DAL246 ATL-SJO, Stopped in PBI, What Happened?

[tomas_cubero]

Hey All,

I just got into Flightaware to check SJO's arrivals and it seems DAL246, regularly scheduled from ATL to SJO made an unexpected stop in PBI. I know several of you work in Delta on the forums and maybe you could get some info of what happened. Weird thing is that they went down to the keys and instead of landing Miami or FLL, went to PBI. I really would like to know what the problem was. For the ones that want to see this, here is the flightaware link:

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/DAL246

Regards!
Tomas.

[AA 1818]

DUDE!!! The weather here has been terrible in the afternoons. It was bucket-a-drop rain and very bad weather this afternoon. Being north of both FLL and MIA (where some of the more severe weather definately took a toll), it was a relitavely safer haven for air traffic. Also, I was told that the delays at MIA and FLL are simply unbearable now. It's absoultuely horrible to check for ETDs on flights out the South Eastern Floridian airports as regualr delays run about 2-3 hours, and we are expected to have even worse weather in the days to come.

It's a logical move for DL to divert some flights to PBI. They have the oppurtunity to take the flights to gates (where as if they were to land elsewhere, that might not be easy to do) and they also have the oppurtunity to avoid the ultra-busy MIA and the bustling FLL, thereby ensuring a relitavely easy turn-around time when the weather is better. But perhaps the most encouraging is the fact that DL has a big presence at PBI so a few diverted flights won't really affect them, as they have the capabilites of dealing with a few larger aircraft.

[tomas_cubero]

DUDE!!! The weather here has been terrible in the afternoons. It was bucket-a-drop rain and very bad weather this afternoon. Being north of both FLL and MIA (where some of the more severe weather definately took a toll), it was a relitavely safer haven for air traffic. Also, I was told that the delays at MIA and FLL are simply unbearable now. It's absoultuely horrible to check for ETDs on flights out the South Eastern Floridian airports as regualr delays run about 2-3 hours, and we are expected to have even worse weather in the days to come.

It's a logical move for DL to divert some flights to PBI. They have the oppurtunity to take the flights to gates (where as if they were to land elsewhere, that might not be easy to do) and they also have the oppurtunity to avoid the ultra-busy MIA and the bustling FLL, thereby ensuring a relitavely easy turn-around time when the weather is better. But perhaps the most encouraging is the fact that DL has a big presence at PBI so a few diverted flights won't really affect them, as they have the capabilites of dealing with a few larger aircraft.

Very true now that I think about it, I was reading that FLL had today A Virgin A346, a Marinair MD-11F and a Avianca B762. PBI got a TACA A320 as well and more diversions to come tonight and tomorrow, so get you cameras ready up there hehe!

Getting back to the DL thing, I relaly want to know what actually happened with the flight, since the diversion was not going to be for weather, it was well into the flight when it diverted, I now understand why it was to PBI but yet to know why it diverted.

If anybody from DL knows about this, please don't hesistate to post, I really want to know what happened!

Thanks!
Tomas.

[ptbodale]

ATL to SJO stopping in PBI is not a weather diversion.

DL people, any known reason?

[DAL767-400ER]

Looking at the fact that the flight already had a 2-hour delay out of ATL (after arriving there on time from PIT), and having a 2-hour stop at PBI, it was probably some mechanical problem that was supposed to be taken care of in ATL but reappeared on the way to SJO. Refueling and medical stops normally take just a around 1 hour, not 2.

[ptbodale]

Thanks for your speculation DAL767-400ER. I was hoping one of our Delta workers could answer Tomas's question.

[DAL767-400ER]

Thanks for your speculation DAL767-400ER. I was hoping one of our Delta workers could answer Tomas's question.

Give them time, they occasionally have to work as well .

[tomas_cubero]

Arrived about 30mins ago, local time: 2:29am. Still no news why the diversion, hoping to hear from someone in DL. Thanks to DAL767-400ER and Dale for making the thread a bit more "Active" and speculating .

[ptbodale]

Give them time, they occasionally have to work as well .

What? None of them work Midnights like the AC guys?

[DeltaFlyer]

Sorry guys...I have not been feeling well so I havent been trolling the boards late night like normal...

It was a mechanical diversion and equiptment swap...flt 246 arrived on N616DL and departed on N681DA (scheduled RON aircraft from ATL)...the aircraft was fixed overnight by Delta mechanics from FLL and was used to operate DL456 PBI-ATL this morning...

[tomas_cubero]

Sorry guys...I have not been feeling well so I havent been trolling the boards late night like normal...

It was a mechanical diversion and equiptment swap...flt 246 arrived on N616DL and departed on N681DA (scheduled RON aircraft from ATL)...the aircraft was fixed overnight by Delta mechanics from FLL and was used to operate DL456 PBI-ATL this morning...

Hey DeltaFlyer,

Thanks for the info, really wanted to know what was going on. I guessed it was a mechanical problem, its usually the most common. The local airport says the departure is delayed until 2pm, so we'll have double Delta in SJO today, like last weeks with AA.

Thanks!
Tomas.

[DAL767-400ER]

Well, flight 245 is on it's way to ATL, departing at 2:28pm, after flt 247, the normally later flight departed at 2pm. Hope you managed to get a shot of those two .