Narrative:

Flight ewr-buf with a B737-300 under part 121 domestic. Relieved duty dispatcher who had dispatched flight with an alternate of syr. After the relief and an hour before departure the syr forecast and WX went below alternate minimums and buf reported braking action fair to poor. I amended the release and changed the release fuel to 1000 pounds to inhibit the automated weight and balance system from providing the captain any performance data until the captain called me (the dispatcher) to discuss the alternate change and the current buf field conditions. My air carrier uses an automated weight and balance system that will generate paper work to the captain for departure and the dispatcher has been provided no facility to stop this process. The sending of a release with a 1000 pound fuel load has historically been the only way to stop a flight from receiving takeoff data and departing if the dispatcher needs to talk to the captain before departure. Unbeknownst to the dispatchers or their management some other department's management has had the system modified to allow the paper work to go to the captain in spite of dispatch's efforts in a witless attempt to reduce delays. The captain not realizing that a new release and request to call dispatch had been sent departed using the old release and alternate. Attempts to contact the flight through arinc were fruitless and dispatch was only able to contact the flight through buf operations radio when the flight was in range buf. Dispatch gave the current field conditions and braking action reports buf and amended the release to show a suitable alternate at that time. Automated weight and balance system that do not allow dispatchers or load planners to abort the automated process until they are satisfied the captain has all the necessary information required for safety are a clear and present danger to the safety of flight. The FAA requires stc's and tso's for every device on an aircraft, but has no specifications for computerized system that are used by dispatch to plan flts, or provide critical performance data to the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RPT ON DISPATCH RELEASE PROCEDURAL PROBS WITHIN HIS COMPANY.

Narrative: FLT EWR-BUF WITH A B737-300 UNDER PART 121 DOMESTIC. RELIEVED DUTY DISPATCHER WHO HAD DISPATCHED FLT WITH AN ALTERNATE OF SYR. AFTER THE RELIEF AND AN HR BEFORE DEP THE SYR FORECAST AND WX WENT BELOW ALTERNATE MINIMUMS AND BUF RPTED BRAKING ACTION FAIR TO POOR. I AMENDED THE RELEASE AND CHANGED THE RELEASE FUEL TO 1000 LBS TO INHIBIT THE AUTOMATED WT AND BAL SYS FROM PROVIDING THE CAPT ANY PERFORMANCE DATA UNTIL THE CAPT CALLED ME (THE DISPATCHER) TO DISCUSS THE ALTERNATE CHANGE AND THE CURRENT BUF FIELD CONDITIONS. MY ACR USES AN AUTOMATED WT AND BAL SYS THAT WILL GENERATE PAPER WORK TO THE CAPT FOR DEP AND THE DISPATCHER HAS BEEN PROVIDED NO FACILITY TO STOP THIS PROCESS. THE SENDING OF A RELEASE WITH A 1000 LB FUEL LOAD HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN THE ONLY WAY TO STOP A FLT FROM RECEIVING TKOF DATA AND DEPARTING IF THE DISPATCHER NEEDS TO TALK TO THE CAPT BEFORE DEP. UNBEKNOWNST TO THE DISPATCHERS OR THEIR MGMNT SOME OTHER DEPT'S MGMNT HAS HAD THE SYS MODIFIED TO ALLOW THE PAPER WORK TO GO TO THE CAPT IN SPITE OF DISPATCH'S EFFORTS IN A WITLESS ATTEMPT TO REDUCE DELAYS. THE CAPT NOT REALIZING THAT A NEW RELEASE AND REQUEST TO CALL DISPATCH HAD BEEN SENT DEPARTED USING THE OLD RELEASE AND ALTERNATE. ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE FLT THROUGH ARINC WERE FRUITLESS AND DISPATCH WAS ONLY ABLE TO CONTACT THE FLT THROUGH BUF OPS RADIO WHEN THE FLT WAS IN RANGE BUF. DISPATCH GAVE THE CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS AND BRAKING ACTION RPTS BUF AND AMENDED THE RELEASE TO SHOW A SUITABLE ALTERNATE AT THAT TIME. AUTOMATED WT AND BAL SYS THAT DO NOT ALLOW DISPATCHERS OR LOAD PLANNERS TO ABORT THE AUTOMATED PROCESS UNTIL THEY ARE SATISFIED THE CAPT HAS ALL THE NECESSARY INFO REQUIRED FOR SAFETY ARE A CLR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THE SAFETY OF FLT. THE FAA REQUIRES STC'S AND TSO'S FOR EVERY DEVICE ON AN ACFT, BUT HAS NO SPECIFICATIONS FOR COMPUTERIZED SYS THAT ARE USED BY DISPATCH TO PLAN FLTS, OR PROVIDE CRITICAL PERFORMANCE DATA TO THE 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.