B747-400
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness
Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution
Weather; Company Policy; Airport; Aircraft
Departed east bound as scheduled. Forecast for Anchorage and alternate; Elmendorf; was VFR with no intermittent issues. About two hours (4+40 from planned arrival) after takeoff we checked the ATIS for Anchorage and were very surprised to see the weather was down to 1/2 mile visibility and 300 FT ceiling. We sent a message to Dispatch asking about the drastic drop in weather conditions and requesting the latest forecast. Dispatch sent back the latest weather report with no forecast and no comment on the big change in weather. Captain sent another message asking for the latest forecast and what the plan was with the much worse weather. [We] got back an updated forecast that showed low intermittent conditions; but no response to the actual problem of fuel and alternate issues that were now pressing. Lost radio contact shortly thereafter since this aircraft does not have SATCOM or an HF data radio to stay in touch with anybody mid Pacific. About two hours later; we were approaching SYA and back in VHF coverage when Dispatch reroutes us to land in Kenai because of the weather conditions at ANC. Almost immediately after receiving what amounted to a redispatch message; we got another message saying that Kenai was not acceptable. Then Dispatch said they were diverting us to CDB because of no suitable alternate available for ANC and the weather was marginal to land at ANC. Phone patched to Dispatch; pointing out that CDB was not very acceptable since they had no boarding stairs; no electrical or air carts; and fuel availability was questionable; besides the fact that we would be arriving early in the morning to an uncontrolled field with unsure runway conditions. Dispatch insisted that there was no alternative. Dispatch also assured us that they had coordinated with CDB and they were expecting us. Contacted Flight Service at Kenai and got weather; NOTAMS and runway conditions and felt better about field conditions. They also alerted the runway manager and airport personnel of our arrival. Landing a B747 at an uncontrolled field in the dark with very limited support is not something I have done before. We spent about ten minutes on the runway talking to FSS and the Airport Management to coordinate access and a parking spot. They said they had serviced an Antonov flight recently so we felt better about maneuvering and parking. [They] also warned of our need to keep an engine running. A long extension ladder was found and I; the designated coordinator; managed to get on the ground and start figuring out what we could accomplish. I called Dispatch on a land line to find out that the Captain had managed to get a cell phone connection from the flight deck. I talked to the fueler and showed him our refueling manual. [I] talked to ANC Maintenance to learn of the refueling procedures since the local fueler wanted one of us under the wing to supervise the process. Between that first call to ANC Maintenance and another cell phone call from the top of the refueling truck under the wing; we were able to safely refuel the aircraft with two trips for more gas with the small truck. ANC Maintenance was very helpful. Weather was improving somewhat in ANC; so Dispatch had a flight plan for us that was emailed to the people in CDB and copied for us. [They] ended up doing this twice; since refueling looked like it would take more than three hours with the original fuel load; so another flight plan was generated that required less fuel. Both these flight plans were copied at one of the CDB person's house machine and delivered to me at the aircraft. Fueling was completed; slowly but uneventfully; and we coordinated with the airport management to restart and get going. It was dawn and a beautiful morning so no real issues departing to ANC. Routine short flight and landing in ANC. Support at Cold Bay was outstanding. A bunch of people were scrambled out of their beds to deal with us. They are not used to B747 aircraft; but they got the job done. I didnot talk to anyone who had been alerted to our arrival; except through FSS; forty five minutes out. Everything was accomplished with a large dose of improvisation; and it worked well this time. If CDB is going to be a potential alternate for our operations; consideration should be given to pre-positioning stairs; power; air and information to allow a more seamless turnaround. In hindsight; and this was never discussed before; during or after the diversion amongst the three of us; I'm not sure we should have continued. A return to Japan; more gas and a new flight plan would have limited the potential issues. If weather had been bad in a wider area we would have had very few options. This is complete hindsight and did not occur to me until the morning after the flight. This aircraft has distinct limitations that we do not normally deal with when flying any other B747-400; limited communication options and no CAT 3 being the biggest and most obvious. We pressed on because we assumed Dispatch had the big picture and knew what was happening with the weather. This report is in no way an indictment of the Captain. Captain handled the decisions and problems we encountered professionally and ably. We were just very close to having everything go to hell in a hand basket. We all trusted Dispatch to be in control of the situation. A lesson learned might be an automatic contingency fuel for all flights on this aircraft to allow more flexibility.
A B747-400 divered to CDB when ANC droped below forecast with no suitable alternate available.