Captain of air carrier light transport failed to file an alternate airport and put on sufficient fuel for the forecasted WX resulting in a divert land en route.

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Attributes
ACN	270089
Time
Date	199404
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Brasilia EMB-120 All Series
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 5500 flight time type : 3100
ASRS Report	270089
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Captain is getting old, approaching the mandatory retirement for part 121, but not 135. He is getting slower as the months go by, and the first officer's are, by his oversights, having to take up more and more of his responsibilities. On this day, there was a lot of WX en route between st louis and birmingham, al. I reviewed the convective sigmets and terminal forecasts for the route of flight and saw we didn't, in my opinion, have enough fuel for all the WX we would have to fly around. I informed the captain that we would need more fuel, but he disagreed. We went anyway. As we were climbing out of st louis, I realized something wasn't right and again reviewed the WX, then noticed that we had no alternate airport listed. Later on in the flight, approximately 1 hour, I had to convince the captain to divert into memphis for fuel and since we at that point, didn't even have enough fuel to go anywhere else, we landed in a thunderstorm. After getting fuel we continued to our destination after the thunderstorm left the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR LTT FAILED TO FILE AN ALTERNATE ARPT AND PUT ON SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR THE FORECASTED WX RESULTING IN A DIVERT LAND ENRTE.

Narrative: CAPT IS GETTING OLD, APCHING THE MANDATORY RETIREMENT FOR PART 121, BUT NOT 135. HE IS GETTING SLOWER AS THE MONTHS GO BY, AND THE FO'S ARE, BY HIS OVERSIGHTS, HAVING TO TAKE UP MORE AND MORE OF HIS RESPONSIBILITIES. ON THIS DAY, THERE WAS A LOT OF WX ENRTE BTWN ST LOUIS AND BIRMINGHAM, AL. I REVIEWED THE CONVECTIVE SIGMETS AND TERMINAL FORECASTS FOR THE RTE OF FLT AND SAW WE DIDN'T, IN MY OPINION, HAVE ENOUGH FUEL FOR ALL THE WX WE WOULD HAVE TO FLY AROUND. I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE WOULD NEED MORE FUEL, BUT HE DISAGREED. WE WENT ANYWAY. AS WE WERE CLBING OUT OF ST LOUIS, I REALIZED SOMETHING WASN'T RIGHT AND AGAIN REVIEWED THE WX, THEN NOTICED THAT WE HAD NO ALTERNATE ARPT LISTED. LATER ON IN THE FLT, APPROX 1 HR, I HAD TO CONVINCE THE CAPT TO DIVERT INTO MEMPHIS FOR FUEL AND SINCE WE AT THAT POINT, DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE, WE LANDED IN A TSTM. AFTER GETTING FUEL WE CONTINUED TO OUR DEST AFTER THE TSTM LEFT THE AREA.

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