Narrative:

Received a call from air carrier operations about XA52 that flight to hdn was diverting to den. I checked the hdn WX and visibility was 10 miles with a 3300 ft broken deck with 8 KT winds out of the west. Minimums for the VOR DME-B to runway 28 hdn are 1300/3 so I had no idea why the flight was diverting. Got a message from the flight a few minutes later diverting to den due to 2 missed apches at hdn due to GPWS going off on approach. I received this message when the flight was about 20 minutes out from den. Slc was listed as the alternate on the release and no communication was initiated by the crew to change alternate to den per operations manual. In defense of the crew; the flight made 2 apches to runway 28 and the GPWS went off both times while they were in clouds flying into a mountain station and had their hands full. Upon landing den; briefed captain about part 1 procedures about landing at an airport not listed on release or not amended by the dispatcher. As stated; crew was very busy and they saw den was closer and decided to divert to that station. Biggest thing that needs to be corrected is the step down fix altitude on runway 28 VOR DME-B at hdn. On the approach the step down fix at 10.4 DME is hirtu and says 9100 ft. Crew flew the profile as shown on the approach chart and were getting GPWS alert at hirtu while they were in the clouds. Approach is on page 13-2. The crew originally briefed for runway 10 but the winds switched around to the west and to rebrief runway 28 approach which complicated the approach. Under special procedures there is a blurb about recommending crossing the 10.4 DME fix (hirtu) at 9300 ft due to potential GPWS warning from 8200 ft terrain. The captain or first officer did not see this and were flying the approach as charted (which is the way it should be). What should be done is the step down fix at hirtu at 10.4 DME should be at 9300 ft or the chart should have it right on the approach plate about the GPWS warning if below 9100 ft at 10.4 DME. That short blurb on page 10-7V is easily missed and if they want the aircraft at or above 9300 ft at hirtu; it should be listed that way on the approach plate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DISPATCHER RPTS A B757 DIVERTED TO A NON FLT PLAN DEST AFTER RECEIVING TWO GPWS ALERTS WHILE ON IMC VOR-DME B APCH TO HDN RWY 28.

Narrative: RECEIVED A CALL FROM ACR OPERATIONS ABOUT XA52 THAT FLT TO HDN WAS DIVERTING TO DEN. I CHKED THE HDN WX AND VIS WAS 10 MILES WITH A 3300 FT BROKEN DECK WITH 8 KT WINDS OUT OF THE WEST. MINIMUMS FOR THE VOR DME-B TO RWY 28 HDN ARE 1300/3 SO I HAD NO IDEA WHY THE FLT WAS DIVERTING. GOT A MESSAGE FROM THE FLT A FEW MINUTES LATER DIVERTING TO DEN DUE TO 2 MISSED APCHES AT HDN DUE TO GPWS GOING OFF ON APCH. I RECEIVED THIS MESSAGE WHEN THE FLT WAS ABOUT 20 MINUTES OUT FROM DEN. SLC WAS LISTED AS THE ALTERNATE ON THE RELEASE AND NO COMMUNICATION WAS INITIATED BY THE CREW TO CHANGE ALTERNATE TO DEN PER OPS MANUAL. IN DEFENSE OF THE CREW; THE FLT MADE 2 APCHES TO RWY 28 AND THE GPWS WENT OFF BOTH TIMES WHILE THEY WERE IN CLOUDS FLYING INTO A MOUNTAIN STATION AND HAD THEIR HANDS FULL. UPON LNDG DEN; BRIEFED CAPT ABOUT PART 1 PROCS ABOUT LNDG AT AN ARPT NOT LISTED ON RELEASE OR NOT AMENDED BY THE DISPATCHER. AS STATED; CREW WAS VERY BUSY AND THEY SAW DEN WAS CLOSER AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO THAT STATION. BIGGEST THING THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED IS THE STEP DOWN FIX ALT ON RWY 28 VOR DME-B AT HDN. ON THE APCH THE STEP DOWN FIX AT 10.4 DME IS HIRTU AND SAYS 9100 FT. CREW FLEW THE PROFILE AS SHOWN ON THE APCH CHART AND WERE GETTING GPWS ALERT AT HIRTU WHILE THEY WERE IN THE CLOUDS. APCH IS ON PAGE 13-2. THE CREW ORIGINALLY BRIEFED FOR RWY 10 BUT THE WINDS SWITCHED AROUND TO THE WEST AND TO REBRIEF RWY 28 APCH WHICH COMPLICATED THE APCH. UNDER SPECIAL PROCS THERE IS A BLURB ABOUT RECOMMENDING CROSSING THE 10.4 DME FIX (HIRTU) AT 9300 FT DUE TO POTENTIAL GPWS WARNING FROM 8200 FT TERRAIN. THE CAPT OR FO DID NOT SEE THIS AND WERE FLYING THE APCH AS CHARTED (WHICH IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE). WHAT SHOULD BE DONE IS THE STEP DOWN FIX AT HIRTU AT 10.4 DME SHOULD BE AT 9300 FT OR THE CHART SHOULD HAVE IT RIGHT ON THE APCH PLATE ABOUT THE GPWS WARNING IF BELOW 9100 FT AT 10.4 DME. THAT SHORT BLURB ON PAGE 10-7V IS EASILY MISSED AND IF THEY WANT THE ACFT AT OR ABOVE 9300 FT AT HIRTU; IT SHOULD BE LISTED THAT WAY ON THE APCH PLATE.

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.