Narrative:

2 B737-300's from our carrier were scheduled to be on the ground in lga at the same time. About 3 hours prior to their arrival, a routing change was sent by the operations control center to swap the routing of the 2 aircraft out of lga to send 1 aircraft to a maintenance base in order to repair both autoplts that were inoperative. Approximately 10 mins after gate departure of my flight, I was advised that lga personnel had loaded the 2 aircraft in accordance with the original routings, and not the most recent routing change. Since the computer showed the most recent routing, both flts were released with the wrong aircraft. At this time, the other aircraft was still on the gate and its flight release was amended to show correct aircraft by the controling dispatcher. However, my flight was already in line for takeoff. I then asked the crew of my flight to verify what aircraft they were in via ACARS and upon confirmation, immediately told them to stand by for an amendment to their release for the correct aircraft. After calling central load planning, I recalculated the flight plan with correct aircraft so the automated weight and balance would be correct. Then I sent an amended release via ACARS to the flight, only to find out that the flight had departed 3 mins before receiving their amendment. The 2 aircraft had different MEL's and at this time, it is unclr whether my flight received the correct weight and balance for that aircraft. Error was due to captain not reading flight release and a breakdown in communication with personnel at lga.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A DISPATCH RELEASE NOT APPLICABLE TO THE ACFT.

Narrative: 2 B737-300'S FROM OUR CARRIER WERE SCHEDULED TO BE ON THE GND IN LGA AT THE SAME TIME. ABOUT 3 HRS PRIOR TO THEIR ARR, A ROUTING CHANGE WAS SENT BY THE OPS CTL CTR TO SWAP THE ROUTING OF THE 2 ACFT OUT OF LGA TO SEND 1 ACFT TO A MAINT BASE IN ORDER TO REPAIR BOTH AUTOPLTS THAT WERE INOP. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER GATE DEP OF MY FLT, I WAS ADVISED THAT LGA PERSONNEL HAD LOADED THE 2 ACFT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORIGINAL ROUTINGS, AND NOT THE MOST RECENT ROUTING CHANGE. SINCE THE COMPUTER SHOWED THE MOST RECENT ROUTING, BOTH FLTS WERE RELEASED WITH THE WRONG ACFT. AT THIS TIME, THE OTHER ACFT WAS STILL ON THE GATE AND ITS FLT RELEASE WAS AMENDED TO SHOW CORRECT ACFT BY THE CTLING DISPATCHER. HOWEVER, MY FLT WAS ALREADY IN LINE FOR TKOF. I THEN ASKED THE CREW OF MY FLT TO VERIFY WHAT ACFT THEY WERE IN VIA ACARS AND UPON CONFIRMATION, IMMEDIATELY TOLD THEM TO STAND BY FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THEIR RELEASE FOR THE CORRECT ACFT. AFTER CALLING CENTRAL LOAD PLANNING, I RECALCULATED THE FLT PLAN WITH CORRECT ACFT SO THE AUTOMATED WT AND BAL WOULD BE CORRECT. THEN I SENT AN AMENDED RELEASE VIA ACARS TO THE FLT, ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE FLT HAD DEPARTED 3 MINS BEFORE RECEIVING THEIR AMENDMENT. THE 2 ACFT HAD DIFFERENT MEL'S AND AT THIS TIME, IT IS UNCLR WHETHER MY FLT RECEIVED THE CORRECT WT AND BAL FOR THAT ACFT. ERROR WAS DUE TO CAPT NOT READING FLT RELEASE AND A BREAKDOWN IN COM WITH PERSONNEL AT LGA.

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.