Narrative:

During a fuel stop in mia, the pilots contacted our flight control to obtain a WX update, but flight control had no new WX information for our destination (mdsd). We departed mia with 46400 pounds of cargo and 30000 pounds of fuel on board. Required fuel was 27700 pounds. En route flight and fuel burn were normal until ATC required us to descend at 150 mi from destination (mdsd) rather than 90 mi out based on our cruise altitude of FL270. Arrival WX from tower was 1500 ft overcast 8 KM/5 mi visibility temperature 23 degrees C, altimeter 29.95, winds 150 degrees at 5 KTS, active runway 17. Fuel on board just prior to staring our first approach was 10200 pounds. The tropical depression was just arriving on the south coast of the dominican republic and associated rain showers were just arriving at our destination. We decided that another approach would likely get us safely to destination and returned to the holding fix to begin another approach. We had the runway end lights and the touchdown zone in sight during the 6 mi final approach. Also we could see another heavy shower at mid-field moving slowly toward the approach end of the runway. As we reached 100 ft above decision ht, we entered the rain shower and lost sight of the runway. We performed our second missed approach. As we began our go around the other flight crew left the holding pattern and headed for our mutual diversion airport. The captain chose to divert to port- au-prince, rather than our primary alternate at puerto plata, because neither pilot had previously operated into puerto plata and because our other company aircraft had diverted ahead of us and we would have to follow him during the diversion and approach into puerto plata. Also, our missed approach climb out increased our distance away from puerto plata and decreased our distance from port-au- prince. Once in contact with port-au-prince we declared an emergency due to our low fuel quantity. We shot a straight- in visual approach to runway 27. Airspeed at touchdown on the 'bugged' approach speed and touchdown was very smooth. Moderate to heavy reverse thrust was used. Application on braking was also very smooth with no sudden or jerky deceleration. (A really good touchdown and full stop in a tense situation.) we shut down the engines in the blocks with 2900 pounds of fuel indicated on the fuel quantity gauges. Supplemental information from acn 314359: after landing at mtpp we taxied in and discovered we had blown #2 and #4 fuse plugs. Maintenance replaced #2, #3, and #4 tires. Arrival fuel at mtpp 2900 pounds.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE -- FUEL REMAINING -- EMER DECLARED -- ACR DIVERTS AFTER ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT ITS DEST WHEN THE WX IS WORSE THAN PREDICTED. DECLARES A FUEL EMER.

Narrative: DURING A FUEL STOP IN MIA, THE PLTS CONTACTED OUR FLT CTL TO OBTAIN A WX UPDATE, BUT FLT CTL HAD NO NEW WX INFO FOR OUR DEST (MDSD). WE DEPARTED MIA WITH 46400 LBS OF CARGO AND 30000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. REQUIRED FUEL WAS 27700 LBS. ENRTE FLT AND FUEL BURN WERE NORMAL UNTIL ATC REQUIRED US TO DSND AT 150 MI FROM DEST (MDSD) RATHER THAN 90 MI OUT BASED ON OUR CRUISE ALT OF FL270. ARR WX FROM TWR WAS 1500 FT OVCST 8 KM/5 MI VISIBILITY TEMP 23 DEGS C, ALTIMETER 29.95, WINDS 150 DEGS AT 5 KTS, ACTIVE RWY 17. FUEL ON BOARD JUST PRIOR TO STARING OUR FIRST APCH WAS 10200 LBS. THE TROPICAL DEPRESSION WAS JUST ARRIVING ON THE S COAST OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND ASSOCIATED RAIN SHOWERS WERE JUST ARRIVING AT OUR DEST. WE DECIDED THAT ANOTHER APCH WOULD LIKELY GET US SAFELY TO DEST AND RETURNED TO THE HOLDING FIX TO BEGIN ANOTHER APCH. WE HAD THE RWY END LIGHTS AND THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE IN SIGHT DURING THE 6 MI FINAL APCH. ALSO WE COULD SEE ANOTHER HVY SHOWER AT MID-FIELD MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD THE APCH END OF THE RWY. AS WE REACHED 100 FT ABOVE DECISION HT, WE ENTERED THE RAIN SHOWER AND LOST SIGHT OF THE RWY. WE PERFORMED OUR SECOND MISSED APCH. AS WE BEGAN OUR GAR THE OTHER FLC LEFT THE HOLDING PATTERN AND HEADED FOR OUR MUTUAL DIVERSION ARPT. THE CAPT CHOSE TO DIVERT TO PORT- AU-PRINCE, RATHER THAN OUR PRIMARY ALTERNATE AT PUERTO PLATA, BECAUSE NEITHER PLT HAD PREVIOUSLY OPERATED INTO PUERTO PLATA AND BECAUSE OUR OTHER COMPANY ACFT HAD DIVERTED AHEAD OF US AND WE WOULD HAVE TO FOLLOW HIM DURING THE DIVERSION AND APCH INTO PUERTO PLATA. ALSO, OUR MISSED APCH CLBOUT INCREASED OUR DISTANCE AWAY FROM PUERTO PLATA AND DECREASED OUR DISTANCE FROM PORT-AU- PRINCE. ONCE IN CONTACT WITH PORT-AU-PRINCE WE DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO OUR LOW FUEL QUANTITY. WE SHOT A STRAIGHT- IN VISUAL APCH TO RWY 27. AIRSPD AT TOUCHDOWN ON THE 'BUGGED' APCH SPD AND TOUCHDOWN WAS VERY SMOOTH. MODERATE TO HVY REVERSE THRUST WAS USED. APPLICATION ON BRAKING WAS ALSO VERY SMOOTH WITH NO SUDDEN OR JERKY DECELERATION. (A REALLY GOOD TOUCHDOWN AND FULL STOP IN A TENSE SIT.) WE SHUT DOWN THE ENGS IN THE BLOCKS WITH 2900 LBS OF FUEL INDICATED ON THE FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314359: AFTER LNDG AT MTPP WE TAXIED IN AND DISCOVERED WE HAD BLOWN #2 AND #4 FUSE PLUGS. MAINT REPLACED #2, #3, AND #4 TIRES. ARR FUEL AT MTPP 2900 LBS.

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.