Narrative:

On flight to stl we had to divert to cou; mo. On approach into stl; unforecasted WX caused us to abandon the approach. We asked for vectors to hold. The airport closed shortly after this. In the hold at ftz VOR; I tried contacting dispatch through atl radio multiple times on 2 different frequencys. Next I tried to contact dispatch through comrdo. Comrdo rang but would not establish contact. Next I tried to talk to stl operations to relay with dispatch; and got no answer. I contacted stl approach when I could not get dispatch and asked for conditions at blv (belleville mid america). Approach said I could not make it to blv before the storms. Fuel was a concern now because the unforecasted WX did not require alternate fuel and holding fuel. I asked for a climb from 6000 ft to 8000 ft hoping to get a better signal for atl radio and save fuel. Due to the approaching WX we had to change our hold pattern a couple of times. Needless to say workload was high. I inquired to stl approach about when stl was opening and they did not have an answer. I told stl approach we had a fuel situation and we will have to divert. Approach told us people were getting into cou; mo. I evaluated the distance that we normally use as alternates and without talking to dispatch and know the WX and back up with the fuel burn to those destination and blv not an option I chose to go to cou. Also we had flown in the vicinity of the airport on arrival and the WX was clear. Cou was around 60 mi from ftz by far the closest and safest without knowing the WX and fuel requirements. I could not go safely to another airport and still have enough fuel to go missed without a fuel emergency. Cou has airline service with a tower and crash fire rescue equipment. En route to cou; I tried to contact dispatch and stl operations again to get an amendment; runway data. Could not reach dispatch again. I was able to get pertinent information from mizzou approach on runway information. We calculated landing data with the onboard charts. We were within our landing performance and with day VFR conditions we landed at cou with 2000 pounds fuel. We joined 3 other embraer jets and another airliner. Factors that contributed to landing cou were: 1) unable to talk to dispatch. 2) unforecast WX. 3) only other 'close' alternate was affected by WX. Factors I believe would help the situation in the future are: 1) some other form of communication with dispatch. 2) charts for cou. 3) a list of alternate airports. Although cou isn't on the authority/authorized airport list; I believe from the resource I had at the moment; even without current charts cou was the best airport to land in the interest of safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB145 CREW DIVERTS TO OFFLINE ALTERNATE DUE TO TSTMS AT DEST AND NEAREST ONLINE ALTERNATE.

Narrative: ON FLT TO STL WE HAD TO DIVERT TO COU; MO. ON APCH INTO STL; UNFORECASTED WX CAUSED US TO ABANDON THE APCH. WE ASKED FOR VECTORS TO HOLD. THE ARPT CLOSED SHORTLY AFTER THIS. IN THE HOLD AT FTZ VOR; I TRIED CONTACTING DISPATCH THROUGH ATL RADIO MULTIPLE TIMES ON 2 DIFFERENT FREQS. NEXT I TRIED TO CONTACT DISPATCH THROUGH COMRDO. COMRDO RANG BUT WOULD NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT. NEXT I TRIED TO TALK TO STL OPS TO RELAY WITH DISPATCH; AND GOT NO ANSWER. I CONTACTED STL APCH WHEN I COULD NOT GET DISPATCH AND ASKED FOR CONDITIONS AT BLV (BELLEVILLE MID AMERICA). APCH SAID I COULD NOT MAKE IT TO BLV BEFORE THE STORMS. FUEL WAS A CONCERN NOW BECAUSE THE UNFORECASTED WX DID NOT REQUIRE ALTERNATE FUEL AND HOLDING FUEL. I ASKED FOR A CLB FROM 6000 FT TO 8000 FT HOPING TO GET A BETTER SIGNAL FOR ATL RADIO AND SAVE FUEL. DUE TO THE APCHING WX WE HAD TO CHANGE OUR HOLD PATTERN A COUPLE OF TIMES. NEEDLESS TO SAY WORKLOAD WAS HIGH. I INQUIRED TO STL APCH ABOUT WHEN STL WAS OPENING AND THEY DID NOT HAVE AN ANSWER. I TOLD STL APCH WE HAD A FUEL SITUATION AND WE WILL HAVE TO DIVERT. APCH TOLD US PEOPLE WERE GETTING INTO COU; MO. I EVALUATED THE DISTANCE THAT WE NORMALLY USE AS ALTERNATES AND WITHOUT TALKING TO DISPATCH AND KNOW THE WX AND BACK UP WITH THE FUEL BURN TO THOSE DEST AND BLV NOT AN OPTION I CHOSE TO GO TO COU. ALSO WE HAD FLOWN IN THE VICINITY OF THE ARPT ON ARR AND THE WX WAS CLR. COU WAS AROUND 60 MI FROM FTZ BY FAR THE CLOSEST AND SAFEST WITHOUT KNOWING THE WX AND FUEL REQUIREMENTS. I COULD NOT GO SAFELY TO ANOTHER ARPT AND STILL HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO MISSED WITHOUT A FUEL EMER. COU HAS AIRLINE SVC WITH A TWR AND CFR. ENRTE TO COU; I TRIED TO CONTACT DISPATCH AND STL OPS AGAIN TO GET AN AMENDMENT; RWY DATA. COULD NOT REACH DISPATCH AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO GET PERTINENT INFO FROM MIZZOU APCH ON RWY INFO. WE CALCULATED LNDG DATA WITH THE ONBOARD CHARTS. WE WERE WITHIN OUR LNDG PERFORMANCE AND WITH DAY VFR CONDITIONS WE LANDED AT COU WITH 2000 LBS FUEL. WE JOINED 3 OTHER EMBRAER JETS AND ANOTHER AIRLINER. FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO LNDG COU WERE: 1) UNABLE TO TALK TO DISPATCH. 2) UNFORECAST WX. 3) ONLY OTHER 'CLOSE' ALTERNATE WAS AFFECTED BY WX. FACTORS I BELIEVE WOULD HELP THE SITUATION IN THE FUTURE ARE: 1) SOME OTHER FORM OF COM WITH DISPATCH. 2) CHARTS FOR COU. 3) A LIST OF ALTERNATE ARPTS. ALTHOUGH COU ISN'T ON THE AUTH ARPT LIST; I BELIEVE FROM THE RESOURCE I HAD AT THE MOMENT; EVEN WITHOUT CURRENT CHARTS COU WAS THE BEST ARPT TO LAND IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.