Aircraft changed from medium large transport to ltg without notice to dispatcher.

Attributes
ACN	142406
Time
Date	199004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob tower : huf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	142406
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

The planning unit swapped aircraft on a pit-pbi flight from medium large transport to large transport. Somehow the dispatcher of this flight was not notified of the aircraft change. Dispatcher released flight with medium large transport equipment, fll altitude and 30 mins hold fuel. Release minimum fuel 24200 pounds. I came on duty at xx:oo am EDT to relieve the midnight dispatcher. When this pit-pbi was about 20 mins out of pit, I was doing my flight following and noticed the medium large transport tail number was not on my flight display screen. Next I checked the times to discover this flight was flying with a large transport. I immediately got a phone patch with the flight and asked him how much fuel he left pit with. He said 24200 pounds. I asked him if his flight plan was for an medium large transport, he said yes. We then discussed a possible fuel stop. After recalculating a flight plan using equipment with actual payload onboard and no altitude, no holding, I determined we could arrive pbi with 6300 pounds (FAA 45 min reserve). I amended flight release to continue non-stop and planned to arrive pbi with 6300 pounds. Flight did in fact arrive with 6300 pounds. The dispatch office made a serious mistake by not amending the release of this flight with the proper equipment, and new fuel load. (Communication breakdown). The three cockpit crewmembers also made a serious mistake by accepting a release with wrong equipment type, wrong tail number, wrong fuel, and it also had an MEL, which did not apply to the aircraft they were flying.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CHANGED FROM MLG TO LTG WITHOUT NOTICE TO DISPATCHER.

Narrative: THE PLANNING UNIT SWAPPED ACFT ON A PIT-PBI FLT FROM MLG TO LGT. SOMEHOW THE DISPATCHER OF THIS FLT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE ACFT CHANGE. DISPATCHER RELEASED FLT WITH MLG EQUIP, FLL ALT AND 30 MINS HOLD FUEL. RELEASE MINIMUM FUEL 24200 LBS. I CAME ON DUTY AT XX:OO AM EDT TO RELIEVE THE MIDNIGHT DISPATCHER. WHEN THIS PIT-PBI WAS ABOUT 20 MINS OUT OF PIT, I WAS DOING MY FLT FOLLOWING AND NOTICED THE MLG TAIL NUMBER WAS NOT ON MY FLT DISPLAY SCREEN. NEXT I CHKED THE TIMES TO DISCOVER THIS FLT WAS FLYING WITH A LGT. I IMMEDIATELY GOT A PHONE PATCH WITH THE FLT AND ASKED HIM HOW MUCH FUEL HE LEFT PIT WITH. HE SAID 24200 LBS. I ASKED HIM IF HIS FLT PLAN WAS FOR AN MLG, HE SAID YES. WE THEN DISCUSSED A POSSIBLE FUEL STOP. AFTER RECALCULATING A FLT PLAN USING EQUIP WITH ACTUAL PAYLOAD ONBOARD AND NO ALT, NO HOLDING, I DETERMINED WE COULD ARRIVE PBI WITH 6300 LBS (FAA 45 MIN RESERVE). I AMENDED FLT RELEASE TO CONTINUE NON-STOP AND PLANNED TO ARRIVE PBI WITH 6300 LBS. FLT DID IN FACT ARRIVE WITH 6300 LBS. THE DISPATCH OFFICE MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE BY NOT AMENDING THE RELEASE OF THIS FLT WITH THE PROPER EQUIP, AND NEW FUEL LOAD. (COM BREAKDOWN). THE THREE COCKPIT CREWMEMBERS ALSO MADE A SERIOUS MISTAKE BY ACCEPTING A RELEASE WITH WRONG EQUIP TYPE, WRONG TAIL NUMBER, WRONG FUEL, AND IT ALSO HAD AN MEL, WHICH DID NOT APPLY TO THE ACFT THEY WERE FLYING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.