Narrative:

Air carrier xx flight xx planned lax to mia on a routing over elp, then northeast toward lit to vuz, then southeast along the west coast of florida due to thunderstorms over southeast texas and srn la/ms. On flight monitor xc, I noticed the flight near msy and checked flight plan versus actual routing. The flight had accepted clearance from near mas direct to cyy, which would take him over the gulf. This was nowhere near his planned route of flight, and he never advised me of the rerte. I also checked the aircraft status and determined it was not equipped for overwater flts. I sent an ACARS to the flight advising them of the lack of life rafts or life vests. The flight then deviated back toward shore after being approximately 75-100 mi off the coast. The crew did not advise of the rerte, they accepted an overwater route for aircraft not so equipped, and if I had not been familiar with the limitations of the ACARS system, I would have never been able to get them a message. Also, if this had been the previous day when flight monitor was inoperative, I would not have been able to advise them of the situation. As it was, the only reason I looked at this flight a little closer was due to the fact I had routed all my flts away from the iam-msy area due to the severe thunderstorms in that area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER'S RPT ON THE FAILURE OF A B757 PIC TO COORD A CHANGE IN ROUTING AND THE ACCEPTANCE OF AN OVERWATER ROUTING THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT LEGAL TO FLY, NEAR CYY, FL.

Narrative: ACR XX FLT XX PLANNED LAX TO MIA ON A ROUTING OVER ELP, THEN NE TOWARD LIT TO VUZ, THEN SE ALONG THE WEST COAST OF FLORIDA DUE TO TSTMS OVER SE TEXAS AND SRN LA/MS. ON FLT MONITOR XC, I NOTICED THE FLT NEAR MSY AND CHKED FLT PLAN VERSUS ACTUAL ROUTING. THE FLT HAD ACCEPTED CLRNC FROM NEAR MAS DIRECT TO CYY, WHICH WOULD TAKE HIM OVER THE GULF. THIS WAS NOWHERE NEAR HIS PLANNED RTE OF FLT, AND HE NEVER ADVISED ME OF THE RERTE. I ALSO CHKED THE ACFT STATUS AND DETERMINED IT WAS NOT EQUIPPED FOR OVERWATER FLTS. I SENT AN ACARS TO THE FLT ADVISING THEM OF THE LACK OF LIFE RAFTS OR LIFE VESTS. THE FLT THEN DEVIATED BACK TOWARD SHORE AFTER BEING APPROX 75-100 MI OFF THE COAST. THE CREW DID NOT ADVISE OF THE RERTE, THEY ACCEPTED AN OVERWATER RTE FOR ACFT NOT SO EQUIPPED, AND IF I HAD NOT BEEN FAMILIAR WITH THE LIMITATIONS OF THE ACARS SYS, I WOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO GET THEM A MESSAGE. ALSO, IF THIS HAD BEEN THE PREVIOUS DAY WHEN FLT MONITOR WAS INOP, I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SIT. AS IT WAS, THE ONLY REASON I LOOKED AT THIS FLT A LITTLE CLOSER WAS DUE TO THE FACT I HAD ROUTED ALL MY FLTS AWAY FROM THE IAM-MSY AREA DUE TO THE SEVERE TSTMS IN THAT AREA.

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.