Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 235; Flight Crew Type 16042
Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Inflight Event / Encounter Unstabilized Approach; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Executed Go Around / Missed Approach; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Aircraft; Weather; Human Factors
We had to find a route to get through the line of weather; on our second ATC assigned route; we made it through the weather somewhat easily. Handed off to Ft. Myers Approach. The current ATIS; Q; showed winds 180-7; 10 VIS; 800 Few; Temp/ Dew Point 23/23; 30.08. RSW VOR was out of service. Runway 24 was in use. I told the First Officer to 'Let Approach know we could NOT do the RNAV Runway 24 GPS Approach.' He notified Approach of this. Approach told us to expect the VOR Runway 24 Approach. We reminded Approach the VOR was out of service. Approach forgot. He said he would vector us for the Visual Approach since it was 1500 Few at that time. As we got closer; I told the First Officer; 'That sure is a pretty THICK Few clouds.' It was broken clouds at best; almost overcast. We asked what aircraft were breaking out on the approach. Approach said they would ask (other carrier). They never got back with us on that. We were vectored on a tight left base for Runway 24 at 150 ft.'. You could see many layers of broken clouds; easily 300 to 400 ft. below us at 1500 ft.; no ground contact. We told Approach. Approach had us climb back up to be vectored for left downwind for ILS Runway 24. Approach asked us; 'Winds were around 200 at 7 knots. Can you accept that?' We said; 'YES.' Later; we were cleared to intercept the LOC Runway 24. We did. Coming tight on LOC Runway 24 at TROPC; no clearance. We asked for a clearance three times coming up to and ON top of TROPC; and finally got a clearance from Approach Control. We were descending on the ILS Ruway 6 Approach. I noticed the winds on the EFIS was a 30-knot tailwind! I told this to the First Officer. Then I told the First Officer; the winds must die out close to the airport. Soon after; Approach told us the winds are now '220 at 18 gusting 24!' I told the First Officer; we have to miss approach and go to our alternate. First Officer told Approach and they vectored us for missed approach; and handed us over to Miami Center (if I remember right.) Told them we 'Want to go to our ZZZ; which is our alternate.' Sent a message to Dispatch. Dispatch responded and said we needed to go to ZZZ1 for an alternate; since of the TFR coming into effect at ZZZ.We went uneventfully to ZZZ1; to a long taxi in at ZZZ1. Found out our Maintenance at ZZZ1 had the replacement part for the MEL there; and they replaced the part. Maintenance signed off the logbook and off we went to RSW; with another very long taxi out. I was told by Dispatch to talk to the Operations Center Chief Pilot. He was upset why we diverted; with weather 1500 Few. He wanted to know why we did not circle to land. I told him what the weather really was. He seemed more understanding. He said; do an [Report]. I said; we did not do anything wrong. He said; so maybe this MEL 34-XX-XX will be studied out more for future flights; or something like that.
Report requested from Chief Pilot; Two missed approaches followed by a diversion to ZZZ1. En route from ZZZ2 to RSW we had to pass through a front that was crossing the state old FL. The aircraft had the GPWS on MEL which prevented us from flying a RNAV Approach. Weather in RSW at departure time did not indicate that we would need to fly an approach to get in. Runway in use at RSW was Runway 24. The two approaches they had were RNAV and VOR. VOR was [Out of Service]. Weather via ACARS was 1500 ft. scattered with ten mile visibility or somewhere close to that. On contact with RSW Approach we told them we were unable the RNAV. They told us that we should be able to get in with the visual. Descended down to 1500 ft. and turn base. The cloud cover prevented us from getting into the airport visually. Went missed and were told to expect the ILS Runway 6. Winds were reported 220/7. Came in for the ILS and upon contacting Tower we were told the winds were 220/17G29. This exceeded the tailwind for the Aircraft. Went missed and diverted to ZZZ1. Landed without incident.
Pilot crew reported a divert necessary due to an MEL preventing an RNAV approach and the VOR becoming inoperative at the destination airport.