Narrative:

After air interrupting, the crew re-departed without the required paperwork and my dispatcher authority/authorized was taken from me by the bdl operations agent when they gave the crew my initials without my permission. At approximately XA30 EST bdl operations called to tell me the flight bdl-ord was returning to bdl due to a bloody windshield account bird strike. I asked for his ETA and told the agent once flight was on ground not to let captain re-depart before calling me. I sent the captain an ACARS message and told him not to re-depart bdl without calling me first and added my phone number. About 10 mins after the flight landed, operations agent #2 in bdl operations called to say she was having trouble pulling paperwork. I told her she had to use the time conditioning format to pull the new flight plan. She said that the captain did not want a new flight plan that he was in a hurry to re-depart because he only had 15 mins of crew time left. All she was trying to pull was the new fuel slip. I told her that the crew has plenty of time left. I told her I would call loads for her and find out why they had not released my new fuel load, but not to let the captain re-depart without calling me and I placed her on hold. I called loads and told them that bdl was still waiting for new paperwork. In the meantime agent #2 had hung up. I pulled information and noticed the flight was off the gate and called agent #2 back. I asked why they let him go without complying with my request. She said her supervisor told her to because the captain told them he only had 15 mins of crew time left. I spoke to the supervisor on duty who repeated the same story to me. I attempted to stress the importance of keeping dispatch in the loop but was not getting anywhere with him so I attempted to bring my dispatcher supervisor to back me up. I told him the story and my concern that the captain had taken off without new paperwork. He told me that the crew did not require new paperwork. When I told him it was a part I requirement he told me it was not. When I told him it was in violation of far's he told me that it was not, but if it was he wanted me to find it and show him. When I located the requirement in part I under section 6 page 11 paragraph 5.3, 3. I showed him and we read the statement together. His response was 'all of these problems could have been avoided with the dispatcher initials and time.' I told him that was not an issue. The issue was whether or not a new flight plan was required after an air abort. He said yes but it still is not an far. Upon landing in ord the captain called me. He said the min he landed that plane in bdl, maintenance was on the aircraft and the fuelers were hooking up. He said agent #3/bdl operations boarded and announced to the captain that he only had 15 mins crew time left and she wanted him to hustle and get the airplane out of there. He said that the fuelers brought the fuel up to the original rise of 188000 pounds but he wanted it topped off to 20000 pounds and needed dispatch initials and time stamp. He said the operations agent showed up with a piece of paper with my initials and the time. I did not authority/authorized the increase in fuel nor did I give my initials to anyone at that station. Later, I called agent #3 and asked for her story. She said that after she boarded the aircraft the cockpit door was open and the captain turned to her and said, listen, we only have 15 mins crew time left. We need to get out of here before we run out of time and added that he did not want any new paperwork but needed dispatch initials/time stamp due to new fuel load. Agent #3 said the agent came back with a piece of paper that contained my initials and time and she assumed it was given to first officer by agent #2, the other operations agent. Bottom line is...after air interrupting, the crew re-departed without the required paperwork and my dispatcher authority/authorized was taken from me by the bdl operations agent when he gave the crew my initials without my permission. Supplemental information from acn 489272: returned to bdl after hitting a very large bird about 2000 ft MSL after takeoff. Upon return to bdl I went into operations to contact dispatch.I asked agent #1 'what is the access, I need to call dispatch.' agent #1 said 'I have been trying to get a hold of them for the last 5 mins by phone.' I stood by for about 5 more mins and then told agent #1 that I only needed the gas brought up to 20000 pounds and the initials of the dispatcher when she finally gets a hold of them. I returned to the cockpit figuring I could send an ACARS message to dispatch. Agent #2 was in the cockpit with a walkie-talkie and we waited another 5 mins or so for the fuel to be brought up to 20000 pounds. (Original release was 18800 pounds.) I asked for more fuel. I asked agent #2 for the initials of the dispatcher and she said 'xyz and that agent #1 had been on the phone with dispatch and coordinated everything.' turns out that agent #1 never asked for the initials of the dispatcher and the dispatcher was not happy, and she was filing a report just in case, which is why I am filing this report, just in case.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW DEPARTED BDL WITHOUT A DISPATCH RELEASE.

