Narrative:

We arrived in the zbaa area only to be told by ATC that the zbaa airport was closed due to thunderstorms and no improvement expected for 2 hours. No traffic arriving or departing; airport closed. We advised that our alternate was zbtj. ATC advised zbtj also closed due to WX. Only good airport was zytx. It is not in our database or list of approved airports. We asked about zbtj; but told WX was deteriorating. Called dispatch on satcom. Put on indefinite hold and were not able to get voice contact. Received message from dispatch stating 'our folks said that it wouldn't be long term. Zbaa operations said that ATC is landing and departing at zbaa again.' I don't know where they got this erroneous information. The WX was bad and no aircraft landing or departing except us and 1 B737 who obviously was running out of fuel too. Dispatch advised us our only other airport was zbsj; which would have put us there with about 12.0 fuel. We as crew discussed our limited; almost non existent options and decided that since the B737 shot the runway 36R approach and wasn't reporting windshear or bad conditions that our only good choice was to fly the runway 36R ILS and if needed; divert to zbsj. Approach and landing was normal although we went through some very dark areas with heavy precipitation. Why weren't we notified that beijing and alternates were going down due to WX? Dispatch needs to more closely monitor these flight's arrival WX; not just for initial dispatch legalities. Why isn't zytx in the database? Why isn't zbsj listed as a diversion airport? Why didn't dispatch re-satcom us? After all; there we were with airports closed; alternates down; and no good alternatives. All these issues caused us to be placed into a very untenable position. We felt that we received inadequate support from dispatch and company WX resources.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 FLT CREW ENCOUNTERS DEST ARPT CLOSED DUE TO WX AND UNRESPONSIVE COMPANY REGARDING DIVERSION POSSIBILITIES.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN THE ZBAA AREA ONLY TO BE TOLD BY ATC THAT THE ZBAA ARPT WAS CLOSED DUE TO TSTMS AND NO IMPROVEMENT EXPECTED FOR 2 HRS. NO TFC ARRIVING OR DEPARTING; ARPT CLOSED. WE ADVISED THAT OUR ALTERNATE WAS ZBTJ. ATC ADVISED ZBTJ ALSO CLOSED DUE TO WX. ONLY GOOD ARPT WAS ZYTX. IT IS NOT IN OUR DATABASE OR LIST OF APPROVED ARPTS. WE ASKED ABOUT ZBTJ; BUT TOLD WX WAS DETERIORATING. CALLED DISPATCH ON SATCOM. PUT ON INDEFINITE HOLD AND WERE NOT ABLE TO GET VOICE CONTACT. RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH STATING 'OUR FOLKS SAID THAT IT WOULDN'T BE LONG TERM. ZBAA OPS SAID THAT ATC IS LNDG AND DEPARTING AT ZBAA AGAIN.' I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY GOT THIS ERRONEOUS INFO. THE WX WAS BAD AND NO ACFT LNDG OR DEPARTING EXCEPT US AND 1 B737 WHO OBVIOUSLY WAS RUNNING OUT OF FUEL TOO. DISPATCH ADVISED US OUR ONLY OTHER ARPT WAS ZBSJ; WHICH WOULD HAVE PUT US THERE WITH ABOUT 12.0 FUEL. WE AS CREW DISCUSSED OUR LIMITED; ALMOST NON EXISTENT OPTIONS AND DECIDED THAT SINCE THE B737 SHOT THE RWY 36R APCH AND WASN'T RPTING WINDSHEAR OR BAD CONDITIONS THAT OUR ONLY GOOD CHOICE WAS TO FLY THE RWY 36R ILS AND IF NEEDED; DIVERT TO ZBSJ. APCH AND LNDG WAS NORMAL ALTHOUGH WE WENT THROUGH SOME VERY DARK AREAS WITH HVY PRECIP. WHY WEREN'T WE NOTIFIED THAT BEIJING AND ALTERNATES WERE GOING DOWN DUE TO WX? DISPATCH NEEDS TO MORE CLOSELY MONITOR THESE FLT'S ARR WX; NOT JUST FOR INITIAL DISPATCH LEGALITIES. WHY ISN'T ZYTX IN THE DATABASE? WHY ISN'T ZBSJ LISTED AS A DIVERSION ARPT? WHY DIDN'T DISPATCH RE-SATCOM US? AFTER ALL; THERE WE WERE WITH ARPTS CLOSED; ALTERNATES DOWN; AND NO GOOD ALTERNATIVES. ALL THESE ISSUES CAUSED US TO BE PLACED INTO A VERY UNTENABLE POS. WE FELT THAT WE RECEIVED INADEQUATE SUPPORT FROM DISPATCH AND COMPANY WX RESOURCES.

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.