Narrative:

Crew duty began at XA40 am. First destination was bna. Bna had morning fog problems as low as 1/16 mi. The PIC was somewhat preoccupied with bna WX problems, which, however, did improve as fog burned off ok. Returning to cvg PIC became aware than an unscheduled change of aircraft would occur. Because a 45 min turnaround had been scheduled over the hour, the plan had been to take a brief lunch and physiological break and to acquire additional WX information in the remote operations area, which had been locked earlier. The inbound jet arrived late. By the time the crew received the outbnd aircraft, 23 mins of scheduled break had gone by. After preflting the aircraft, a bus arrived with passenger while we were still fueling. It was now 7 mins to departure and there was confusion about how many passenger were coming. The forecast and last 7 sequence reports indicated VFR WX at lan. The flight departed west/O a designated alternate, but with fuel adequate for numerous alternates. After departure, it was discovered that in the rush and confusion, the latest WX had not been acquired. Attempts to establish radio contact with company dispatch flight control were unsuccessful. At this time lan ATIS was received with light trw in progress. PIC was unable to make contact with cvg dispatch, fwa operations, nor lan operations. Airborne WX radar showed a deviation was an appropriate safety procedure. The sic, a checked out captain but not yet awarded a line, insisted on deviation to the right in front of the WX activity. As the deviation progressed northeasterly, it became apparent that an unscheduled landing was in order as convective activity was rapidly intensifying. Company operations at dtw was contacted and a landing accomplished in VFR conditions with 1 1/2 hours fuel remaining. A lengthy taxi ensued. While making arrangements for the passenger during a stay on the ground for the WX to pass, some more time was lost. Finally telephonic contact was established with cvg dispatch, a new flight plan was filed dtw-lan, the aircraft was serviced, reboarded, and flight to lan completed in VFR conditions. Complications: unscheduled aircraft switch, earlier locked WX and operations area, considerable disregard by company in furnishing 135 crew's timely WX and NOTAM information, PIC and sic's failure to make sure that WX on hand was the latest available, lack of company operations or dispatch--flight control to alert pilots to 2X changes, no responses on radio contact, PIC's lack of WX anxiety because of 7 VFR sequence reports, passenger loading confusion, loss of lunch break, and finally considerable cockpit disharmony caused by sic apparently, having, bluntly, a giant case of the ass. Had we deviated west behind the WX as PIC wanted, the flight would have arrived uneventfully. Situation avoidance: PIC getting better WX briefing, PIC making final decision on deviation, PIC's concern about human cockpit atmosphere should not influence decisions when sic is obviously having a bad day, the company should have a more positive attitude about furnishing 135 crews current WX, the company should make much more effort to furnish 135 crews WX after complicated aircraft changes, the company needs to alert 135 crews better of WX changes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX LTT DEPARTED WITHOUT LATEST DEST WX, THEN DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE DUE TSTM ACTIVITY ENROUTE.

