Narrative:

We were given a holdover ZZZ. The hold was for approximately 30 mins. Due to a line of severe WX in the area. Upon calling dispatch we were given a bingo fuel of 4400 pounds and told to call back then for further assistance. ARTCC was becoming overwhelmed with traffic and we were around 33000 ft in the stack in the hold. Because of the amount of radio congestion and WX I decided to call dispatch at 5000 pounds just to allow for more communication time. Dispatch rechked the WX in ZZZ and said it was a good option as the WX was still 10-12 mi southwest of the airport. He also said to leave the hold and head to ZZZ as there are not any other options at that time. We instructed ARTCC of our intentions to head to ZZZ for landing. It took several mins and several calls to actually begin leaving the hold and heading towards ZZZ. The WX was becoming questionable in ZZZ and was handed off to ZZZ approach. We were advised of the WX moving towards the airport and was given direct to the field since we had VIZZZ1L contact. We then were handed off to the final controller and she turned us out to put us behind a dash 8 on the approach. Since we were told by dispatch that we did not have any options we wanted to visit the approach to runway 27 in ZZZ and see how it looked. We both agreed not to continue and abandoned the approach. ATC began vectoring us out of the area and became confused; it seemed; as to what to do with us at that time. We had 3800 pounds of fuel at this time. I worked with ATC for a suitable runway to land up the coast in the clear. We worked on ZZZ1; ZZZ2; and ZZZ3. I got out data for landing at ZZZ1. While doing this; my first officer was also checking for the landing length needed and agreed on the information. We were heading to ZZZ2 when we decided on ZZZ1. ZZZ3 had WX in the area and was the farthest. We decided on ZZZ1 since we were abeam the field at the time and was unsure of any unknown problems in ZZZ2 and dispatch was out of the loop at this point. We were low in altitude and was told by dispatch earlier that ZZZ was our only option so we were on our own to work this out. We also did not want to fly to ZZZ2 to have a problem and have to fly back to ZZZ1 in a minimum or perhaps emergency fuel situation. We were handed off to ZZZ1 and they had declared the emergency for us already upon contact. We were cleared for the VIZZZ1L to runway 12 and made a landing with a smooth rollout and taxied to FBO after confirming the weight limit on the field and ramps. Thanks to all who did assist us with all the information they could give in this situation. Supplemental information from acn 795019: flight was dispatched per regulations. Flight called while holding over ZZZ with 5800 pounds of fuel on board. I looked at the WX and surrounding airports and gave a bingo number of 4500 pounds and diversion point of ZZZ. The pilots called again at 5000 pounds and wanted to make a decision to divert to ZZZ based on the impending WX conditions. I made the decision to divert at that time and told the crew to call me from the ground in ZZZ. The next communication that I received from the crew was that they were on the ground in ZZZ1 (a non opspec airport). There was a breakdown in communications between crew and dispatch which possibly could have turned out much worse. The crew landed at an airport that was not known to have adequate crash; fire and rescue equipment available. If the crew had kept up communications with dispatch; these unfortunate events could have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RPTS FLT CREW DIVERTING TO ARPT NOT IN OPSPEC AFTER BEING INFORMED THAT PBI WAS SUITABLE ALTERNATE.