Narrative:

Captain called at XA45 to inform the dispatcher that he was returning to the gate because he was 2000 pounds below release fuel. At XB10 captain called and stated that as the tower cleared him into position on the runway and to hold, his flight engineer informed him that he had received an ACARS message from mia operations to contact them on 131.4. Thinking that it was a bomb threat he departed the runway and contacted mia operations and was informed that mia wanted him to return to the ramp to load bags that were left off the flight. Captain was upset, as was I, that mia sent this type of a message or any message to the aircraft during his sterile period. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: ACARS messages, unless very important, are not to be sent to the aircraft less than 30 mins after pushback and 30 mins before arrival in order not to violate the sterile cockpit. Reporter's main concern was that the ramp manager who sent the message was 'stepping on the operational control of the dispatcher.' he cited a case where the ramp manager decided to add fuel to a flight without concurrence of the flight crew or dispatcher.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT JUST ABOUT TO TAXI INTO POS FOR TKOF IS INSTRUCTED TO RETURN TO THE RAMP BY THE RAMP MGR WITHOUT COORD WITH DISPATCH.

Narrative: CAPT CALLED AT XA45 TO INFORM THE DISPATCHER THAT HE WAS RETURNING TO THE GATE BECAUSE HE WAS 2000 LBS BELOW RELEASE FUEL. AT XB10 CAPT CALLED AND STATED THAT AS THE TWR CLRED HIM INTO POS ON THE RWY AND TO HOLD, HIS FE INFORMED HIM THAT HE HAD RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE FROM MIA OPS TO CONTACT THEM ON 131.4. THINKING THAT IT WAS A BOMB THREAT HE DEPARTED THE RWY AND CONTACTED MIA OPS AND WAS INFORMED THAT MIA WANTED HIM TO RETURN TO THE RAMP TO LOAD BAGS THAT WERE LEFT OFF THE FLT. CAPT WAS UPSET, AS WAS I, THAT MIA SENT THIS TYPE OF A MESSAGE OR ANY MESSAGE TO THE ACFT DURING HIS STERILE PERIOD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ACARS MESSAGES, UNLESS VERY IMPORTANT, ARE NOT TO BE SENT TO THE ACFT LESS THAN 30 MINS AFTER PUSHBACK AND 30 MINS BEFORE ARR IN ORDER NOT TO VIOLATE THE STERILE COCKPIT. RPTR'S MAIN CONCERN WAS THAT THE RAMP MGR WHO SENT THE MESSAGE WAS 'STEPPING ON THE OPERATIONAL CTL OF THE DISPATCHER.' HE CITED A CASE WHERE THE RAMP MGR DECIDED TO ADD FUEL TO A FLT WITHOUT CONCURRENCE OF THE FLC OR DISPATCHER.

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.