Narrative:

I was dispatched to lga with no alternate or alternate fuel. The WX forecast deteriorated while I was en route requiring a diversion and landing at bdl with minimum fuel. Airline dispatch staff failed to alert me to the WX deterioration, so I could have landed short for fuel. The WX at bdl at the time of diversion was acceptable, however on our arrival the field closed due to a nil braking report. With no options to but to land at bdl, we received priority handling and accomplished an uneventful landing. I have several ideas about braking action reports which I would like to speak to someone about over the phone. Callback conversation with report revealed the following: reporter would like to see a standardization of braking action reports, preferable rcr as reported by USAF. Advised his suggestion would be included in the data base, but the reporting of braking conditions is such a variable it is questionable anything will be done. Incident resulted when the visibility went below minimums for a nonprecision approach and the crosswind component at ewr far exceeded the capabilities of the aircraft. No emergency was declared, but bdl had to remove snow equipment to make the runway available. Braking was good on landing. Company dispatch did not give any help as far as the conditions of the runway and the changing WX. Recent merger of carriers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NECESSARY TO DIVERT TO NEARBY ARPT ACCOUNT LOW FUEL AND NO ALTERNATE PLANNED.

Narrative: I WAS DISPATCHED TO LGA WITH NO ALTERNATE OR ALTERNATE FUEL. THE WX FORECAST DETERIORATED WHILE I WAS ENRTE REQUIRING A DIVERSION AND LNDG AT BDL WITH MINIMUM FUEL. AIRLINE DISPATCH STAFF FAILED TO ALERT ME TO THE WX DETERIORATION, SO I COULD HAVE LANDED SHORT FOR FUEL. THE WX AT BDL AT THE TIME OF DIVERSION WAS ACCEPTABLE, HOWEVER ON OUR ARR THE FIELD CLOSED DUE TO A NIL BRAKING RPT. WITH NO OPTIONS TO BUT TO LAND AT BDL, WE RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING AND ACCOMPLISHED AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I HAVE SEVERAL IDEAS ABOUT BRAKING ACTION RPTS WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE ABOUT OVER THE PHONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPT REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE A STANDARDIZATION OF BRAKING ACTION RPTS, PREFERABLE RCR AS RPTED BY USAF. ADVISED HIS SUGGESTION WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE DATA BASE, BUT THE RPTING OF BRAKING CONDITIONS IS SUCH A VARIABLE IT IS QUESTIONABLE ANYTHING WILL BE DONE. INCIDENT RESULTED WHEN THE VIS WENT BELOW MINIMUMS FOR A NONPRECISION APCH AND THE XWIND COMPONENT AT EWR FAR EXCEEDED THE CAPABILITIES OF THE ACFT. NO EMER WAS DECLARED, BUT BDL HAD TO REMOVE SNOW EQUIP TO MAKE THE RWY AVAILABLE. BRAKING WAS GOOD ON LNDG. COMPANY DISPATCH DID NOT GIVE ANY HELP AS FAR AS THE CONDITIONS OF THE RWY AND THE CHANGING WX. RECENT MERGER OF CARRIERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.