Narrative:

When I received the release for this flight it indicated that we needed an alternate. In addition the routing given to us by ATC was different than on the release; so I needed new fuel numbers. I called dispatch. He gave me the new weather (XA43Z) that did not require an alternate (worst weather was 4 miles and mist; 5000 ft broken). He also gave me new fuel numbers and I got an additional 300 pounds on top of that as a cushion. As we approached ZZZ the weather dropped to = mile and we received holding instructions over xxxxx. At this time we were told one turn in the hold and we would be released. I called operations in ZZZ1 and requested that they call dispatch with our information to get an alternate. She told me to stand by. About that time ATC told us that the weather had dropped and we would have to hold further. Several minutes later operations stated that she could not help us. I was very surprised at this; not only would she not help us (because she was taking on and in times?) it took her many precious minutes to tell me so. I then tried SELCAL; even though we were at 13;000 ft; and was able to get through. Mr.X answered and I told him our position; altitude and fuel state (only 2400 pounds at this point). It took him several minutes (so long I called to make sure he was still on the radio) to finally state you do not have enough fuel to divert to ZZZ2 or ZZZ3. This was obviously useless information; I needed options and fuel burns. I asked for a dispatch supervisor immediately and mr.Y got on the line. He stated he was taking over the call and called for an immediate diversion to ZZZ3 and gave me the fuel burn. At that exact time ATC cleared us to ZZZ. I told mr.Y we had been cleared in and he stated what if you go missed? I had to make an immediate decision; go to ZZZ3 or override dispatch and go to ZZZ. ZZZ was about 20 miles away; but with = mile weather and we were not number one for the airport. ZZZ3 was 100 miles away but we would be number one and it had clear weather. I called ATC; changed our destination to ZZZ3 and declared min fuel as at that point we would not land with 45 min reserve. The rest of the flight was uneventful; we requested a straight in to save fuel and landed with 1100 pounds (about 28 minutes worth when I did the math). We then refueled and continued to ZZZ. The root cause of this was a poor weather forecast. But when you have to divert with no diversion fuel the margins for error are obviously very short. You do not have a planned alternate or the fuel to get there. I have never had ground operations refuse to help a flight in distress; I feel this is very unsafe as below SELCAL altitude they are our only way of communicating. When I did get through to dispatch; mr X took far too long to finally give me information that was essentially useless. The poor forecast combined with bad information from ATC (one turn in the hold it was not) and finally no help from ground operations and dispatch combined to lead to a landing with 28 minutes left of gas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 PILOT REPORTS DIVERTING TO AN UNPLANNED ALTERNATE WHEN DEST WX WENT BELOW MIN AND DISPATCH HAD NOT GIVEN THE FLT ALTERNATE FUEL.

Narrative: WHEN I RECEIVED THE RELEASE FOR THIS FLT IT INDICATED THAT WE NEEDED AN ALTERNATE. IN ADDITION THE ROUTING GIVEN TO US BY ATC WAS DIFFERENT THAN ON THE RELEASE; SO I NEEDED NEW FUEL NUMBERS. I CALLED DISPATCH. HE GAVE ME THE NEW WEATHER (XA43Z) THAT DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE (WORST WEATHER WAS 4 MILES AND MIST; 5000 FT BROKEN). HE ALSO GAVE ME NEW FUEL NUMBERS AND I GOT AN ADDITIONAL 300 POUNDS ON TOP OF THAT AS A CUSHION. AS WE APCHED ZZZ THE WEATHER DROPPED TO = MILE AND WE RECEIVED HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS OVER XXXXX. AT THIS TIME WE WERE TOLD ONE TURN IN THE HOLD AND WE WOULD BE RELEASED. I CALLED OPS IN ZZZ1 AND REQUESTED THAT THEY CALL DISPATCH WITH OUR INFORMATION TO GET AN ALTERNATE. SHE TOLD ME TO STAND BY. ABOUT THAT TIME ATC TOLD US THAT THE WEATHER HAD DROPPED AND WE WOULD HAVE TO HOLD FURTHER. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER OPS STATED THAT SHE COULD NOT HELP US. I WAS VERY SURPRISED AT THIS; NOT ONLY WOULD SHE NOT HELP US (BECAUSE SHE WAS TAKING ON AND IN TIMES?) IT TOOK HER MANY PRECIOUS MINUTES TO TELL ME SO. I THEN TRIED SELCAL; EVEN THOUGH WE WERE AT 13;000 FT; AND WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH. MR.X ANSWERED AND I TOLD HIM OUR POSITION; ALTITUDE AND FUEL STATE (ONLY 2400 POUNDS AT THIS POINT). IT TOOK HIM SEVERAL MINUTES (SO LONG I CALLED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS STILL ON THE RADIO) TO FINALLY STATE YOU DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3. THIS WAS OBVIOUSLY USELESS INFORMATION; I NEEDED OPTIONS AND FUEL BURNS. I ASKED FOR A DISPATCH SUPERVISOR IMMEDIATELY AND MR.Y GOT ON THE LINE. HE STATED HE WAS TAKING OVER THE CALL AND CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE DIVERSION TO ZZZ3 AND GAVE ME THE FUEL BURN. AT THAT EXACT TIME ATC CLRED US TO ZZZ. I TOLD MR.Y WE HAD BEEN CLRED IN AND HE STATED WHAT IF YOU GO MISSED? I HAD TO MAKE AN IMMEDIATE DECISION; GO TO ZZZ3 OR OVERRIDE DISPATCH AND GO TO ZZZ. ZZZ WAS ABOUT 20 MILES AWAY; BUT WITH = MILE WEATHER AND WE WERE NOT NUMBER ONE FOR THE ARPT. ZZZ3 WAS 100 MILES AWAY BUT WE WOULD BE NUMBER ONE AND IT HAD CLR WEATHER. I CALLED ATC; CHANGED OUR DEST TO ZZZ3 AND DECLARED MIN FUEL AS AT THAT POINT WE WOULD NOT LAND WITH 45 MIN RESERVE. THE REST OF THE FLIGHT WAS UNEVENTFUL; WE REQUESTED A STRAIGHT IN TO SAVE FUEL AND LANDED WITH 1100 POUNDS (ABOUT 28 MINUTES WORTH WHEN I DID THE MATH). WE THEN REFUELED AND CONTINUED TO ZZZ. THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS WAS A POOR WEATHER FORECAST. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE TO DIVERT WITH NO DIVERSION FUEL THE MARGINS FOR ERROR ARE OBVIOUSLY VERY SHORT. YOU DO NOT HAVE A PLANNED ALTERNATE OR THE FUEL TO GET THERE. I HAVE NEVER HAD GND OPS REFUSE TO HELP A FLIGHT IN DISTRESS; I FEEL THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AS BELOW SELCAL ALTITUDE THEY ARE OUR ONLY WAY OF COMMUNICATING. WHEN I DID GET THROUGH TO DISPATCH; MR X TOOK FAR TOO LONG TO FINALLY GIVE ME INFORMATION THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY USELESS. THE POOR FORECAST COMBINED WITH BAD INFO FROM ATC (ONE TURN IN THE HOLD IT WAS NOT) AND FINALLY NO HELP FROM GND OPS AND DISPATCH COMBINED TO LEAD TO A LNDG WITH 28 MINUTES LEFT OF GAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.