Night VFR Fuel Diversion into Beira
You are captain of a Cessna 208B Caravan on a night VFR charter from Maputo (FQMA) to Beira (FQBR), 28 passengers' baggage only, no passengers, 1 050 kg payload. Departure fuel 1 100 L; taxi and take-off burn 25 L. Planned trip fuel 420 L, contingency 45 L (10% of trip), alternate hold at Chimoio not required because Beira forecast is CAVOK. En route at FL100, ATC advises Beira weather has deteriorated to 1 800 m visibility in mist with a broken ceiling at 900 ft, and the aerodrome has no published instrument approach lighting in operation. Your Caravan is night-VFR equipped but not approved for IMC. Fuel remaining reads 640 L at the decision point, 95 NM from Beira. Reserve policy requires 45 minutes final reserve at 180 L/h.
1. Compute your legal and practical fuel position at the decision point and decide whether to continue to Beira, hold, or divert to Chimoio (FQCH), 70 NM away.
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Fuel accounting. Remaining 640 L. Final reserve = 45 min × 180 L/h = 135 L. Usable above final reserve = 640 − 135 = 505 L. Burn to Beira at ~180 L/h and 95 NM: at ~140 KTAS ground speed that is ~41 min ≈ 123 L, leaving 517 − 123 = ~382 L, comfortably above final reserve if Beira is usable.
Weather legality. Night VFR into 1 800 m visibility and a 900 ft broken ceiling is not VMC for a night VFR flight in Mozambique's IACM framework; you cannot plan or continue a night VFR approach into IMC conditions. The absence of approach lighting removes any margin.
Decision. Do not continue as a VFR arrival. Divert to Chimoio: 70 NM ≈ 30 min ≈ 90 L, leaving ~415 L - well above the 135 L final reserve. Declare the diversion to ATC, request the Chimoio forecast, and file a revised estimate. If Chimoio is also below VMC, hold at a safe VMC point and request an IFR clearance or return to Maputo; never press on to an aerodrome you cannot legally enter VFR at night.
2. What operational and regulatory actions must you take before and during the diversion?
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- Notify ATC immediately of the intended diversion, revised route and ETA, and request Chimoio weather and aerodrome status.
- Recompute fuel against the new destination and confirm the final reserve is preserved; record the figures.
- Brief the diversion - heading, altitude, terrain, radio frequencies, missed-approach/alternate plan if Chimoio is not VMC.
- Passenger/cargo considerations - no passengers, but secure the load and confirm performance for the new landing mass.
- Report the change in the flight plan/operations notification and note the weather deterioration in the journey log.
- If VMC cannot be maintained, request an IFR clearance or special VFR as applicable, and be prepared to return to Maputo or hold clear of cloud.