Narrative:

The release for the air carrier flight was amended 65 mins before scheduled departure to increase the min release fuel 1000 pounds to 19200 and to change it's destination alternate to pit. 20 mins after departure, pvd station called to say that the amended release was not given to the crew and the fuel was not boarded. The flight was contacted and the amended release information was relayed. Aircraft had more than adequate contingency fuel to continue without any problem. There are several reasons the amended release was not received by the crew. One was, I (the dispatcher) thinking it was more than a hour before departure and since the computer automatically sends a message to the agent working the flight whenever an amended release is entered, a special call to remind the station shouldn't have been needed. Second, pvd station pulls up their paperwork for a flight at the ticket counter, then walks to the gate area to load passenger. The automessages telling of an amendment go to the ticket counter instead of the gate and third, the crew should have noticed that the fuel on their weight and balance was 1000 pounds more than their original release fuel. (When an amended release is input, the computer updates the weight and balance to reflect any new numbers). Corrective actions: pvd station was advised to change their procedures, ie, retrieve all paperwork at gate area. Crew was advised to verify all numbers, if there is any question contact dispatch. This dispatcher will call when amending any release. But the easiest and best correction would be to have the computer lock out all weight and balance functions whenever a release is amended, and only unlock them when a new release has been retrieved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UPDATED DISPATCH RELEASE (WITH NEW DEST AND FUEL LOAD) NOT DELIVERED TO FLC.

Narrative: THE RELEASE FOR THE ACR FLT WAS AMENDED 65 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TO INCREASE THE MIN RELEASE FUEL 1000 POUNDS TO 19200 AND TO CHANGE IT'S DEST ALTERNATE TO PIT. 20 MINS AFTER DEP, PVD STATION CALLED TO SAY THAT THE AMENDED RELEASE WAS NOT GIVEN TO THE CREW AND THE FUEL WAS NOT BOARDED. THE FLT WAS CONTACTED AND THE AMENDED RELEASE INFO WAS RELAYED. ACFT HAD MORE THAN ADEQUATE CONTINGENCY FUEL TO CONTINUE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS THE AMENDED RELEASE WAS NOT RECEIVED BY THE CREW. ONE WAS, I (THE DISPATCHER) THINKING IT WAS MORE THAN A HR BEFORE DEP AND SINCE THE COMPUTER AUTOMATICALLY SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE AGENT WORKING THE FLT WHENEVER AN AMENDED RELEASE IS ENTERED, A SPECIAL CALL TO REMIND THE STATION SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN NEEDED. SECOND, PVD STATION PULLS UP THEIR PAPERWORK FOR A FLT AT THE TICKET COUNTER, THEN WALKS TO THE GATE AREA TO LOAD PAX. THE AUTOMESSAGES TELLING OF AN AMENDMENT GO TO THE TICKET COUNTER INSTEAD OF THE GATE AND THIRD, THE CREW SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT THE FUEL ON THEIR WT AND BAL WAS 1000 POUNDS MORE THAN THEIR ORIGINAL RELEASE FUEL. (WHEN AN AMENDED RELEASE IS INPUT, THE COMPUTER UPDATES THE WT AND BAL TO REFLECT ANY NEW NUMBERS). CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: PVD STATION WAS ADVISED TO CHANGE THEIR PROCS, IE, RETRIEVE ALL PAPERWORK AT GATE AREA. CREW WAS ADVISED TO VERIFY ALL NUMBERS, IF THERE IS ANY QUESTION CONTACT DISPATCH. THIS DISPATCHER WILL CALL WHEN AMENDING ANY RELEASE. BUT THE EASIEST AND BEST CORRECTION WOULD BE TO HAVE THE COMPUTER LOCK OUT ALL WT AND BAL FUNCTIONS WHENEVER A RELEASE IS AMENDED, AND ONLY UNLOCK THEM WHEN A NEW RELEASE HAS BEEN RETRIEVED.

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.