Narrative:

Company recently (1 month) converted 2 of 5 aircraft to cargo, which called upon us to dispatch to airports not normally flown to. This particular airport had special requirements for destination WX (which was ceiling 3000' AGL and 3 mi for hi-ILS/DME runway 18, daytime operations only; for VOR/DME 071 degrees, visibility maneuvering minimums are 6000' AGL and 5 mi visibility). Forecast for destination was ceiling 4000' and better than 10 kilometers. ETA for this flight was west/O question at night. I had called the chief dispatcher the day before concerning time of arrival. He said not to worry, which was kind of an understatement. Needless to say, I dispatched the aircraft and a subsequent flight to an airport that was below minimums for nighttime operations. Some of the possible contributing factors could have been the fact I had been exercising extremely hard the day before this, resulting in me being abnormally tired; being unfamiliar with special airport operations; and fear of losing my job for not dispatching the aircraft. Aircraft planning had not been aware of the daylight restrictions. After the first 2 flts, schedules were arranged so as to arrive and depart in daylight. As always, a constant vigilance for safety shall be maintained, both before and after the flight departs up until it arrives at destination. One thing I left out was the actual forecast upon which I dispatched the flight. It was: enev XX22 VRB08KT 9999 2cu025 45c040 tempo 1000 86XXSNSH 911005. Our normal fuel policy plans for an arrival fuel over destination of at least 30000#. Both flts had planned fuel over destination of 50000+'. So, as you can see, the WX was not that bad, and we had sufficient fuel for a safe flight. I do not feel that safety was jeopardized on either flight, based on the above conditions and my knowledge of our capability to divert flight en route to new destinations, and past experience with flight crews in similar but not so compromising situations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FLT DISPATCHED TO AN ARPT WITH WX FORECAST TO BE BELOW MINIMUMS.

Narrative: COMPANY RECENTLY (1 MONTH) CONVERTED 2 OF 5 ACFT TO CARGO, WHICH CALLED UPON US TO DISPATCH TO ARPTS NOT NORMALLY FLOWN TO. THIS PARTICULAR ARPT HAD SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR DEST WX (WHICH WAS CEILING 3000' AGL AND 3 MI FOR HI-ILS/DME RWY 18, DAYTIME OPS ONLY; FOR VOR/DME 071 DEGS, VIS MANEUVERING MINIMUMS ARE 6000' AGL AND 5 MI VISIBILITY). FORECAST FOR DEST WAS CEILING 4000' AND BETTER THAN 10 KILOMETERS. ETA FOR THIS FLT WAS W/O QUESTION AT NIGHT. I HAD CALLED THE CHIEF DISPATCHER THE DAY BEFORE CONCERNING TIME OF ARR. HE SAID NOT TO WORRY, WHICH WAS KIND OF AN UNDERSTATEMENT. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DISPATCHED THE ACFT AND A SUBSEQUENT FLT TO AN ARPT THAT WAS BELOW MINIMUMS FOR NIGHTTIME OPS. SOME OF THE POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS COULD HAVE BEEN THE FACT I HAD BEEN EXERCISING EXTREMELY HARD THE DAY BEFORE THIS, RESULTING IN ME BEING ABNORMALLY TIRED; BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH SPECIAL ARPT OPS; AND FEAR OF LOSING MY JOB FOR NOT DISPATCHING THE ACFT. ACFT PLANNING HAD NOT BEEN AWARE OF THE DAYLIGHT RESTRICTIONS. AFTER THE FIRST 2 FLTS, SCHEDULES WERE ARRANGED SO AS TO ARRIVE AND DEPART IN DAYLIGHT. AS ALWAYS, A CONSTANT VIGILANCE FOR SAFETY SHALL BE MAINTAINED, BOTH BEFORE AND AFTER THE FLT DEPARTS UP UNTIL IT ARRIVES AT DEST. ONE THING I LEFT OUT WAS THE ACTUAL FORECAST UPON WHICH I DISPATCHED THE FLT. IT WAS: ENEV XX22 VRB08KT 9999 2CU025 45C040 TEMPO 1000 86XXSNSH 911005. OUR NORMAL FUEL POLICY PLANS FOR AN ARR FUEL OVER DEST OF AT LEAST 30000#. BOTH FLTS HAD PLANNED FUEL OVER DEST OF 50000+'. SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE WX WAS NOT THAT BAD, AND WE HAD SUFFICIENT FUEL FOR A SAFE FLT. I DO NOT FEEL THAT SAFETY WAS JEOPARDIZED ON EITHER FLT, BASED ON THE ABOVE CONDITIONS AND MY KNOWLEDGE OF OUR CAPABILITY TO DIVERT FLT ENRTE TO NEW DESTS, AND PAST EXPERIENCE WITH FLT CREWS IN SIMILAR BUT NOT SO COMPROMISING SITUATIONS.

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.