CHARTER ACFT ENCOUNTERS CLOSED RWY AT DEST. NO DATA FOR OTHER RWYS; MUST DIVERT.

Narrative

RPTR WAS PIC OF AN OFF-LINE CHARTER. I RECEIVED FAXED DISPATCH RELEASES; WX; AND NOTAMS PRIOR TO TKOF FROM THUNDER BAY; ONTARIO FOR A FLT TO DULUTH; MINNESOTA WHERE A STOP TO CLR CUSTOMS WAS TO BE MADE. THE FLT WOULD THEN CONTINUE TO APPLETON; WISCONSIN. UPON RECEIPT; THE FAXES WERE NOTED TO BE OF VERY POOR QUALITY AND NEARLY ILLEGIBLE. I RECEIVED WX THROUGH THUNDER BAY RADIO AND TELEPHONED MY COMPANY'S DISPATCH TO CLARIFY PERTINENT INFO ON THE RELEASE. AFTER COPYING THE NUMBERS CONCERNING FUEL LOAD; BURN; AND DISTRIBUTION; I ASKED THE DISPATCHER IF THERE 'WAS ANYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW' ABOUT MY DEST. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NOT. ENRTE TO DULUTH; THE FO MONITORED ATIS AND LEARNED THAT RWY 9-27 WAS CLOSED AT DULUTH. INQUIRY OF THE TWR REVEALED IT TO HAVE BEEN SO FOR 2 WKS. WE DID NOT HAVE DATA APPLICABLE TO RWY 3-21 AND THEREFORE COULD NOT LEGALLY USE IT. OUR ALTERNATE; MINNEAPOLIS/ST PAUL; DID OFFER CUSTOMS SVCS ON A 24 HR BASIS AND ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE TO PROCEED THERE. AN AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE WAS SECURED VIA RADIO. FUEL WAS NOT A FACTOR AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AT NO TIME WERE THE PAX AND CREW IN DANGER. A CRITIQUE OF THE INCIDENT INDICATED THE FOLLOWING NEEDED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: 1) MORE DILIGENCE BY THE PIC IN SPECIFICALLY SOLICITING NOTAMS AND OTHER PERTINENT INFO RELATING TO ARPTS IN USE; 2) MORE DILIGENCE ON THE PART OF THE DISPATCHER IN REVIEWING NOTAMS AND OTHER PERTINENT INFO AND THEN PASSING SUCH INFO ON TO THE FLC; 3) VERY IMPORTANT: I BELIEVE THAT RWY DATA FOR ALL RWYS MUST BE SUPPLIED TO ANY ARPT TO WHICH A TRIP IS DISPATCHED. WE WOULD HAVE BEEN LEGAL TO LAND ON RWY 3-21 BUT HAD NOT BEEN SUPPLIED WITH THE DATA. I COULD NOT RECEIVE A SATISFACTORY ANSWER AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED.