Narrative:

A flight I was dispatching was placarded with a MEL of center aft boost pump inoperative. The MEL stated that fuel in center and auxiliary tanks considered unusable. I misread the MEL and dispatched: the flight which required use of the fuel in the center tank. (The ZFW less amount of unusable fuel equals the new ZFW, which was also exceeded). The load planning apparently did not catch the ZFW restr and the captain departed to his destination apparently not noticing my mistake or the load planner's mistake. I discovered the error 40- 45 mins after departure. I contacted the captain, while en route and asked which tanks he was burning his fuel from and how much fuel was left in his wing tanks, and what his present position was. While I was running a new flight plan (since he was burning fuel from his center tanks) I asked him to check the MEL. The new flight plan (changing the alternate and deleting hold fuel) allowed him to continue to his destination from that point on only using fuel from the wing tanks. I also checked to make sure he was within his ZFW limit. 1) cause of problem: heavy workload, pressure to get a lot of releases sent out right after I walk in the door, lack of sleep caused by early morning schedule (report time XD00). 2) what can be done to correct problem: better familiarity with the MEL, reading through each placard slowly and carefully, spell out in MEL: level maximum release fuel of 18500 (maximum wing tank. Fuel).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OPERATING ON IFR FLT PLAN WITH LESS THAN LEGAL FUEL FOR THE PROPOSED TRIP.

Narrative: A FLT I WAS DISPATCHING WAS PLACARDED WITH A MEL OF CTR AFT BOOST PUMP INOP. THE MEL STATED THAT FUEL IN CTR AND AUX TANKS CONSIDERED UNUSABLE. I MISREAD THE MEL AND DISPATCHED: THE FLT WHICH REQUIRED USE OF THE FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. (THE ZFW LESS AMOUNT OF UNUSABLE FUEL EQUALS THE NEW ZFW, WHICH WAS ALSO EXCEEDED). THE LOAD PLANNING APPARENTLY DID NOT CATCH THE ZFW RESTR AND THE CAPT DEPARTED TO HIS DEST APPARENTLY NOT NOTICING MY MISTAKE OR THE LOAD PLANNER'S MISTAKE. I DISCOVERED THE ERROR 40- 45 MINS AFTER DEP. I CONTACTED THE CAPT, WHILE ENRTE AND ASKED WHICH TANKS HE WAS BURNING HIS FUEL FROM AND HOW MUCH FUEL WAS LEFT IN HIS WING TANKS, AND WHAT HIS PRESENT POS WAS. WHILE I WAS RUNNING A NEW FLT PLAN (SINCE HE WAS BURNING FUEL FROM HIS CTR TANKS) I ASKED HIM TO CHK THE MEL. THE NEW FLT PLAN (CHANGING THE ALTERNATE AND DELETING HOLD FUEL) ALLOWED HIM TO CONTINUE TO HIS DEST FROM THAT POINT ON ONLY USING FUEL FROM THE WING TANKS. I ALSO CHKED TO MAKE SURE HE WAS WITHIN HIS ZFW LIMIT. 1) CAUSE OF PROB: HVY WORKLOAD, PRESSURE TO GET A LOT OF RELEASES SENT OUT RIGHT AFTER I WALK IN THE DOOR, LACK OF SLEEP CAUSED BY EARLY MORNING SCHEDULE (RPT TIME XD00). 2) WHAT CAN BE DONE TO CORRECT PROB: BETTER FAMILIARITY WITH THE MEL, READING THROUGH EACH PLACARD SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, SPELL OUT IN MEL: LEVEL MAX RELEASE FUEL OF 18500 (MAX WING TANK. FUEL).

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.