Part 121 aircraft departed with inoperative pack on MEL. Dispatch did not include any limitation and...

Attributes
ACN	315265
Time
Date	199509
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mdw
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	315265
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I relieved 2 dispatchers at XA30 Z. Was informed of inoperative pack on airplane. At departure time flight crew called for another copy of release. I changed the original dispatcher's name to mine and sent release, without checking anything on release. After flight was airborne, I noticed neither the first dispatcher and myself had restricted the altitude to below 25000 ft. I ran another flight plan, contacted the flight and made some changes on the release. Contributing factors were: I was led to believe pack inoperative was already on MEL for the aircraft when I took over, it was not. The crew had been flying without the pack operating but waited until arriving in ewr to write it up. If it had been added to the MEL as soon as problem occurred the original dispatcher would have restricted the altitude. The crew did not call me about the low fuel load or the high altitude, if they had, we could have made changes before aircraft was airborne. The crew added much more fuel than was on the release. In the future I will double check all releases that another dispatcher has already sent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PART 121 ACFT DEPARTED WITH INOP PACK ON MEL. DISPATCH DID NOT INCLUDE ANY LIMITATION AND OPERATIONAL CHANGES IN RELEASE.

Narrative: I RELIEVED 2 DISPATCHERS AT XA30 Z. WAS INFORMED OF INOP PACK ON AIRPLANE. AT DEP TIME FLC CALLED FOR ANOTHER COPY OF RELEASE. I CHANGED THE ORIGINAL DISPATCHER'S NAME TO MINE AND SENT RELEASE, WITHOUT CHKING ANYTHING ON RELEASE. AFTER FLT WAS AIRBORNE, I NOTICED NEITHER THE FIRST DISPATCHER AND MYSELF HAD RESTRICTED THE ALT TO BELOW 25000 FT. I RAN ANOTHER FLT PLAN, CONTACTED THE FLT AND MADE SOME CHANGES ON THE RELEASE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: I WAS LED TO BELIEVE PACK INOP WAS ALREADY ON MEL FOR THE ACFT WHEN I TOOK OVER, IT WAS NOT. THE CREW HAD BEEN FLYING WITHOUT THE PACK OPERATING BUT WAITED UNTIL ARRIVING IN EWR TO WRITE IT UP. IF IT HAD BEEN ADDED TO THE MEL AS SOON AS PROB OCCURRED THE ORIGINAL DISPATCHER WOULD HAVE RESTRICTED THE ALT. THE CREW DID NOT CALL ME ABOUT THE LOW FUEL LOAD OR THE HIGH ALT, IF THEY HAD, WE COULD HAVE MADE CHANGES BEFORE ACFT WAS AIRBORNE. THE CREW ADDED MUCH MORE FUEL THAN WAS ON THE RELEASE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL DOUBLE CHK ALL RELEASES THAT ANOTHER DISPATCHER HAS ALREADY SENT.

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.

Part 121 aircraft departed with inoperative pack on MEL. Dispatch did not include any limitation and operational changes in release.