Date: 201208
Local time of day: 0001-0600
Location: ZZZ.ARTCC, US
Aircraft: B737-400
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight phase: Descent
ATC / advisory: Center ZZZ
Aircraft component: PFD
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Other Person
Result: Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Aircraft
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: On initial descent into our destination Captain's displays went blank; and then showed SG on both screens. Since we were just starting our descent; still above 10;000 FT; RNAV operations into our destination were no longer an option. Weather in our destination was 400 overcast at the time; another flight had already gone missed approach prior to our landing. After consulting with Dispatch we jointly decided on diverting to our alternate. Amendment received we continued to our alternate. En route to our alternate; Dispatch then requested whether we could instead go to another destination because we no longer had personnel available at our alternate. Weather at the other destination was marginal for an LDA approach; we had already set up for our alternate and if we did miss at the new destination fuel remaining at our alternate would not be comfortable. As Captain; I elected to continue to our alternate where the weather was good as this was clearly the safest option available. After landing at our alternate; we were able to get Maintenance support; fuel support and a new flight plan through ACAR's. After obtaining all our required items; we waved off the Mechanic; started engines and left for our destination. One week later; I was notified by our ATC Representative that apparently we were legal to land at our alternate; but not to take off since we unknowingly had no fire/crash rescue available. This is news to me in that I didn't know whether they were on scene or not and frankly did not even think to ask about it since we had a legal dispatch to proceed. I don't know how to prevent this from occurring in the future; as I had no idea we were even close to violating any procedures as it was. In any divert situation; standard operating procedure is; by definition; no longer standard. I tried to make it as standard as possible given the situation of having absolutely no one else around for support except for the three people I had contact with at the airport. I've never seen any crash/fire rescue people there in twenty two years of transiting our alternate so I guess I thought everything was normal for as normal as this could be. In the future I would hope that when we receive a company dispatch authorizing our flight it would mean that ALL facets of that flight are cleared to go; not just the things the pilots have any control over.




Synopsis: B737-400 Captain reported diverting due to loss of Captains displays and low ceilings at the destination. With Maintenance accomplished and additional fuel the flight departs for the original destination. One week later the Captain is informed that CFR was not available was not available during his departure in violation of company Operations specifications.