Narrative:

Arrived on duty at 0800 hours local to find an emergency in progress. Company widebody transport #2 engine out and diverting to shannon (ireland). Flight was en route new york-stockholm-copenhagen. Took over responsibility for dispatch office/relieved night dispatcher. Numerous emergency telephone notifications. Being a sunday (weekend) only 2 dispatchers on duty. No backup/support staff available. I, myself, do not normally work weekends nor permanent dispatcher, however, was rostered at short notice account staff shortage (sickness and resignation). New york planning wanted shannon to arrange passenger reprotection. Had to lobby on passenger/crew behalf to use a company large transport to pick up 146 out of 161 stranded passenger. Shannon is an offline station and handling agents not on line with our computer. Weight and balance performed by handling agents at london gatwick. Complicated recovery plan with flight plans being produced in paris for cdg-snn then snn-arn arn-cph and ferry cph- cdg. Takeoff performance data needed to be photocopies for snn arn and cph. (Photocopier not in office/dispatch.) calculated all 4 computer flight plans to be given to captain prior departure cdg. Used stored company rtes from flight planning computer. Sector shannon-stockholm (snn-arn). Released flight on company route. VR14 dub VB1OTR UR4 UR46 vsn UG5 trs dct. Flight proceeded as planned. On handover to my relief later in the afternoon (PM30 hours) I briefed my colleague. He asked me what route I had used for snn-arn. Upon checking we found that I had inadvertently released flight on route that did not comply with our FAA approved rtesecond officerps specifications. Only 2 rtes are approved for xchannel flts by large transport (neither are stored in flight planning computer). Route did not comply with overwater segment requirements per FARS as aircraft not equipped with lifejackets. No comments received from captain/crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTHORIZED RTE USED IN DISPATCH RELEASE FOR LGT OVERWATER OP IN VIOLATION OF FARS.

Narrative: ARRIVED ON DUTY AT 0800 HRS LCL TO FIND AN EMER IN PROGRESS. COMPANY WDB #2 ENG OUT AND DIVERTING TO SHANNON (IRELAND). FLT WAS ENRTE NEW YORK-STOCKHOLM-COPENHAGEN. TOOK OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR DISPATCH OFFICE/RELIEVED NIGHT DISPATCHER. NUMEROUS EMER TELEPHONE NOTIFICATIONS. BEING A SUNDAY (WEEKEND) ONLY 2 DISPATCHERS ON DUTY. NO BACKUP/SUPPORT STAFF AVAILABLE. I, MYSELF, DO NOT NORMALLY WORK WEEKENDS NOR PERMANENT DISPATCHER, HOWEVER, WAS ROSTERED AT SHORT NOTICE ACCOUNT STAFF SHORTAGE (SICKNESS AND RESIGNATION). NEW YORK PLANNING WANTED SHANNON TO ARRANGE PAX REPROTECTION. HAD TO LOBBY ON PAX/CREW BEHALF TO USE A COMPANY LGT TO PICK UP 146 OUT OF 161 STRANDED PAX. SHANNON IS AN OFFLINE STATION AND HANDLING AGENTS NOT ON LINE WITH OUR COMPUTER. WT AND BAL PERFORMED BY HANDLING AGENTS AT LONDON GATWICK. COMPLICATED RECOVERY PLAN WITH FLT PLANS BEING PRODUCED IN PARIS FOR CDG-SNN THEN SNN-ARN ARN-CPH AND FERRY CPH- CDG. TKOF PERFORMANCE DATA NEEDED TO BE PHOTOCOPIES FOR SNN ARN AND CPH. (PHOTOCOPIER NOT IN OFFICE/DISPATCH.) CALCULATED ALL 4 COMPUTER FLT PLANS TO BE GIVEN TO CAPT PRIOR DEP CDG. USED STORED COMPANY RTES FROM FLT PLANNING COMPUTER. SECTOR SHANNON-STOCKHOLM (SNN-ARN). RELEASED FLT ON COMPANY RTE. VR14 DUB VB1OTR UR4 UR46 VSN UG5 TRS DCT. FLT PROCEEDED AS PLANNED. ON HANDOVER TO MY RELIEF LATER IN THE AFTERNOON (PM30 HRS) I BRIEFED MY COLLEAGUE. HE ASKED ME WHAT RTE I HAD USED FOR SNN-ARN. UPON CHKING WE FOUND THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY RELEASED FLT ON RTE THAT DID NOT COMPLY WITH OUR FAA APPROVED RTES/OPS SPECIFICATIONS. ONLY 2 RTES ARE APPROVED FOR XCHANNEL FLTS BY LGT (NEITHER ARE STORED IN FLT PLANNING COMPUTER). RTE DID NOT COMPLY WITH OVERWATER SEGMENT REQUIREMENTS PER FARS AS ACFT NOT EQUIPPED WITH LIFEJACKETS. NO COMMENTS RECEIVED FROM CAPT/CREW.

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.