Air carrier flight illegally departed for an overseas destination with the APU generator inoperative...

Attributes
ACN	580922
Time
Date	200305
Day	Thu
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	580922
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : disp 7
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight was released in accordance with 180 min ETOPS. After release, the captain called and said that he read on the flight plan that he was under 180 min ETOPS, however, the 36 logbook indicated that the APU generator was inoperative, and that maintenance was working on it. I advised that there was not a placard on the APU generator, but that if needed, we could operate under 120 min rule, and to have the mechanic contact technician if they needed a placard. I never heard from the crew, technician, or the mechanic, and the flight departed ord under 180 min ETOPS as far as I was concerned. At XA00 local, I turned the desk over to the next dispatcher. The next day, there was a note in my locker from him asking that in the future, I should tell him about 120 min operations rather than him finding out after the flight was airborne. I later found out from him that the crew or technician advised that the placard had been inadvertently removed by lax maintenance, and was reinstated 2 1/2 hours after the flight had departed ord. The next day I called technician to find out about this, and asked who their supervisor was. I called them in tul, but they were out of the office, but the secretary suggested that I speak to someone else that could handle the problem. I spoke to them, but do not remember their name, and they said they would check into the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT ILLEGALLY DEPARTED FOR AN OVERSEAS DEST WITH THE APU GENERATOR INOP. FLT WAS ORIGINALLY DISPATCHED UNDER THE 3 HR RULE PRIOR TO DISPATCHER KNOWING OF THE EQUIP PROB AT ORD, IL.

Narrative: FLT WAS RELEASED IN ACCORDANCE WITH 180 MIN ETOPS. AFTER RELEASE, THE CAPT CALLED AND SAID THAT HE READ ON THE FLT PLAN THAT HE WAS UNDER 180 MIN ETOPS, HOWEVER, THE 36 LOGBOOK INDICATED THAT THE APU GENERATOR WAS INOP, AND THAT MAINT WAS WORKING ON IT. I ADVISED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PLACARD ON THE APU GENERATOR, BUT THAT IF NEEDED, WE COULD OPERATE UNDER 120 MIN RULE, AND TO HAVE THE MECH CONTACT TECHNICIAN IF THEY NEEDED A PLACARD. I NEVER HEARD FROM THE CREW, TECHNICIAN, OR THE MECH, AND THE FLT DEPARTED ORD UNDER 180 MIN ETOPS AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED. AT XA00 LCL, I TURNED THE DESK OVER TO THE NEXT DISPATCHER. THE NEXT DAY, THERE WAS A NOTE IN MY LOCKER FROM HIM ASKING THAT IN THE FUTURE, I SHOULD TELL HIM ABOUT 120 MIN OPS RATHER THAN HIM FINDING OUT AFTER THE FLT WAS AIRBORNE. I LATER FOUND OUT FROM HIM THAT THE CREW OR TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE PLACARD HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY REMOVED BY LAX MAINT, AND WAS REINSTATED 2 1/2 HRS AFTER THE FLT HAD DEPARTED ORD. THE NEXT DAY I CALLED TECHNICIAN TO FIND OUT ABOUT THIS, AND ASKED WHO THEIR SUPVR WAS. I CALLED THEM IN TUL, BUT THEY WERE OUT OF THE OFFICE, BUT THE SECRETARY SUGGESTED THAT I SPEAK TO SOMEONE ELSE THAT COULD HANDLE THE PROB. I SPOKE TO THEM, BUT DO NOT REMEMBER THEIR NAME, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHK INTO THE PROB.

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.

Air carrier flight illegally departed for an overseas destination with the APU generator inoperative. Flight was originally dispatched under the 3 hour rule prior to dispatcher knowing of the equipment problem at ord, il.