Narrative:

On may/xa/98 desks xb and xc were on the edge of being operationally out of control. When desk xa was closed at XA32, flts were xferred to desks xb, xc. With boa closed at night and the en route thunderstorms, it was all we could do to keep up with the operation. We had numerous rertes to deal with due to boa closure and thunderstorm activity in the vicinity of orf and ecg. This was complicated by the fact that the aircraft were not in ACARS range and all messages had to be relayed through commercial radio. At the same time, a large line of thunderstorms were hitting mia, closing the airport for quite some time. I had 1 flight return to the gate due to the fact he had been out for 2 hours with no APU and had used so much fuel he didn't have sufficient fuel to make it to sdq. When the flight returned, the crew went illegal and had to be replaced which caused me to be away from the desk to coordinate with crew scheduling to get a new crew. At the same time, jfk was at 1/4 mi visibility due to fog and mist and we had numerous flts inbound from the caribbean. Bottom line is with the added workload from desk xa, desks xb and xc are overloaded with flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RPTS HIS AIRLINE HAS NO PROC IN PLACE TO DEAL WITH WORKLOAD INCREASE CAUSED BY ADVERSE WX.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98 DESKS XB AND XC WERE ON THE EDGE OF BEING OPERATIONALLY OUT OF CTL. WHEN DESK XA WAS CLOSED AT XA32, FLTS WERE XFERRED TO DESKS XB, XC. WITH BOA CLOSED AT NIGHT AND THE ENRTE TSTMS, IT WAS ALL WE COULD DO TO KEEP UP WITH THE OP. WE HAD NUMEROUS RERTES TO DEAL WITH DUE TO BOA CLOSURE AND TSTM ACTIVITY IN THE VICINITY OF ORF AND ECG. THIS WAS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT THE ACFT WERE NOT IN ACARS RANGE AND ALL MESSAGES HAD TO BE RELAYED THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO. AT THE SAME TIME, A LARGE LINE OF TSTMS WERE HITTING MIA, CLOSING THE ARPT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I HAD 1 FLT RETURN TO THE GATE DUE TO THE FACT HE HAD BEEN OUT FOR 2 HRS WITH NO APU AND HAD USED SO MUCH FUEL HE DIDN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT FUEL TO MAKE IT TO SDQ. WHEN THE FLT RETURNED, THE CREW WENT ILLEGAL AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WHICH CAUSED ME TO BE AWAY FROM THE DESK TO COORDINATE WITH CREW SCHEDULING TO GET A NEW CREW. AT THE SAME TIME, JFK WAS AT 1/4 MI VISIBILITY DUE TO FOG AND MIST AND WE HAD NUMEROUS FLTS INBOUND FROM THE CARIBBEAN. BOTTOM LINE IS WITH THE ADDED WORKLOAD FROM DESK XA, DESKS XB AND XC ARE OVERLOADED WITH FLTS.

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.