Narrative:

As the dispatcher, I was requested to divert a ferry flight heading pit-sdf to bos. Contacted crew via ACARS and requested nearest waypoint and fuel. They were 60 NM east of cvg with 28.8 pounds. I ran new numbers and issued an amendment via ACARS. Crew radioed in on company frequency and said flight time to bos put them over crew duty time. After much discussion amongst management, contingency and crew scheduling, they requested he divert to ewr. I re-ran the diversion flight plan and the waypoint of ponie kept bouncing. After several attempts of moving the waypoint forward and back of ponie in an attempt for the computer to accept it, in my haste to expeditiously pass on new numbers for ewr to crew, I sent numbers which reflected a burn from cvg to ewr with bdl as the alternate. Crew was over iiu at the time. What I didn't realize, the computer ignored the climb bias and automatically rolled over to the following date, thus, giving incorrect forecasted winds, as well, plus sent the crew a burn from iiu which was incorrectly calculated from cvg. At the time of diversion to ewr that the crew accepted, the plane was at or below 10000 ft, and on the approach to sdf (which was reported by the crew later on the ground). The crew radioed in over bkw and according to their calculations they would arrive later into ewr and burn more fuel. The crew requested a closer altitude and jfk was given. The flight landed safety without incident in ewr with 14000 pounds of fuel on board. (4000 pounds less than company recommended.)

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-73 AT FL280 IS DIVERTED BY DISPATCH DUE TO WX. LANDS WITH 4000 LBS LESS FUEL THAN COMPANY REQUIRES, DUE TO INCORRECT DISPATCH BURN FIGURES.

Narrative: AS THE DISPATCHER, I WAS REQUESTED TO DIVERT A FERRY FLT HDG PIT-SDF TO BOS. CONTACTED CREW VIA ACARS AND REQUESTED NEAREST WAYPOINT AND FUEL. THEY WERE 60 NM E OF CVG WITH 28.8 LBS. I RAN NEW NUMBERS AND ISSUED AN AMENDMENT VIA ACARS. CREW RADIOED IN ON COMPANY FREQ AND SAID FLT TIME TO BOS PUT THEM OVER CREW DUTY TIME. AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION AMONGST MGMNT, CONTINGENCY AND CREW SCHEDULING, THEY REQUESTED HE DIVERT TO EWR. I RE-RAN THE DIVERSION FLT PLAN AND THE WAYPOINT OF PONIE KEPT BOUNCING. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS OF MOVING THE WAYPOINT FORWARD AND BACK OF PONIE IN AN ATTEMPT FOR THE COMPUTER TO ACCEPT IT, IN MY HASTE TO EXPEDITIOUSLY PASS ON NEW NUMBERS FOR EWR TO CREW, I SENT NUMBERS WHICH REFLECTED A BURN FROM CVG TO EWR WITH BDL AS THE ALTERNATE. CREW WAS OVER IIU AT THE TIME. WHAT I DIDN'T REALIZE, THE COMPUTER IGNORED THE CLB BIAS AND AUTOMATICALLY ROLLED OVER TO THE FOLLOWING DATE, THUS, GIVING INCORRECT FORECASTED WINDS, AS WELL, PLUS SENT THE CREW A BURN FROM IIU WHICH WAS INCORRECTLY CALCULATED FROM CVG. AT THE TIME OF DIVERSION TO EWR THAT THE CREW ACCEPTED, THE PLANE WAS AT OR BELOW 10000 FT, AND ON THE APCH TO SDF (WHICH WAS RPTED BY THE CREW LATER ON THE GND). THE CREW RADIOED IN OVER BKW AND ACCORDING TO THEIR CALCULATIONS THEY WOULD ARRIVE LATER INTO EWR AND BURN MORE FUEL. THE CREW REQUESTED A CLOSER ALT AND JFK WAS GIVEN. THE FLT LANDED SAFETY WITHOUT INCIDENT IN EWR WITH 14000 LBS OF FUEL ON BOARD. (4000 LBS LESS THAN COMPANY RECOMMENDED.)

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.