Air carrier S80 diverted to alternate. No ACARS available for passenger fuel closeout. First officer...

Attributes
ACN	379420
Time
Date	199709
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sps
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	379420
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We diverted to ict because of WX at dfw. I tried to send an arrival report but got 'no communication' light on ACARS. 'No communication' light illuminated after all subsequent requests via ACARS. I stayed on aircraft with flight attendants and passenger while captain went in to get new flight plan and tps. We discussed flight plan and tps when captain returned. Then we boarded approximately 30 additional passenger from another flight that had also diverted. Captain went back in to operations to pull new tps which accurately reflected the new passenger count. Because of how much time had elapsed after new passenger, bags and fuel had been added, I figured the new tps the captain pulled would be the equivalent of the standard closeout. Whether the closeout came from the ACARS printer or a computer printer didn't seem to make any difference. Given the unusual circumstances, ie, divert/non company station and no ACARS, this seemed to be a reasonable and safe course of action.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR S80 DIVERTED TO ALTERNATE. NO ACARS AVAILABLE FOR PAX FUEL CLOSEOUT. FO USED LAST COMPUTER PRINTOUT, REASONING THAT IT WAS AS CLOSE AS ANYTHING ELSE.

Narrative: WE DIVERTED TO ICT BECAUSE OF WX AT DFW. I TRIED TO SEND AN ARR RPT BUT GOT 'NO COM' LIGHT ON ACARS. 'NO COM' LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER ALL SUBSEQUENT REQUESTS VIA ACARS. I STAYED ON ACFT WITH FLT ATTENDANTS AND PAX WHILE CAPT WENT IN TO GET NEW FLT PLAN AND TPS. WE DISCUSSED FLT PLAN AND TPS WHEN CAPT RETURNED. THEN WE BOARDED APPROX 30 ADDITIONAL PAX FROM ANOTHER FLT THAT HAD ALSO DIVERTED. CAPT WENT BACK IN TO OPS TO PULL NEW TPS WHICH ACCURATELY REFLECTED THE NEW PAX COUNT. BECAUSE OF HOW MUCH TIME HAD ELAPSED AFTER NEW PAX, BAGS AND FUEL HAD BEEN ADDED, I FIGURED THE NEW TPS THE CAPT PULLED WOULD BE THE EQUIVALENT OF THE STANDARD CLOSEOUT. WHETHER THE CLOSEOUT CAME FROM THE ACARS PRINTER OR A COMPUTER PRINTER DIDN'T SEEM TO MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. GIVEN THE UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES, IE, DIVERT/NON COMPANY STATION AND NO ACARS, THIS SEEMED TO BE A REASONABLE AND SAFE COURSE OF ACTION.

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.

Air carrier S80 diverted to alternate. No ACARS available for passenger fuel closeout. First officer used last computer printout, reasoning that it was as close as anything else.