Narrative:

I accepted overtime on desk X. This desk is very busy. I handled all flts out of elp, abq and phx eastbound. Also ama, lbb, maf westbound. Destinations are sfo, lax, san, phx, lax, abq, elp, ama, lbb, maf, dal, aus, sat hou, okc, tuc, mcj, stl and bna. I arrived early, was briefed and advised of 2 upcoming problems--a broken seat and a bleed valve problem. Even though we have pc's (computers), we are not computerized. We use the pc's as electronic typewriters. I had just taken the desk and the calls started. A weight problem abq-las, weight problem abq-dal, missing release elp-phx, captain called about a broken seat. Conference with maintenance and deferred it per MEL. Weight problem phx-tul. Also question about WX and alternate from captain. Captain in abq called about the bleed air valve on his aircraft. Wanted to defer it. By now 25 mins has passed. I hadn't had time to look at any forecasts, WX, NOTAMS, en route WX. I was relying totally on what the previous dispatcher had passed on. I hadn't even begun to work on my own flts, now due in 35 mins. The aircraft with the bleed air problem was to operate abq-sfo, with rw-/southwest- being reported at rno and part of an flight attendant saying light rime from the freezing level to FL160 possible. I decided we couldn't operate in a non icing condition. The supervisor and router wanted to turn the aircraft to dal, but with trw forecasted--although widely set if at all--I declined again, because I didn't know and just didn't have time to find out. This aircraft didn't fly the rest of the night. Several other flts had to be cancelled as a result. Dal never had a thunderstorm, although a small line of trw did form in west tx. Sfo went clear and we had not reports of icing. This is not a report of any violation, but rather this desk is too busy. There are too many destinations, with no way to keep up with all the WX conditions. Only 1 hour from the time you situation down till the first group of releases is due at the stations. You must rely heavily on your fellow dispatchers and trust their judgement when you just don't have the time to look carefully at all the WX possibilities. Management would say, 'make time.' that just is not possible when you have 5 different problems at the same time. The aircraft could probably have operated non icing to either sfo or dal; what a waste! To captain the night off, I had a diversion over las due to high xwinds (3257/75). Aircraft went to phx. We ended up with 5 diverted flts over las. I wasn't even paying any attention to the WX at this city!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER REPORTS THAT HE MISHANDLED SOME FLTS BECAUSE OF HIGH WORKLOAD IN HIS DISPATCH SECTOR.

Narrative: I ACCEPTED OVERTIME ON DESK X. THIS DESK IS VERY BUSY. I HANDLED ALL FLTS OUT OF ELP, ABQ AND PHX EBND. ALSO AMA, LBB, MAF WBND. DESTS ARE SFO, LAX, SAN, PHX, LAX, ABQ, ELP, AMA, LBB, MAF, DAL, AUS, SAT HOU, OKC, TUC, MCJ, STL AND BNA. I ARRIVED EARLY, WAS BRIEFED AND ADVISED OF 2 UPCOMING PROBS--A BROKEN SEAT AND A BLEED VALVE PROB. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE PC'S (COMPUTERS), WE ARE NOT COMPUTERIZED. WE USE THE PC'S AS ELECTRONIC TYPEWRITERS. I HAD JUST TAKEN THE DESK AND THE CALLS STARTED. A WT PROB ABQ-LAS, WT PROB ABQ-DAL, MISSING RELEASE ELP-PHX, CAPT CALLED ABOUT A BROKEN SEAT. CONFERENCE WITH MAINT AND DEFERRED IT PER MEL. WT PROB PHX-TUL. ALSO QUESTION ABOUT WX AND ALTERNATE FROM CAPT. CAPT IN ABQ CALLED ABOUT THE BLEED AIR VALVE ON HIS ACFT. WANTED TO DEFER IT. BY NOW 25 MINS HAS PASSED. I HADN'T HAD TIME TO LOOK AT ANY FORECASTS, WX, NOTAMS, ENRTE WX. I WAS RELYING TOTALLY ON WHAT THE PREVIOUS DISPATCHER HAD PASSED ON. I HADN'T EVEN BEGUN TO WORK ON MY OWN FLTS, NOW DUE IN 35 MINS. THE ACFT WITH THE BLEED AIR PROB WAS TO OPERATE ABQ-SFO, WITH RW-/SW- BEING RPTED AT RNO AND PART OF AN FA SAYING LIGHT RIME FROM THE FREEZING LEVEL TO FL160 POSSIBLE. I DECIDED WE COULDN'T OPERATE IN A NON ICING CONDITION. THE SUPVR AND ROUTER WANTED TO TURN THE ACFT TO DAL, BUT WITH TRW FORECASTED--ALTHOUGH WIDELY SET IF AT ALL--I DECLINED AGAIN, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW AND JUST DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO FIND OUT. THIS ACFT DIDN'T FLY THE REST OF THE NIGHT. SEVERAL OTHER FLTS HAD TO BE CANCELLED AS A RESULT. DAL NEVER HAD A TSTM, ALTHOUGH A SMALL LINE OF TRW DID FORM IN W TX. SFO WENT CLR AND WE HAD NOT RPTS OF ICING. THIS IS NOT A RPT OF ANY VIOLATION, BUT RATHER THIS DESK IS TOO BUSY. THERE ARE TOO MANY DESTS, WITH NO WAY TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE WX CONDITIONS. ONLY 1 HR FROM THE TIME YOU SIT DOWN TILL THE FIRST GROUP OF RELEASES IS DUE AT THE STATIONS. YOU MUST RELY HEAVILY ON YOUR FELLOW DISPATCHERS AND TRUST THEIR JUDGEMENT WHEN YOU JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO LOOK CAREFULLY AT ALL THE WX POSSIBILITIES. MGMNT WOULD SAY, 'MAKE TIME.' THAT JUST IS NOT POSSIBLE WHEN YOU HAVE 5 DIFFERENT PROBS AT THE SAME TIME. THE ACFT COULD PROBABLY HAVE OPERATED NON ICING TO EITHER SFO OR DAL; WHAT A WASTE! TO CAPT THE NIGHT OFF, I HAD A DIVERSION OVER LAS DUE TO HIGH XWINDS (3257/75). ACFT WENT TO PHX. WE ENDED UP WITH 5 DIVERTED FLTS OVER LAS. I WASN'T EVEN PAYING ANY ATTN TO THE WX AT THIS CITY!

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.