Narrative: CREW DUTY BEGAN AT XA40 AM. FIRST DEST WAS BNA. BNA HAD MORNING FOG PROBS AS LOW AS 1/16 MI. THE PIC WAS SOMEWHAT PREOCCUPIED WITH BNA WX PROBS, WHICH, HOWEVER, DID IMPROVE AS FOG BURNED OFF OK. RETURNING TO CVG PIC BECAME AWARE THAN AN UNSCHEDULED CHANGE OF ACFT WOULD OCCUR. BECAUSE A 45 MIN TURNAROUND HAD BEEN SCHEDULED OVER THE HR, THE PLAN HAD BEEN TO TAKE A BRIEF LUNCH AND PHYSIOLOGICAL BREAK AND TO ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL WX INFO IN THE REMOTE OPS AREA, WHICH HAD BEEN LOCKED EARLIER. THE INBND JET ARRIVED LATE. BY THE TIME THE CREW RECEIVED THE OUTBND ACFT, 23 MINS OF SCHEDULED BREAK HAD GONE BY. AFTER PREFLTING THE ACFT, A BUS ARRIVED WITH PAX WHILE WE WERE STILL FUELING. IT WAS NOW 7 MINS TO DEP AND THERE WAS CONFUSION ABOUT HOW MANY PAX WERE COMING. THE FORECAST AND LAST 7 SEQUENCE RPTS INDICATED VFR WX AT LAN. THE FLT DEPARTED W/O A DESIGNATED ALTERNATE, BUT WITH FUEL ADEQUATE FOR NUMEROUS ALTERNATES. AFTER DEP, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT IN THE RUSH AND CONFUSION, THE LATEST WX HAD NOT BEEN ACQUIRED. ATTEMPTS TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH COMPANY DISPATCH FLT CTL WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. AT THIS TIME LAN ATIS WAS RECEIVED WITH LIGHT TRW IN PROGRESS. PIC WAS UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH CVG DISPATCH, FWA OPS, NOR LAN OPS. AIRBORNE WX RADAR SHOWED A DEV WAS AN APPROPRIATE SAFETY PROC. THE SIC, A CHKED OUT CAPT BUT NOT YET AWARDED A LINE, INSISTED ON DEVIATION TO THE RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE WX ACTIVITY. AS THE DEVIATION PROGRESSED NORTHEASTERLY, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT AN UNSCHEDULED LNDG WAS IN ORDER AS CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY WAS RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING. COMPANY OPS AT DTW WAS CONTACTED AND A LNDG ACCOMPLISHED IN VFR CONDITIONS WITH 1 1/2 HRS FUEL REMAINING. A LENGTHY TAXI ENSUED. WHILE MAKING ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PAX DURING A STAY ON THE GND FOR THE WX TO PASS, SOME MORE TIME WAS LOST. FINALLY TELEPHONIC CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED WITH CVG DISPATCH, A NEW FLT PLAN WAS FILED DTW-LAN, THE ACFT WAS SERVICED, REBOARDED, AND FLT TO LAN COMPLETED IN VFR CONDITIONS. COMPLICATIONS: UNSCHEDULED ACFT SWITCH, EARLIER LOCKED WX AND OPS AREA, CONSIDERABLE DISREGARD BY COMPANY IN FURNISHING 135 CREW'S TIMELY WX AND NOTAM INFO, PIC AND SIC'S FAILURE TO MAKE SURE THAT WX ON HAND WAS THE LATEST AVAILABLE, LACK OF COMPANY OPS OR DISPATCH--FLT CONTROL TO ALERT PLTS TO 2X CHANGES, NO RESPONSES ON RADIO CONTACT, PIC'S LACK OF WX ANXIETY BECAUSE OF 7 VFR SEQUENCE RPTS, PAX LOADING CONFUSION, LOSS OF LUNCH BREAK, AND FINALLY CONSIDERABLE COCKPIT DISHARMONY CAUSED BY SIC APPARENTLY, HAVING, BLUNTLY, A GIANT CASE OF THE ASS. HAD WE DEVIATED W BEHIND THE WX AS PIC WANTED, THE FLT WOULD HAVE ARRIVED UNEVENTFULLY. SITUATION AVOIDANCE: PIC GETTING BETTER WX BRIEFING, PIC MAKING FINAL DECISION ON DEVIATION, PIC'S CONCERN ABOUT HUMAN COCKPIT ATMOSPHERE SHOULD NOT INFLUENCE DECISIONS WHEN SIC IS OBVIOUSLY HAVING A BAD DAY, THE COMPANY SHOULD HAVE A MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT FURNISHING 135 CREWS CURRENT WX, THE COMPANY SHOULD MAKE MUCH MORE EFFORT TO FURNISH 135 CREWS WX AFTER COMPLICATED ACFT CHANGES, THE COMPANY NEEDS TO ALERT 135 CREWS BETTER OF WX CHANGES.

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.