Narrative:

We departed flight to albuquerque. First officer was flying. Captain was working radios. Abq runways 8/26 and 17/35 were closed due to NOTAMS. Abq approach vectored us for runway 3 landing sequence. As we were turned onto downwind, we were advised we had 3 in sequence before us. One of them was a king air aircraft with a 'lifeguard' call sign, which reported he had an unsafe gear indication. When we were on final for runway 3, 'lifeguard' was landing on runway 30. Our approach was normal until just after I made the 500 ft call. Albuquerque tower directed us to go around because 'lifeguard's' gear collapsed at the intersection of runway 3 and 30. We accomplished the go around. Then captain coordinated with company dispatch for a divert airport. Fuel was approximately 5800 pounds. No alternate had been filed for abq because WX was VMC, clear, visibility 10 mi plus. After considering alternatives, captain and dispatch decided on roswell, NM, for the divert (about 140 NM). We advised abq approach we were 'minimum fuel' and requested vectors to roswell. After handoff to ZAB, we were given a vector to the south to clear a restr area. We declared a 'fuel emergency' and a couple of mins later, we were cleared direct to roswell. We used the roswell approach plate for runway 21 from the alternate's package to back up the visual night approach. Captain flew the approach and landing, which was uneventful. When we parked on an FBO ramp, we had 3200 pounds fuel. Supplemental information from acn 607217: only runways open were runways 3/21 and 30/12. I looked at elp in the FMC as an alternate and realized that it would be a stretch even at that point in the arrival. Planned arrival fuel at abq was 6500 pounds. I looked at both ama and elp again in the FMC and both were too far for the fuel remaining. Radar was mentioning that they were looking at santa flight engineer as a destination for us and others. I was listening to company on #2 and several guys were already there talking to dispatch advising them of the closure and asking for suitable alternates. I got handled first by dispatch because we were lower on fuel. Dispatch suggested roswell, NM, and when I put it in the FMC it was much closer and the proposed fuel at landing was acceptable. He and I jointly declared an emergency and established our destination as row. ZAB got us clearance through white sands range after a couple of mins. Row WX was clear and there was as full moon. A visual backed up by the ILS to runway 21 was flown to an uneventful landing at row. Row tower and ground were very helpful and we refueled at FBO. All requirements regarding divert were met and an uneventful flight back to abq was made after refueling and completing the required forms. Recommendation: until abq gets runways 8/26 open again, abq flts should designate an alternate and carry enough fuel to get there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 FLT CREW DECLARES A FUEL EMER DUE TO ALL RWYS CLOSED AT ABQ AND HAVING TO DIVERT TO ROW, NM.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FLT TO ALBUQUERQUE. FO WAS FLYING. CAPT WAS WORKING RADIOS. ABQ RWYS 8/26 AND 17/35 WERE CLOSED DUE TO NOTAMS. ABQ APCH VECTORED US FOR RWY 3 LNDG SEQUENCE. AS WE WERE TURNED ONTO DOWNWIND, WE WERE ADVISED WE HAD 3 IN SEQUENCE BEFORE US. ONE OF THEM WAS A KING AIR ACFT WITH A 'LIFEGUARD' CALL SIGN, WHICH RPTED HE HAD AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION. WHEN WE WERE ON FINAL FOR RWY 3, 'LIFEGUARD' WAS LNDG ON RWY 30. OUR APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL JUST AFTER I MADE THE 500 FT CALL. ALBUQUERQUE TWR DIRECTED US TO GO AROUND BECAUSE 'LIFEGUARD'S' GEAR COLLAPSED AT THE INTXN OF RWY 3 AND 30. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE GAR. THEN CAPT COORDINATED WITH COMPANY DISPATCH FOR A DIVERT ARPT. FUEL WAS APPROX 5800 LBS. NO ALTERNATE HAD BEEN FILED FOR ABQ BECAUSE WX WAS VMC, CLR, VISIBILITY 10 MI PLUS. AFTER CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES, CAPT AND DISPATCH DECIDED ON ROSWELL, NM, FOR THE DIVERT (ABOUT 140 NM). WE ADVISED ABQ APCH WE WERE 'MINIMUM FUEL' AND REQUESTED VECTORS TO ROSWELL. AFTER HDOF TO ZAB, WE WERE GIVEN A VECTOR TO THE S TO CLR A RESTR AREA. WE DECLARED A 'FUEL EMER' AND A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, WE WERE CLRED DIRECT TO ROSWELL. WE USED THE ROSWELL APCH PLATE FOR RWY 21 FROM THE ALTERNATE'S PACKAGE TO BACK UP THE VISUAL NIGHT APCH. CAPT FLEW THE APCH AND LNDG, WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL. WHEN WE PARKED ON AN FBO RAMP, WE HAD 3200 LBS FUEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 607217: ONLY RWYS OPEN WERE RWYS 3/21 AND 30/12. I LOOKED AT ELP IN THE FMC AS AN ALTERNATE AND REALIZED THAT IT WOULD BE A STRETCH EVEN AT THAT POINT IN THE ARR. PLANNED ARR FUEL AT ABQ WAS 6500 LBS. I LOOKED AT BOTH AMA AND ELP AGAIN IN THE FMC AND BOTH WERE TOO FAR FOR THE FUEL REMAINING. RADAR WAS MENTIONING THAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT SANTA FE AS A DEST FOR US AND OTHERS. I WAS LISTENING TO COMPANY ON #2 AND SEVERAL GUYS WERE ALREADY THERE TALKING TO DISPATCH ADVISING THEM OF THE CLOSURE AND ASKING FOR SUITABLE ALTERNATES. I GOT HANDLED FIRST BY DISPATCH BECAUSE WE WERE LOWER ON FUEL. DISPATCH SUGGESTED ROSWELL, NM, AND WHEN I PUT IT IN THE FMC IT WAS MUCH CLOSER AND THE PROPOSED FUEL AT LNDG WAS ACCEPTABLE. HE AND I JOINTLY DECLARED AN EMER AND ESTABLISHED OUR DEST AS ROW. ZAB GOT US CLRNC THROUGH WHITE SANDS RANGE AFTER A COUPLE OF MINS. ROW WX WAS CLR AND THERE WAS AS FULL MOON. A VISUAL BACKED UP BY THE ILS TO RWY 21 WAS FLOWN TO AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ROW. ROW TWR AND GND WERE VERY HELPFUL AND WE REFUELED AT FBO. ALL REQUIREMENTS REGARDING DIVERT WERE MET AND AN UNEVENTFUL FLT BACK TO ABQ WAS MADE AFTER REFUELING AND COMPLETING THE REQUIRED FORMS. RECOMMENDATION: UNTIL ABQ GETS RWYS 8/26 OPEN AGAIN, ABQ FLTS SHOULD DESIGNATE AN ALTERNATE AND CARRY ENOUGH FUEL TO GET THERE.

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.