Narrative:

Scheduled passenger part 121 flight elp-dfw, diverted to txk due to pop-up thunderstorms over dfw, and insufficient fuel to hold. Very busy coordinating with ATC and dispatch. Had just been given descent from FL240 when dispatch advised us in a new radio contact to divert to shv instead, due to a lack of security personnel at txk. Captain was talking to dispatch while I talked to ATC, even though he was PF. He never instructed me to take controls. In hindsight, I should have insisted. Very confusing 2-4 mins due to dispatch frequency fading and our having to re-establish contact on new frequency, with a lack of initial information other than 'divert.' I told ATC we didn't want to descend yet as we might be going somewhere else, so we maintained FL240 and course to txk. Captain was angry at overall situation and unwilling to change destination initially, then abruptly turned aircraft 90 degrees right towards shv without explaining to me, or advising ATC. When I found out we were now going to shv, I informed ATC of our new heading to get descent clearance. Correction: I told ATC we needed to go to shv, ATC gave us 'descend to FL180.' I then told him our new heading. ATC replied we had 'turned in a conflict with another aircraft, expedite descent through FL180, descend to 15000 ft.' we complied. Rest of trip uneventful. (Dfw control towers and terminals later evacuate/evacuationed due to tornadoes.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL65 CAPT TURNS FROM COURSE TO DIVERT PRIOR TO ADVISING ATC OF NEED FOR A NEW CLRNC FOR DIVERTING RESULTING IN A CONFLICT ALERT WITH ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: SCHEDULED PAX PART 121 FLT ELP-DFW, DIVERTED TO TXK DUE TO POP-UP TSTMS OVER DFW, AND INSUFFICIENT FUEL TO HOLD. VERY BUSY COORDINATING WITH ATC AND DISPATCH. HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN DSCNT FROM FL240 WHEN DISPATCH ADVISED US IN A NEW RADIO CONTACT TO DIVERT TO SHV INSTEAD, DUE TO A LACK OF SECURITY PERSONNEL AT TXK. CAPT WAS TALKING TO DISPATCH WHILE I TALKED TO ATC, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS PF. HE NEVER INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE CTLS. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED. VERY CONFUSING 2-4 MINS DUE TO DISPATCH FREQ FADING AND OUR HAVING TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT ON NEW FREQ, WITH A LACK OF INITIAL INFO OTHER THAN 'DIVERT.' I TOLD ATC WE DIDN'T WANT TO DSND YET AS WE MIGHT BE GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE, SO WE MAINTAINED FL240 AND COURSE TO TXK. CAPT WAS ANGRY AT OVERALL SIT AND UNWILLING TO CHANGE DEST INITIALLY, THEN ABRUPTLY TURNED ACFT 90 DEGS R TOWARDS SHV WITHOUT EXPLAINING TO ME, OR ADVISING ATC. WHEN I FOUND OUT WE WERE NOW GOING TO SHV, I INFORMED ATC OF OUR NEW HDG TO GET DSCNT CLRNC. CORRECTION: I TOLD ATC WE NEEDED TO GO TO SHV, ATC GAVE US 'DSND TO FL180.' I THEN TOLD HIM OUR NEW HDG. ATC REPLIED WE HAD 'TURNED IN A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT, EXPEDITE DSCNT THROUGH FL180, DSND TO 15000 FT.' WE COMPLIED. REST OF TRIP UNEVENTFUL. (DFW CTL TWRS AND TERMINALS LATER EVACED DUE TO TORNADOES.)

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.