Narrative:

Worked a shift mainly southwest/western united states, domestic flts. I had 41 flts to plan this shift. That is an average workload for a domestic desk at this airline. I also flight followed the previous shift's/dispatcher flts already airborne (approximately 15 aircraft). I pulled WX/NOTAMS for all flts to plan. I have allotted to me 2 hours to look through all forecasts, NOTAMS, current WX, sigmets, winds aloft, procedures, ATC advisories, plus any other miscellaneous information. Within that 2 hour window, I must send out all flight plans to cities served, file these plans with ATC, then relieve the previous dispatcher on the sector I work. Long story short is due to high workload, somewhat fatigued, computer problems as well this shift, I missed the date on a forecast to one of my destinations. Our computer system did not pick up the latest amendments (new issue terminal forecast)! It appeared I still had a valid time frame, problem was the forecast was from previous day. WX forecast on the old taf was about as I expected it to be, I just missed the date. So did the captain as he signed the release and departed. So did the crew on another flight I had going to this destination. Same thing happened to another dispatcher and crew to the same destination. One of my flts flew routinely to this destination, shot an ILS, landed, then hydroplaned and departed the runway severely damaging the aircraft. All other paperwork given to this crew had current information, including convective sigmets for destination and current WX indicating a fairly strong quartering crosswind within demonstrated limits for the aircraft. I also sent this flight while it was en route a message indicating runway in use and a radar update from a nexrad site at the destination. I speculate that there must have been some standing water near the outside edges of the runway. Our B727 and B757 landed safely just prior to my B767 landing then running off. I think/speculated the smaller jets were ok near center of runway, but the B767 with a somewhat wider wheel base caught some water. I think this may have happened as the area (houston) had received 10+ inches of rain due to tropical storm in the gulf/texas coast. Now we (our company) is in a fact finding phase. All eyes are now on me as they say I dispatched the flight with an illegal forecast. True! But we all missed it. I worked with real time WX/currents, real time radar, lightning detection equipment, PIREPS from the other inbound flts, etc. I don't feel this forecast had any impact on the outcome. In fact, I did receive an amendment forecast that was valid time/date and we still would have gone based on it. (I received this taf after flight departed.) the FAA needs to look at a regulation limiting the amount of flts a dispatcher does on a shift. I see demand exceed capacity quite often. One of my fellow dispatchers says 'catch what you can, pray for the rest.' unfortunately he is correct!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER RELEASES A B767-300 WITH OLD WX. ACFT GOES OFF THE END OF THE RWY AT DEST.

Narrative: WORKED A SHIFT MAINLY SOUTHWEST/WESTERN UNITED STATES, DOMESTIC FLTS. I HAD 41 FLTS TO PLAN THIS SHIFT. THAT IS AN AVERAGE WORKLOAD FOR A DOMESTIC DESK AT THIS AIRLINE. I ALSO FLT FOLLOWED THE PREVIOUS SHIFT'S/DISPATCHER FLTS ALREADY AIRBORNE (APPROX 15 ACFT). I PULLED WX/NOTAMS FOR ALL FLTS TO PLAN. I HAVE ALLOTTED TO ME 2 HRS TO LOOK THROUGH ALL FORECASTS, NOTAMS, CURRENT WX, SIGMETS, WINDS ALOFT, PROCS, ATC ADVISORIES, PLUS ANY OTHER MISC INFO. WITHIN THAT 2 HR WINDOW, I MUST SEND OUT ALL FLT PLANS TO CITIES SERVED, FILE THESE PLANS WITH ATC, THEN RELIEVE THE PREVIOUS DISPATCHER ON THE SECTOR I WORK. LONG STORY SHORT IS DUE TO HIGH WORKLOAD, SOMEWHAT FATIGUED, COMPUTER PROBS AS WELL THIS SHIFT, I MISSED THE DATE ON A FORECAST TO ONE OF MY DESTS. OUR COMPUTER SYS DID NOT PICK UP THE LATEST AMENDMENTS (NEW ISSUE TERMINAL FORECAST)! IT APPEARED I STILL HAD A VALID TIME FRAME, PROB WAS THE FORECAST WAS FROM PREVIOUS DAY. WX FORECAST ON THE OLD TAF WAS ABOUT AS I EXPECTED IT TO BE, I JUST MISSED THE DATE. SO DID THE CAPT AS HE SIGNED THE RELEASE AND DEPARTED. SO DID THE CREW ON ANOTHER FLT I HAD GOING TO THIS DEST. SAME THING HAPPENED TO ANOTHER DISPATCHER AND CREW TO THE SAME DEST. ONE OF MY FLTS FLEW ROUTINELY TO THIS DEST, SHOT AN ILS, LANDED, THEN HYDROPLANED AND DEPARTED THE RWY SEVERELY DAMAGING THE ACFT. ALL OTHER PAPERWORK GIVEN TO THIS CREW HAD CURRENT INFO, INCLUDING CONVECTIVE SIGMETS FOR DEST AND CURRENT WX INDICATING A FAIRLY STRONG QUARTERING XWIND WITHIN DEMONSTRATED LIMITS FOR THE ACFT. I ALSO SENT THIS FLT WHILE IT WAS ENRTE A MESSAGE INDICATING RWY IN USE AND A RADAR UPDATE FROM A NEXRAD SITE AT THE DEST. I SPECULATE THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN SOME STANDING WATER NEAR THE OUTSIDE EDGES OF THE RWY. OUR B727 AND B757 LANDED SAFELY JUST PRIOR TO MY B767 LNDG THEN RUNNING OFF. I THINK/SPECULATED THE SMALLER JETS WERE OK NEAR CTR OF RWY, BUT THE B767 WITH A SOMEWHAT WIDER WHEEL BASE CAUGHT SOME WATER. I THINK THIS MAY HAVE HAPPENED AS THE AREA (HOUSTON) HAD RECEIVED 10+ INCHES OF RAIN DUE TO TROPICAL STORM IN THE GULF/TEXAS COAST. NOW WE (OUR COMPANY) IS IN A FACT FINDING PHASE. ALL EYES ARE NOW ON ME AS THEY SAY I DISPATCHED THE FLT WITH AN ILLEGAL FORECAST. TRUE! BUT WE ALL MISSED IT. I WORKED WITH REAL TIME WX/CURRENTS, REAL TIME RADAR, LIGHTNING DETECTION EQUIP, PIREPS FROM THE OTHER INBOUND FLTS, ETC. I DON'T FEEL THIS FORECAST HAD ANY IMPACT ON THE OUTCOME. IN FACT, I DID RECEIVE AN AMENDMENT FORECAST THAT WAS VALID TIME/DATE AND WE STILL WOULD HAVE GONE BASED ON IT. (I RECEIVED THIS TAF AFTER FLT DEPARTED.) THE FAA NEEDS TO LOOK AT A REG LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF FLTS A DISPATCHER DOES ON A SHIFT. I SEE DEMAND EXCEED CAPACITY QUITE OFTEN. ONE OF MY FELLOW DISPATCHERS SAYS 'CATCH WHAT YOU CAN, PRAY FOR THE REST.' UNFORTUNATELY HE IS CORRECT!

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.