Narrative:

Flight en route from bgr to phl. Flight was uneventful until being handed to phl approach control. 2 lines of severe thunderstorms were passing over phl and we were given radar vectors between them. Upon clearing a small gap between these lines to the west of the airport, we intended to turn north and approach phl from the back side of this WX. We only found more lines of cells forming there, blocking our path to the airport from our position. We circled several times in a small area of clear (VMC) WX near ilg airport. WX was building on all sides and the ride was quite rough (continuous moderate to severe turbulence). The captain stated he was worried about our fuel situation and asked me for the nearest airport. (Our filed alternate was abe, also blocked by WX.) I advised phl approach our fuel was getting low and we would like vectors for an ILS to ilg. The controller provided a localizer frequency, inbound course, and MDA for the ILS runway 1, circle to runway 27 approach, as we had no plates for this airport. The airport was VFR, and we landed uneventfully and taxied to the terminal ramp, as advised by ground control. As I was completing the shutdown checklist, the captain announced to the passenger that they could go into the terminal to use the restrooms, which they did. Dispatch was notified by telephone of our location and circumstances, and we were advised to board the passenger and proceed to phl as soon as possible after getting fuel. The captain was assisting the fueler when I advised him to contact the dispatcher before leaving the ramp for takeoff. I assisted the flight attendant during boarding, then received a clearance from ilg ground control for the short flight to phl. After fueling was complete, the captain returned and stated we were all set for departure. I asked him if there was any paperwork I needed to complete, he said no. We made the flight to phl uneventfully, and were met at our gate by security personnel, where they took us and our passenger by bus to be rescreened, there were no further security issues and all of us were sent on our way. I believe this situation could have been prevented if dispatch had called us earlier in the flight with a better plan for avoiding the building severe WX, which they could see long before we could.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8B CREW MADE A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG BECAUSE OF LOW FUEL AND TSTMS.

Narrative: FLT ENRTE FROM BGR TO PHL. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL BEING HANDED TO PHL APCH CTL. 2 LINES OF SEVERE TSTMS WERE PASSING OVER PHL AND WE WERE GIVEN RADAR VECTORS BTWN THEM. UPON CLRING A SMALL GAP BTWN THESE LINES TO THE W OF THE ARPT, WE INTENDED TO TURN N AND APCH PHL FROM THE BACK SIDE OF THIS WX. WE ONLY FOUND MORE LINES OF CELLS FORMING THERE, BLOCKING OUR PATH TO THE ARPT FROM OUR POS. WE CIRCLED SEVERAL TIMES IN A SMALL AREA OF CLR (VMC) WX NEAR ILG ARPT. WX WAS BUILDING ON ALL SIDES AND THE RIDE WAS QUITE ROUGH (CONTINUOUS MODERATE TO SEVERE TURB). THE CAPT STATED HE WAS WORRIED ABOUT OUR FUEL SIT AND ASKED ME FOR THE NEAREST ARPT. (OUR FILED ALTERNATE WAS ABE, ALSO BLOCKED BY WX.) I ADVISED PHL APCH OUR FUEL WAS GETTING LOW AND WE WOULD LIKE VECTORS FOR AN ILS TO ILG. THE CTLR PROVIDED A LOC FREQ, INBOUND COURSE, AND MDA FOR THE ILS RWY 1, CIRCLE TO RWY 27 APCH, AS WE HAD NO PLATES FOR THIS ARPT. THE ARPT WAS VFR, AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO THE TERMINAL RAMP, AS ADVISED BY GND CTL. AS I WAS COMPLETING THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST, THE CAPT ANNOUNCED TO THE PAX THAT THEY COULD GO INTO THE TERMINAL TO USE THE RESTROOMS, WHICH THEY DID. DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED BY TELEPHONE OF OUR LOCATION AND CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WE WERE ADVISED TO BOARD THE PAX AND PROCEED TO PHL ASAP AFTER GETTING FUEL. THE CAPT WAS ASSISTING THE FUELER WHEN I ADVISED HIM TO CONTACT THE DISPATCHER BEFORE LEAVING THE RAMP FOR TKOF. I ASSISTED THE FLT ATTENDANT DURING BOARDING, THEN RECEIVED A CLRNC FROM ILG GND CTL FOR THE SHORT FLT TO PHL. AFTER FUELING WAS COMPLETE, THE CAPT RETURNED AND STATED WE WERE ALL SET FOR DEP. I ASKED HIM IF THERE WAS ANY PAPERWORK I NEEDED TO COMPLETE, HE SAID NO. WE MADE THE FLT TO PHL UNEVENTFULLY, AND WERE MET AT OUR GATE BY SECURITY PERSONNEL, WHERE THEY TOOK US AND OUR PAX BY BUS TO BE RESCREENED, THERE WERE NO FURTHER SECURITY ISSUES AND ALL OF US WERE SENT ON OUR WAY. I BELIEVE THIS SIT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF DISPATCH HAD CALLED US EARLIER IN THE FLT WITH A BETTER PLAN FOR AVOIDING THE BUILDING SEVERE WX, WHICH THEY COULD SEE LONG BEFORE WE COULD.

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.