Narrative:

A reclr flight plan was prepared for this flight in order to conserve some of the fuel required for a direct non-reclr flight. Inadvertently, the wrong flight plan was transmitted to the station, and only the direct flight plan portion was received. In conversation with the station prior to departure, it was noted that ramp fuel seemed to be on the heavy side (according to the dispatcher on duty). Nothing was relayed to dispatch that there was a problem with the flight plan. (An amendment had been sent to the station shortly after the flight plan was sent changing the required fuel at the refile points, apparently it was discarded or ignored.) aircraft departed and was well above fuel score on plan and was rereleased by dispatcher on duty at XA11Z. At XB26Z flight requested telephone patch with dispatch through sfo commercial link. It was noted aircraft had plan #DF05. They should have had DF47. This was first point in time dispatch was aware flight was using wrong plan. Upon arrival of flight documentation from captain back into our office, it was verified the captain had no release attached to the flight plan and obviously then, no dispatcher's signature. The captain drew a line for him to sign, and then placed his signature on the paperwork. The captain should have notified dispatch immediately upon receiving paperwork asking for the whereabouts of the release. By not doing so, the captain left without the proper authority from dispatch releasing the flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WCB CHARTER FLT DEPARTED EDAF FO WITHOUT A DISPATCH RELEASE.

Narrative: A RECLR FLT PLAN WAS PREPARED FOR THIS FLT IN ORDER TO CONSERVE SOME OF THE FUEL REQUIRED FOR A DIRECT NON-RECLR FLT. INADVERTENTLY, THE WRONG FLT PLAN WAS XMITTED TO THE STATION, AND ONLY THE DIRECT FLT PLAN PORTION WAS RECEIVED. IN CONVERSATION WITH THE STATION PRIOR TO DEP, IT WAS NOTED THAT RAMP FUEL SEEMED TO BE ON THE HVY SIDE (ACCORDING TO THE DISPATCHER ON DUTY). NOTHING WAS RELAYED TO DISPATCH THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE FLT PLAN. (AN AMENDMENT HAD BEEN SENT TO THE STATION SHORTLY AFTER THE FLT PLAN WAS SENT CHANGING THE REQUIRED FUEL AT THE REFILE POINTS, APPARENTLY IT WAS DISCARDED OR IGNORED.) ACFT DEPARTED AND WAS WELL ABOVE FUEL SCORE ON PLAN AND WAS RERELEASED BY DISPATCHER ON DUTY AT XA11Z. AT XB26Z FLT REQUESTED TELEPHONE PATCH WITH DISPATCH THROUGH SFO COMMERCIAL LINK. IT WAS NOTED ACFT HAD PLAN #DF05. THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD DF47. THIS WAS FIRST POINT IN TIME DISPATCH WAS AWARE FLT WAS USING WRONG PLAN. UPON ARR OF FLT DOCUMENTATION FROM CAPT BACK INTO OUR OFFICE, IT WAS VERIFIED THE CAPT HAD NO RELEASE ATTACHED TO THE FLT PLAN AND OBVIOUSLY THEN, NO DISPATCHER'S SIGNATURE. THE CAPT DREW A LINE FOR HIM TO SIGN, AND THEN PLACED HIS SIGNATURE ON THE PAPERWORK. THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED DISPATCH IMMEDIATELY UPON RECEIVING PAPERWORK ASKING FOR THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE RELEASE. BY NOT DOING SO, THE CAPT LEFT WITHOUT THE PROPER AUTHORITY FROM DISPATCH RELEASING THE FLT.

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.