Narrative:

The flight crewsent me an ACARS message an hour after they departed rplc that they did not have their approach charts for destination and alternate of dxb/shj. They had all the frequencys and course information in the FMC. My initial concern was the region of the world we are flying in with the war in iraq and not having this information could put the flight in danger. I called the chief pilot on duty to see if he had any recommendation, or, if this has happened before, what was the course of action we took at that time. He told me I should put the decision on the captain, and tell him to operate at his own risk. I did not agree, and I thought we should return to clark. I then sent a message to the crew and asked them if they had any approach charts for airports in that region. My logic at this time was, if they did not have any approach charts, then it is as safe to go to bxb without charts as anywhere else without charts. The crew response was, they had charts for airports in the pacific, ie, hkg, tpe, bkk, etc. At this point, I felt we should have returned to crk. My manager then called the director of operations, and his response was that we should continue, and that he would continue. His response contradicted what the airline compliance/regulatory manager said. He felt we should turn back. At this point, I am confused, I have different answers coming from all directions. I then sent a message to crew and said 'captain, I have looked into this more. I, as your dispatcher, recommend we go back to crk. However, I can provide you with any information for dxb/shj for you, if you intend to continue to dxb.' the captain chose to continue. If I were in this same situation again, I would send an amended release and change his destination back to clark.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 EXTENDED FOREIGN AIRSPACE CARGO FLT PIC ADVISES DISPATCHER AFTER TKOF, THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE APCH CHARTS FOR ALTERNATE ARPT OR DEST ARPT AT OMDB, FO.

Narrative: THE FLT CREWSENT ME AN ACARS MESSAGE AN HR AFTER THEY DEPARTED RPLC THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE THEIR APCH CHARTS FOR DEST AND ALTERNATE OF DXB/SHJ. THEY HAD ALL THE FREQS AND COURSE INFO IN THE FMC. MY INITIAL CONCERN WAS THE REGION OF THE WORLD WE ARE FLYING IN WITH THE WAR IN IRAQ AND NOT HAVING THIS INFO COULD PUT THE FLT IN DANGER. I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY TO SEE IF HE HAD ANY RECOMMENDATION, OR, IF THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE, WHAT WAS THE COURSE OF ACTION WE TOOK AT THAT TIME. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD PUT THE DECISION ON THE CAPT, AND TELL HIM TO OPERATE AT HIS OWN RISK. I DID NOT AGREE, AND I THOUGHT WE SHOULD RETURN TO CLARK. I THEN SENT A MESSAGE TO THE CREW AND ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD ANY APCH CHARTS FOR ARPTS IN THAT REGION. MY LOGIC AT THIS TIME WAS, IF THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY APCH CHARTS, THEN IT IS AS SAFE TO GO TO BXB WITHOUT CHARTS AS ANYWHERE ELSE WITHOUT CHARTS. THE CREW RESPONSE WAS, THEY HAD CHARTS FOR ARPTS IN THE PACIFIC, IE, HKG, TPE, BKK, ETC. AT THIS POINT, I FELT WE SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO CRK. MY MGR THEN CALLED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS, AND HIS RESPONSE WAS THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE, AND THAT HE WOULD CONTINUE. HIS RESPONSE CONTRADICTED WHAT THE AIRLINE COMPLIANCE/REGULATORY MGR SAID. HE FELT WE SHOULD TURN BACK. AT THIS POINT, I AM CONFUSED, I HAVE DIFFERENT ANSWERS COMING FROM ALL DIRECTIONS. I THEN SENT A MESSAGE TO CREW AND SAID 'CAPT, I HAVE LOOKED INTO THIS MORE. I, AS YOUR DISPATCHER, RECOMMEND WE GO BACK TO CRK. HOWEVER, I CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH ANY INFO FOR DXB/SHJ FOR YOU, IF YOU INTEND TO CONTINUE TO DXB.' THE CAPT CHOSE TO CONTINUE. IF I WERE IN THIS SAME SIT AGAIN, I WOULD SEND AN AMENDED RELEASE AND CHANGE HIS DEST BACK TO CLARK.

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.