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN A HOLDOVER ZZZ. THE HOLD WAS FOR APPROX 30 MINS. DUE TO A LINE OF SEVERE WX IN THE AREA. UPON CALLING DISPATCH WE WERE GIVEN A BINGO FUEL OF 4400 LBS AND TOLD TO CALL BACK THEN FOR FURTHER ASSISTANCE. ARTCC WAS BECOMING OVERWHELMED WITH TFC AND WE WERE AROUND 33000 FT IN THE STACK IN THE HOLD. BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF RADIO CONGESTION AND WX I DECIDED TO CALL DISPATCH AT 5000 LBS JUST TO ALLOW FOR MORE COM TIME. DISPATCH RECHKED THE WX IN ZZZ AND SAID IT WAS A GOOD OPTION AS THE WX WAS STILL 10-12 MI SW OF THE ARPT. HE ALSO SAID TO LEAVE THE HOLD AND HEAD TO ZZZ AS THERE ARE NOT ANY OTHER OPTIONS AT THAT TIME. WE INSTRUCTED ARTCC OF OUR INTENTIONS TO HEAD TO ZZZ FOR LNDG. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS AND SEVERAL CALLS TO ACTUALLY BEGIN LEAVING THE HOLD AND HDG TOWARDS ZZZ. THE WX WAS BECOMING QUESTIONABLE IN ZZZ AND WAS HANDED OFF TO ZZZ APCH. WE WERE ADVISED OF THE WX MOVING TOWARDS THE ARPT AND WAS GIVEN DIRECT TO THE FIELD SINCE WE HAD VIZZZ1L CONTACT. WE THEN WERE HANDED OFF TO THE FINAL CTLR AND SHE TURNED US OUT TO PUT US BEHIND A DASH 8 ON THE APCH. SINCE WE WERE TOLD BY DISPATCH THAT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY OPTIONS WE WANTED TO VISIT THE APCH TO RWY 27 IN ZZZ AND SEE HOW IT LOOKED. WE BOTH AGREED NOT TO CONTINUE AND ABANDONED THE APCH. ATC BEGAN VECTORING US OUT OF THE AREA AND BECAME CONFUSED; IT SEEMED; AS TO WHAT TO DO WITH US AT THAT TIME. WE HAD 3800 LBS OF FUEL AT THIS TIME. I WORKED WITH ATC FOR A SUITABLE RWY TO LAND UP THE COAST IN THE CLR. WE WORKED ON ZZZ1; ZZZ2; AND ZZZ3. I GOT OUT DATA FOR LNDG AT ZZZ1. WHILE DOING THIS; MY FO WAS ALSO CHKING FOR THE LNDG LENGTH NEEDED AND AGREED ON THE INFO. WE WERE HDG TO ZZZ2 WHEN WE DECIDED ON ZZZ1. ZZZ3 HAD WX IN THE AREA AND WAS THE FARTHEST. WE DECIDED ON ZZZ1 SINCE WE WERE ABEAM THE FIELD AT THE TIME AND WAS UNSURE OF ANY UNKNOWN PROBS IN ZZZ2 AND DISPATCH WAS OUT OF THE LOOP AT THIS POINT. WE WERE LOW IN ALT AND WAS TOLD BY DISPATCH EARLIER THAT ZZZ WAS OUR ONLY OPTION SO WE WERE ON OUR OWN TO WORK THIS OUT. WE ALSO DID NOT WANT TO FLY TO ZZZ2 TO HAVE A PROB AND HAVE TO FLY BACK TO ZZZ1 IN A MINIMUM OR PERHAPS EMER FUEL SIT. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ZZZ1 AND THEY HAD DECLARED THE EMER FOR US ALREADY UPON CONTACT. WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VIZZZ1L TO RWY 12 AND MADE A LNDG WITH A SMOOTH ROLLOUT AND TAXIED TO FBO AFTER CONFIRMING THE WT LIMIT ON THE FIELD AND RAMPS. THANKS TO ALL WHO DID ASSIST US WITH ALL THE INFO THEY COULD GIVE IN THIS SIT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 795019: FLT WAS DISPATCHED PER REGS. FLT CALLED WHILE HOLDING OVER ZZZ WITH 5800 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. I LOOKED AT THE WX AND SURROUNDING ARPTS AND GAVE A BINGO NUMBER OF 4500 LBS AND DIVERSION POINT OF ZZZ. THE PLTS CALLED AGAIN AT 5000 LBS AND WANTED TO MAKE A DECISION TO DIVERT TO ZZZ BASED ON THE IMPENDING WX CONDITIONS. I MADE THE DECISION TO DIVERT AT THAT TIME AND TOLD THE CREW TO CALL ME FROM THE GND IN ZZZ. THE NEXT COM THAT I RECEIVED FROM THE CREW WAS THAT THEY WERE ON THE GND IN ZZZ1 (A NON OPSPEC ARPT). THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COMS BTWN CREW AND DISPATCH WHICH POSSIBLY COULD HAVE TURNED OUT MUCH WORSE. THE CREW LANDED AT AN ARPT THAT WAS NOT KNOWN TO HAVE ADEQUATE CRASH; FIRE AND RESCUE EQUIP AVAILABLE. IF THE CREW HAD KEPT UP COMS WITH DISPATCH; THESE UNFORTUNATE EVENTS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.