Narrative:

A flight was handed off to me bound to abq with row listed as an alternate. It was a very busy night and once I sat down I had numerous interruptions, as I was reviewing more thoroughly the current and forecasted WX for my stations and alternates. Then, I proceeded to review NOTAMS. This in between assisting airborne flts (there was a lot of turbulence in my area so lots of passing along turbulent and smooth levels). I also had some flts I had to re-release. So, NOTAMS and WX were reviewed, first, by areas I was releasing flts to. Secondly, by areas most flights were bound for. This flight in question, to abq, was my only flight to abq. So, at the end of the other distractions, I got to review NOTAMS for abq. When I did, I discovered a NOTAM for row (the alternate) that said the airport was closed (so not a legal alternate). The WX at abq did not require an alternate, but my flight was already on approach to abq -- so too late for me to delete the alternate. I guess I can't have confidence that the dispatcher before me has given me correct alternates. In the future, I will review NOTAMS for all destinations and alternates when I first situation down and let other flts wait until I do a check of all applicable NOTAMS. The NOTAM for row stated that the airport was closed to all air carriers and air taxis flying aircraft that had more than 30 passenger seats.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIRLINE DISPATCHER NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE FLTS THAT SHE TOOK OVER WHEN COMING ON DUTY WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN ALTERNATE ARPT WHICH WAS NOTAMED CLOSED TO COMMERCIAL OPERATORS WITH MORE THAN 30 PAX. IN ADDITION, AN ALTERNATE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REQUIRED SINCE THE WX AT THE TIME OF THE FLT'S DEP FOR THE DEST ARPT DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE.

Narrative: A FLT WAS HANDED OFF TO ME BOUND TO ABQ WITH ROW LISTED AS AN ALTERNATE. IT WAS A VERY BUSY NIGHT AND ONCE I SAT DOWN I HAD NUMEROUS INTERRUPTIONS, AS I WAS REVIEWING MORE THOROUGHLY THE CURRENT AND FORECASTED WX FOR MY STATIONS AND ALTERNATES. THEN, I PROCEEDED TO REVIEW NOTAMS. THIS IN BTWN ASSISTING AIRBORNE FLTS (THERE WAS A LOT OF TURB IN MY AREA SO LOTS OF PASSING ALONG TURBULENT AND SMOOTH LEVELS). I ALSO HAD SOME FLTS I HAD TO RE-RELEASE. SO, NOTAMS AND WX WERE REVIEWED, FIRST, BY AREAS I WAS RELEASING FLTS TO. SECONDLY, BY AREAS MOST FLIGHTS WERE BOUND FOR. THIS FLIGHT IN QUESTION, TO ABQ, WAS MY ONLY FLT TO ABQ. SO, AT THE END OF THE OTHER DISTRACTIONS, I GOT TO REVIEW NOTAMS FOR ABQ. WHEN I DID, I DISCOVERED A NOTAM FOR ROW (THE ALTERNATE) THAT SAID THE ARPT WAS CLOSED (SO NOT A LEGAL ALTERNATE). THE WX AT ABQ DID NOT REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE, BUT MY FLT WAS ALREADY ON APCH TO ABQ -- SO TOO LATE FOR ME TO DELETE THE ALTERNATE. I GUESS I CAN'T HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE DISPATCHER BEFORE ME HAS GIVEN ME CORRECT ALTERNATES. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL REVIEW NOTAMS FOR ALL DESTINATIONS AND ALTERNATES WHEN I FIRST SIT DOWN AND LET OTHER FLTS WAIT UNTIL I DO A CHK OF ALL APPLICABLE NOTAMS. THE NOTAM FOR ROW STATED THAT THE AIRPORT WAS CLOSED TO ALL AIR CARRIERS AND AIR TAXIS FLYING ACFT THAT HAD MORE THAN 30 PAX SEATS.

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.