Narrative: AFTER AIR INTERRUPTING, THE CREW RE-DEPARTED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK AND MY DISPATCHER AUTH WAS TAKEN FROM ME BY THE BDL OPS AGENT WHEN THEY GAVE THE CREW MY INITIALS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. AT APPROX XA30 EST BDL OPS CALLED TO TELL ME THE FLT BDL-ORD WAS RETURNING TO BDL DUE TO A BLOODY WINDSHIELD ACCOUNT BIRD STRIKE. I ASKED FOR HIS ETA AND TOLD THE AGENT ONCE FLT WAS ON GND NOT TO LET CAPT RE-DEPART BEFORE CALLING ME. I SENT THE CAPT AN ACARS MESSAGE AND TOLD HIM NOT TO RE-DEPART BDL WITHOUT CALLING ME FIRST AND ADDED MY PHONE NUMBER. ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER THE FLT LANDED, OPS AGENT #2 IN BDL OPS CALLED TO SAY SHE WAS HAVING TROUBLE PULLING PAPERWORK. I TOLD HER SHE HAD TO USE THE TIME CONDITIONING FORMAT TO PULL THE NEW FLT PLAN. SHE SAID THAT THE CAPT DID NOT WANT A NEW FLT PLAN THAT HE WAS IN A HURRY TO RE-DEPART BECAUSE HE ONLY HAD 15 MINS OF CREW TIME LEFT. ALL SHE WAS TRYING TO PULL WAS THE NEW FUEL SLIP. I TOLD HER THAT THE CREW HAS PLENTY OF TIME LEFT. I TOLD HER I WOULD CALL LOADS FOR HER AND FIND OUT WHY THEY HAD NOT RELEASED MY NEW FUEL LOAD, BUT NOT TO LET THE CAPT RE-DEPART WITHOUT CALLING ME AND I PLACED HER ON HOLD. I CALLED LOADS AND TOLD THEM THAT BDL WAS STILL WAITING FOR NEW PAPERWORK. IN THE MEANTIME AGENT #2 HAD HUNG UP. I PULLED INFO AND NOTICED THE FLT WAS OFF THE GATE AND CALLED AGENT #2 BACK. I ASKED WHY THEY LET HIM GO WITHOUT COMPLYING WITH MY REQUEST. SHE SAID HER SUPVR TOLD HER TO BECAUSE THE CAPT TOLD THEM HE ONLY HAD 15 MINS OF CREW TIME LEFT. I SPOKE TO THE SUPVR ON DUTY WHO REPEATED THE SAME STORY TO ME. I ATTEMPTED TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING DISPATCH IN THE LOOP BUT WAS NOT GETTING ANYWHERE WITH HIM SO I ATTEMPTED TO BRING MY DISPATCHER SUPVR TO BACK ME UP. I TOLD HIM THE STORY AND MY CONCERN THAT THE CAPT HAD TAKEN OFF WITHOUT NEW PAPERWORK. HE TOLD ME THAT THE CREW DID NOT REQUIRE NEW PAPERWORK. WHEN I TOLD HIM IT WAS A PART I REQUIREMENT HE TOLD ME IT WAS NOT. WHEN I TOLD HIM IT WAS IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT, BUT IF IT WAS HE WANTED ME TO FIND IT AND SHOW HIM. WHEN I LOCATED THE REQUIREMENT IN PART I UNDER SECTION 6 PAGE 11 PARAGRAPH 5.3, 3. I SHOWED HIM AND WE READ THE STATEMENT TOGETHER. HIS RESPONSE WAS 'ALL OF THESE PROBS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH THE DISPATCHER INITIALS AND TIME.' I TOLD HIM THAT WAS NOT AN ISSUE. THE ISSUE WAS WHETHER OR NOT A NEW FLT PLAN WAS REQUIRED AFTER AN AIR ABORT. HE SAID YES BUT IT STILL IS NOT AN FAR. UPON LNDG IN ORD THE CAPT CALLED ME. HE SAID THE