The reason doesn’t really matter. Hopefully, nothing’s on fire, and the weather, at least where you are, is flyable without much drama. But you need to land soon, before reaching your destination. You mostly didn’t anticipate this need, except to know ahead of time that it’s the rare flight that’s completed exactly as planned: No flight plan survives the second handoff. Yet, you didn’t figure in these specific circumstances and now you need to divert. Where to go, and what will you find when you get there? As important, will your divert field have the services you may need? Like a mechanic, or 24-hour fuel? Is there food or a hotel nearby? How will you get to civilization once you land?
These are just some of the thoughts that may cross your mind when it becomes necessary to land short of your destination. Hopefully, it’s no more serious to the flight’s safety than you or a passenger needing an unscheduled potty break. It also could be that weather is your reason, and the only real criterion you want to meet is the nearest ILS. How will you handle this unplanned diversion?
