FLC OF A BEECH AIRLINER; BE02; DIVERTED TO A DIFFERENT ALTERNATE ARPT THAN PLANNED DUE TO A LINE OF TSTMS IN THEIR FLT PATH AT THEIR ORIGINAL DEST; AS WELL AS THEIR ORIGINALLY FILED ALTERNATE.

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WE PASSED BTWN A LINE OF TSTMS ON ADVICE FROM ATC. COMING FROM SHV; WE ATTEMPTED TO GO AROUND N OF MSY TO AVOID WX AND APCH FROM SE AS PREVIOUS TFC HAD DONE. TSTMS MOVED OVER MSY DURING OUR APCH. PREVIOUS TFC ON APCH WENT MISSED -- RPTING WINDSHEAR AND SEVERE TURB. WE DECIDED TO HEAD FOR PNS BECAUSE THE WX WAS GOOD THERE. OUR ALTERNATE WAS LISTED AS BTR. THAT MEANT WE WOULD HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE TSTM LINE AGAIN; WHICH WAS CLOSING UP (AGAIN WE WERE SE OF MSY AND TSTM LINE). BTR WAS NOT A SAFE CHOICE; PNS WAS SAFE. WE HAD ABOUT 2000 LBS OF FUEL. WE LANDED AT PNS WITH 1200 LBS OF FUEL (1 HR 30 MINS WORTH). LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. DURING DIVERSION; PLT SIDE RADIO SELECTOR SWITCH STUCK; DISABLING COM #1. WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO ADVISE COMPANY BRIEFLY OF OUR DIVERSION (OBVIOUSLY WITH ONLY COM #2 WE NEEDED TO TALK TO ATC WITH ALL THE ACFT THAT WERE DIVERTING FROM MSY). ON THE GND AT PNS; MECH WAS UNABLE TO FIX THE RADIO SWITCH. WE HAD TO FERRY THIS ACFT TO MSY FOR SWITCH REPLACEMENT. NO FARS WERE VIOLATED NOR WAS PRIORITY GIVEN.