Narrative:

Unforecasted thunderstorms approaching ZZZ1 on arrival precluded landing on either runway. Fuel on board was 6200 pounds at the time and the airport subsequently closed and the nearest altitude was ZZZ2 or ZZZ3 with a burnout of approximately 3.2. We were overhead ZZZ at the time and ATC asked us our intentions and to specify alternate desired. We elected to divert to ZZZ and advised dispatch of this and they in turn informed us that we needed to declare emergency to go to ZZZ as alternate. We declared emergency with ATC and had uneventful landing. Supplemental information from acn 713041: I received an ACARS message from the flight that they were diverting to ZZZ due to thunderstorms in ZZZ1 and fuel was 5.8. Since ZZZ is an emergency airport; I asked if the captain had declared an emergency. He then asked for another divert option. I informed him that ZZZ2 was the closest legal alternate to ZZZ1 and the B/O is about 3.2. ZZZ1 was not accepting arrs at this time and the thunderstorm was between the flight and ZZZ2. He then sent an ACARS that he declared an emergency; was going to ZZZ and his fuel on board was 5.2. I entered the diversion into computer and called ZZZ operations to inform them that the flight declared a fuel emergency and was diverting to them. The flight arrived ZZZ shortly after; and the emergency was terminated by the captain.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 DSNDING TO LAND LEARNED THE ARPT WAS CLOSED DUE TO TSTMS. WITH MINIMAL FUEL ON BOARD; THEY DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT AN ARPT DESIGNATED AS EMER OPS ONLY BY THEIR COMPANY.

Narrative: UNFORECASTED TSTMS APCHING ZZZ1 ON ARR PRECLUDED LNDG ON EITHER RWY. FUEL ON BOARD WAS 6200 LBS AT THE TIME AND THE ARPT SUBSEQUENTLY CLOSED AND THE NEAREST ALT WAS ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3 WITH A BURNOUT OF APPROX 3.2. WE WERE OVERHEAD ZZZ AT THE TIME AND ATC ASKED US OUR INTENTIONS AND TO SPECIFY ALTERNATE DESIRED. WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO ZZZ AND ADVISED DISPATCH OF THIS AND THEY IN TURN INFORMED US THAT WE NEEDED TO DECLARE EMER TO GO TO ZZZ AS ALTERNATE. WE DECLARED EMER WITH ATC AND HAD UNEVENTFUL LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 713041: I RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM THE FLT THAT THEY WERE DIVERTING TO ZZZ DUE TO TSTMS IN ZZZ1 AND FUEL WAS 5.8. SINCE ZZZ IS AN EMER ARPT; I ASKED IF THE CAPT HAD DECLARED AN EMER. HE THEN ASKED FOR ANOTHER DIVERT OPTION. I INFORMED HIM THAT ZZZ2 WAS THE CLOSEST LEGAL ALTERNATE TO ZZZ1 AND THE B/O IS ABOUT 3.2. ZZZ1 WAS NOT ACCEPTING ARRS AT THIS TIME AND THE TSTM WAS BTWN THE FLT AND ZZZ2. HE THEN SENT AN ACARS THAT HE DECLARED AN EMER; WAS GOING TO ZZZ AND HIS FUEL ON BOARD WAS 5.2. I ENTERED THE DIVERSION INTO COMPUTER AND CALLED ZZZ OPS TO INFORM THEM THAT THE FLT DECLARED A FUEL EMER AND WAS DIVERTING TO THEM. THE FLT ARRIVED ZZZ SHORTLY AFTER; AND THE EMER WAS TERMINATED BY THE CAPT.

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.