Narrative:

I am a reserve flight dispatcher. As a reserve dispatcher, I do not work a regular rotation or shift, but am used for vacation coverage, sick coverage and filling otherwise vacant positions. This airline operates 3 distinct groups of dispatchers: 1) international dispatch, 2) former X company dispatch (referred to as red tail), and 3) former Y company dispatch (referred to as green tail). Each of these 3 groups operates with different procedures and requires specific training and checkouts. This is necessary since each group deals with different types of aircraft and/or different dispatch procedures. Furthermore, until jun/xx/89, international and red tail dispatch operated under a different set of operating specifications from green tail dispatch (combined operations may yet be delayed until jul/xx/89). I have been trained and checked out on red tail and international positions. This consisted of classroom training plus a minimum of 200 hours of dual dispatching followed by a formal desk check. I have received thus far, 3 days of unstructured dual green tail training with no specific goals or training objectives, no training curriculum and no checkout. On may/xx/89 for the XX00-XY00 shift and again on jun/xx/89 for the XY00, may/xx/89 XX00, jun/xx/89 shift, I was assigned to cover open green tail shifts. No one to whom I spoke (instructors, schedules or other dispatchers) could/would commit themselves as to whether or not I was legal to dispatch green tail aircraft for the following reasons: 1) no formal training for green tail positions or green tail dispatch procedures, 2) no formal desk check for green tail positions. My situation was dispatch the aircraft or face the loss of my job. I dispatched approximately 75-100 flts during these 2 8-HR shifts for 7 different types of medium large transport and large transport aircraft to/from cities throughout the continental united states. (This, combined with red tail aircraft totals 20 different aircraft or versions of aircraft, from medium large transport to widebody transport, with which I must be familiar and in which I am currently trained.) it is my belief that I may have illegally dispatched the flts on the above shifts due to lack of formal position training and checkout. Again, however, no one seems to know or be willing to commit on the legality of the dispatching. Regardless of the legality, I believe the dispatch of aircraft under these circumstances is a breakdown in the air carrier system of checks and balances related to the safe and efficient conduct of flts. During the aforementioned shifts, all legally required information was provided by myself, the dispatcher, however the additional information normally afforded flight crews was not nearly so available due to my lack of procedural training for the position. I became the weak link in the chain. Fortunately, I had no diversions or in-flight emergencys during my shifts. I close with the following open questions (which I believe can all be answered no...): 1) was it legal? 2) was it safe? 3) was it good dispatching?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER ASSIGNED DUTY HE FEELS HE IS NOT CERTIFIED FOR AND MAY HAVE ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED NUMEROUS ACFT DURING 2 SHIFTS.

Narrative: I AM A RESERVE FLT DISPATCHER. AS A RESERVE DISPATCHER, I DO NOT WORK A REGULAR ROTATION OR SHIFT, BUT AM USED FOR VACATION COVERAGE, SICK COVERAGE AND FILLING OTHERWISE VACANT POSITIONS. THIS AIRLINE OPERATES 3 DISTINCT GROUPS OF DISPATCHERS: 1) INTERNATIONAL DISPATCH, 2) FORMER X COMPANY DISPATCH (REFERRED TO AS RED TAIL), AND 3) FORMER Y COMPANY DISPATCH (REFERRED TO AS GREEN TAIL). EACH OF THESE 3 GROUPS OPERATES WITH DIFFERENT PROCS AND REQUIRES SPECIFIC TRAINING AND CHECKOUTS. THIS IS NECESSARY SINCE EACH GROUP DEALS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF ACFT AND/OR DIFFERENT DISPATCH PROCS. FURTHERMORE, UNTIL JUN/XX/89, INTERNATIONAL AND RED TAIL DISPATCH OPERATED UNDER A DIFFERENT SET OF OPERATING SPECS FROM GREEN TAIL DISPATCH (COMBINED OPERATIONS MAY YET BE DELAYED UNTIL JUL/XX/89). I HAVE BEEN TRAINED AND CHECKED OUT ON RED TAIL AND INTERNATIONAL POSITIONS. THIS CONSISTED OF CLASSROOM TRAINING PLUS A MINIMUM OF 200 HRS OF DUAL DISPATCHING FOLLOWED BY A FORMAL DESK CHECK. I HAVE RECEIVED THUS FAR, 3 DAYS OF UNSTRUCTURED DUAL GREEN TAIL TRAINING WITH NO SPECIFIC GOALS OR TRAINING OBJECTIVES, NO TRAINING CURRICULUM AND NO CHECKOUT. ON MAY/XX/89 FOR THE XX00-XY00 SHIFT AND AGAIN ON JUN/XX/89 FOR THE XY00, MAY/XX/89 XX00, JUN/XX/89 SHIFT, I WAS ASSIGNED TO COVER OPEN GREEN TAIL SHIFTS. NO ONE TO WHOM I SPOKE (INSTRUCTORS, SCHEDULES OR OTHER DISPATCHERS) COULD/WOULD COMMIT THEMSELVES AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I WAS LEGAL TO DISPATCH GREEN TAIL ACFT FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) NO FORMAL TRAINING FOR GREEN TAIL POSITIONS OR GREEN TAIL DISPATCH PROCS, 2) NO FORMAL DESK CHECK FOR GREEN TAIL POSITIONS. MY SITUATION WAS DISPATCH THE ACFT OR FACE THE LOSS OF MY JOB. I DISPATCHED APPROX 75-100 FLTS DURING THESE 2 8-HR SHIFTS FOR 7 DIFFERENT TYPES OF MLG AND LGT ACFT TO/FROM CITIES THROUGHOUT THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES. (THIS, COMBINED WITH RED TAIL ACFT TOTALS 20 DIFFERENT ACFT OR VERSIONS OF ACFT, FROM MLG TO WDB, WITH WHICH I MUST BE FAMILIAR AND IN WHICH I AM CURRENTLY TRAINED.) IT IS MY BELIEF THAT I MAY HAVE ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED THE FLTS ON THE ABOVE SHIFTS DUE TO LACK OF FORMAL POSITION TRAINING AND CHECKOUT. AGAIN, HOWEVER, NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW OR BE WILLING TO COMMIT ON THE LEGALITY OF THE DISPATCHING. REGARDLESS OF THE LEGALITY, I BELIEVE THE DISPATCH OF ACFT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES IS A BREAKDOWN IN THE AIR CARRIER SYSTEM OF CHECKS AND BALANCES RELATED TO THE SAFE AND EFFICIENT CONDUCT OF FLTS. DURING THE AFOREMENTIONED SHIFTS, ALL LEGALLY REQUIRED INFO WAS PROVIDED BY MYSELF, THE DISPATCHER, HOWEVER THE ADDITIONAL INFO NORMALLY AFFORDED FLT CREWS WAS NOT NEARLY SO AVAILABLE DUE TO MY LACK OF PROCEDURAL TRAINING FOR THE POSITION. I BECAME THE WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN. FORTUNATELY, I HAD NO DIVERSIONS OR INFLT EMERS DURING MY SHIFTS. I CLOSE WITH THE FOLLOWING OPEN QUESTIONS (WHICH I BELIEVE CAN ALL BE ANSWERED NO...): 1) WAS IT LEGAL? 2) WAS IT SAFE? 3) WAS IT GOOD DISPATCHING?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.