Z LNDG CURFEW. DUE TO CIRCUMSTANCES OF PREVIOUS FLT SEGMENTS, THE ACFT USED FOR THIS FLT WAS ABOUT 1 HR LATE IN ARRIVING TO PIT. FLT X DEPARTED PIT AT APPROX XD00. THE FLT TIME TO HPN WOULD BE 1 HR. WHEN FLT CONTACTED NEW YORK APCH CTL, THE CAPT WAS INFORMED THAT THE APCH LIGHTS TO HPN RWY 16/34 WERE NOT OPERATING. THE CAPT THEN CONTACTED HPN OPS VIA COMPANY FREQ, WHO RELAYED TO ME HIS INQUIRY REQUIRED RWY LIGHTING. I AGAIN ASKED IF THE APCH LIGHTS AND CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE WORKING, TO WHICH THE OPS AGENT RESPONDED, YES! I RECHKED THE HPN NOTAMS AND FOUND NO OTHER RWY LIGHTING NOTICES. I ASKED THE AGENT TO RELAY TO THE CAPT OF FLT X THAT IS ALL THAT HE NEEDED TO LAND. AT ABOUT XE30Z I NOTICED AN ACARS 'HPN 'ON-TIME' RPT FROM FLT X. A SHORT WHILE LATER, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM HPN OPS, INQUIRING ABOUT THE LOCATION OF FLT X. I IMMEDIATELY SENT A LIKE INQUIRY TO THE ACFT. I RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THE CAPT SAYING THAT HE WAS ON THE GND AT LGA. AS THERE WAS NO REASON TO THINK THAT FLT X WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO DIVERT, LGA OPS PERSONNEL HAD CLOSED THE FACILITY FOR THE EVENING. IN DISCOVERING THE LOCATION OF THE FLT, THE ATC COORDINATOR CALLED LGA ATC TO HAVE THE ARPT REMAIN OPEN SO THAT FLT COULD DEPART FOR HPN AFTER BEING SVCED. IN A SERIES OF ACARS AND CELL PHONE COMS WITH THE CAPT, I WAS INFORMED THAT THE APCH LIGHTS TO HPN RWY 16/34 WERE NOT WORKING. I CALLED HPN ARPT AUTH, INQUIRING ABOUT THE STATUS OF THE APCH LIGHTS. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE APCH LIGHTS TO RWY 16/34 AND THE LOC TO RWY 34 WERE IN WORKING ORDER, BUT THEY NEEDED TO BE TURNED ON MANUALLY AND THAT A 30 MIN NOTICE WOULD BE REQUIRED. I STATED MY CONCERN THAT THERE WERE NO NOTAMS REFLECTING THE STATUS OF THE APCH LIGHTS. WITH THIS IN MIND, I ONCE AGAIN RELEASED THE FLT TO HPN. APPROX 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEPARTING LGA, I CALLED HPN OPS AND TOLD THEM TO HAVE BOTH THE APCH LIGHTS AND LOC TO RWY 34 TURNED ON. AFTER BEING FUELED, THE ACFT DEPARTED LGA AT XF30Z AND LANDED AT HPN AT APPROX XF45Z. I WAS LATER INFORMED BY THE CAPT, THAT NEITHER THE APCH LIGHTS NOR LOC WERE ON WHEN HE LANDED AT HPN. CAUSES: 1) LATE FLT. 2) LISTING OF A CURFEW RESTR ARPT AS AN ALTERNATE ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE. 3) LACK OF NECESSARY AND PROPER NOTAM INFO FOR HPN. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) AVOID USE OF LGA AS ALTERNATE FOR LATE EVENING FLTS. 2) HPN MUST ENSURE THAT THE NOTAMS REFLECT ACCURATE INFO.

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.