Narrative:

Flight was released to altitude with bhm as alternate and 2172 pounds of hold fuel. Flight sent efc message at about XB35Z. Efc XB00 at sinca. Correction: efc sent message about XA35Z. Shortly before XB00Z atl operations called dispatch. Flight called atl operations to say they were diverting to jax. Dispatch told atl operations to tell flight to divert to listed alternate of bhm, not jax. Captain said there were strong headwinds to bhm and fuel wise jax was better. Dispatch told flight that jax was not an alternate and fuel burn to jax was higher than to bhm. Then atl operations told flight that ATC would clear the flight straight into alternate. Flight said fine. Dispatch hung up with atl operations. A few mins later, atl operations called dispatch to say flight had been called back and was going to jax. Dispatch sent flight fuel burn to jax and jax WX, NOTAMS and flow report via ACARS. Flight landed in jax and aircraft was taken OTS account of crew logbook write-up on a recent item. Please note that FAA inspector was in the jump seat on this flight and new captain was on his FAA captain check ride. Check captain did not stop new captain from violating FARS by diverting to an alternate not specified on the flight release. Flight crew never attempted to contact dispatch to discuss changing alternate or trying to get help being released from holding. This captain violated FARS and exercised very poor judgement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW DIVERTED TO AN ARPT WITHOUT COORDINATING WITH THE DISPATCHER OR HAVING THE DIVERSION ARPT NAMED AS AN ALTERNATE.

Narrative: FLT WAS RELEASED TO ALT WITH BHM AS ALTERNATE AND 2172 LBS OF HOLD FUEL. FLT SENT EFC MESSAGE AT ABOUT XB35Z. EFC XB00 AT SINCA. CORRECTION: EFC SENT MESSAGE ABOUT XA35Z. SHORTLY BEFORE XB00Z ATL OPS CALLED DISPATCH. FLT CALLED ATL OPS TO SAY THEY WERE DIVERTING TO JAX. DISPATCH TOLD ATL OPS TO TELL FLT TO DIVERT TO LISTED ALTERNATE OF BHM, NOT JAX. CAPT SAID THERE WERE STRONG HEADWINDS TO BHM AND FUEL WISE JAX WAS BETTER. DISPATCH TOLD FLT THAT JAX WAS NOT AN ALTERNATE AND FUEL BURN TO JAX WAS HIGHER THAN TO BHM. THEN ATL OPS TOLD FLT THAT ATC WOULD CLR THE FLT STRAIGHT INTO ALTERNATE. FLT SAID FINE. DISPATCH HUNG UP WITH ATL OPS. A FEW MINS LATER, ATL OPS CALLED DISPATCH TO SAY FLT HAD BEEN CALLED BACK AND WAS GOING TO JAX. DISPATCH SENT FLT FUEL BURN TO JAX AND JAX WX, NOTAMS AND FLOW RPT VIA ACARS. FLT LANDED IN JAX AND ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS ACCOUNT OF CREW LOGBOOK WRITE-UP ON A RECENT ITEM. PLEASE NOTE THAT FAA INSPECTOR WAS IN THE JUMP SEAT ON THIS FLT AND NEW CAPT WAS ON HIS FAA CAPT CHK RIDE. CHK CAPT DID NOT STOP NEW CAPT FROM VIOLATING FARS BY DIVERTING TO AN ALTERNATE NOT SPECIFIED ON THE FLT RELEASE. FLC NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH TO DISCUSS CHANGING ALTERNATE OR TRYING TO GET HELP BEING RELEASED FROM HOLDING. THIS CAPT VIOLATED FARS AND EXERCISED VERY POOR JUDGEMENT.

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.