MIN HE LANDED THAT PLANE IN BDL, MAINT WAS ON THE ACFT AND THE FUELERS WERE HOOKING UP. HE SAID AGENT #3/BDL OPS BOARDED AND ANNOUNCED TO THE CAPT THAT HE ONLY HAD 15 MINS CREW TIME LEFT AND SHE WANTED HIM TO HUSTLE AND GET THE AIRPLANE OUT OF THERE. HE SAID THAT THE FUELERS BROUGHT THE FUEL UP TO THE ORIGINAL RISE OF 188000 LBS BUT HE WANTED IT TOPPED OFF TO 20000 LBS AND NEEDED DISPATCH INITIALS AND TIME STAMP. HE SAID THE OPS AGENT SHOWED UP WITH A PIECE OF PAPER WITH MY INITIALS AND THE TIME. I DID NOT AUTH THE INCREASE IN FUEL NOR DID I GIVE MY INITIALS TO ANYONE AT THAT STATION. LATER, I CALLED AGENT #3 AND ASKED FOR HER STORY. SHE SAID THAT AFTER SHE BOARDED THE ACFT THE COCKPIT DOOR WAS OPEN AND THE CAPT TURNED TO HER AND SAID, LISTEN, WE ONLY HAVE 15 MINS CREW TIME LEFT. WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF TIME AND ADDED THAT HE DID NOT WANT ANY NEW PAPERWORK BUT NEEDED DISPATCH INITIALS/TIME STAMP DUE TO NEW FUEL LOAD. AGENT #3 SAID THE AGENT CAME BACK WITH A PIECE OF PAPER THAT CONTAINED MY INITIALS AND TIME AND SHE ASSUMED IT WAS GIVEN TO FO BY AGENT #2, THE OTHER OPS AGENT. BOTTOM LINE IS...AFTER AIR INTERRUPTING, THE CREW RE-DEPARTED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED PAPERWORK AND MY DISPATCHER AUTH WAS TAKEN FROM ME BY THE BDL OPS AGENT WHEN HE GAVE THE CREW MY INITIALS WITHOUT MY PERMISSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 489272: RETURNED TO BDL AFTER HITTING A VERY LARGE BIRD ABOUT 2000 FT MSL AFTER TKOF. UPON RETURN TO BDL I WENT INTO OPS TO CONTACT DISPATCH.I ASKED AGENT #1 'WHAT IS THE ACCESS, I NEED TO CALL DISPATCH.' AGENT #1 SAID 'I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF THEM FOR THE LAST 5 MINS BY PHONE.' I STOOD BY FOR ABOUT 5 MORE MINS AND THEN TOLD AGENT #1 THAT I ONLY NEEDED THE GAS BROUGHT UP TO 20000 LBS AND THE INITIALS OF THE DISPATCHER WHEN SHE FINALLY GETS A HOLD OF THEM. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT FIGURING I COULD SEND AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH. AGENT #2 WAS IN THE COCKPIT WITH A WALKIE-TALKIE AND WE WAITED ANOTHER 5 MINS OR SO FOR THE FUEL TO BE BROUGHT UP TO 20000 LBS. (ORIGINAL RELEASE WAS 18800 LBS.) I ASKED FOR MORE FUEL. I ASKED AGENT #2 FOR THE INITIALS OF THE DISPATCHER AND SHE SAID 'XYZ AND THAT AGENT #1 HAD BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH DISPATCH AND COORDINATED EVERYTHING.' TURNS OUT THAT AGENT #1 NEVER ASKED FOR THE INITIALS OF THE DISPATCHER AND THE DISPATCHER WAS NOT HAPPY, AND SHE WAS FILING A RPT JUST IN CASE, WHICH IS WHY I AM FILING THIS RPT, JUST IN CASE.

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.