B737-800
Dispatch Dispatcher
Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition
Company Policy; Weather
Due to partial system wide ACARS failure the ATC Coordinator notified me that my FLL flight was holding south of RSW due to line of thunderstorms between RSW and FLL; the destination of the flight. I sent the flight updated RSW weather. I asked the crew; through an ACARS message of 'any chance of MIA?' RSW reported 1 1/4 VCTS PLUSRA; I asked the crew through an ACARS message to verify fuel on board to possibly change alternate to TPA. I was shortly notified by the captain that he was on the ground in PGD (Punta Gorda; FL). He arrived with 3000 lbs of fuel on board. Flight landed safely. Following the Dispatch Procedure Manual for Off-line Fueling and provided airport plates to crew for PGD. I built a flight release in accordance with FM for Departure from an Alternate Airport and emailed the Flight documents to the FBO handling the flight.All computer programs showed the flight was on the ground in RSW and I called station to verify. The station agent notified me flight was not there. The computers could not recognize PGD and the programs showed the flight in RSW. This led to confusion with in Operations which was rectified shortly after notification.
A serious weather event was occurring in south Florida. ATC changed the arrival to FLL 3 times; eventually taking us out over the Bahamas. Numerous airplanes were in the line for both MIA and FLL. We were being vectored number 1 for the approach to FLL when a tornado was reported [in the area of FLL]. Diverted to RSW. Moderate convective activity was also in the RSW area. We were #2 for the approach when the aircraft in front of us executed a go around due to a 20 knot loss on short final due to windshear. ATC advised us that PDG airport was approximately 30 miles north of RSW. The reported wx was approximately 1700 overcast with 7 miles visibility. We diverted with approximately 6400 lbs on the fuel at that time. We were still deviating for convective activity between RSW and PDG. We were vectored for a downwind for Runway 22 and cleared to descend to 1500 ft to enable us to see the runway. We then executed a visual approach and landed with 3200 on fuel. This was a serious wx event in south Florida; resulting in numerous aircraft diverting for fuel issues. Numerous flight cancellations should have occurred to prevent this event.
B737 Captain and Dispatcher reported serious weather that resulted in a diversion to an offline airport.