An A319 dispatcher reported that his company's fom is poorly organized.

Attributes
ACN	598973
Time
Date	200311
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric.airport
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ric.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : ric.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked landing : roll landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	598973
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : disp 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Airport Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

ATC advised that an air carrier Y airbus landed ric with hydraulic problems and was disabled on the runway. Runway 2/20 and runway 16/34 not available. Flight X was approximately 35 mins from arrival and planned with fleet plan, landing fuel +5%. I was reviewing the situation to determine best course of action if air carrier Y airbus was still disabled when my flight arrived. Ric tower advised that runway 7/25 was available for use. There was no landing data in book, but runway met minimum length requirements as per company policy. However, runway was only 100 ft wide. I was trying to determine minimum runway width required as per our policy. After repeated searches through fom, as well as FM, I enlisted the support of several dispatchers as well as a dispatch trainer. No one was able to find the information. Ultimately, the disabled aircraft was cleared of the runway prior to my flight X's arrival. However, I was not able to find information critical to making a safe decision. The fom is poorly organized for finding information in a timely manner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 DISPATCHER RPTED THAT HIS COMPANY'S FOM IS POORLY ORGANIZED.

Narrative: ATC ADVISED THAT AN ACR Y AIRBUS LANDED RIC WITH HYD PROBS AND WAS DISABLED ON THE RWY. RWY 2/20 AND RWY 16/34 NOT AVAILABLE. FLT X WAS APPROX 35 MINS FROM ARR AND PLANNED WITH FLEET PLAN, LNDG FUEL +5%. I WAS REVIEWING THE SIT TO DETERMINE BEST COURSE OF ACTION IF ACR Y AIRBUS WAS STILL DISABLED WHEN MY FLT ARRIVED. RIC TWR ADVISED THAT RWY 7/25 WAS AVAILABLE FOR USE. THERE WAS NO LNDG DATA IN BOOK, BUT RWY MET MINIMUM LENGTH REQUIREMENTS AS PER COMPANY POLICY. HOWEVER, RWY WAS ONLY 100 FT WIDE. I WAS TRYING TO DETERMINE MINIMUM RWY WIDTH REQUIRED AS PER OUR POLICY. AFTER REPEATED SEARCHES THROUGH FOM, AS WELL AS FM, I ENLISTED THE SUPPORT OF SEVERAL DISPATCHERS AS WELL AS A DISPATCH TRAINER. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO FIND THE INFO. ULTIMATELY, THE DISABLED ACFT WAS CLRED OF THE RWY PRIOR TO MY FLT X'S ARR. HOWEVER, I WAS NOT ABLE TO FIND INFO CRITICAL TO MAKING A SAFE DECISION. THE FOM IS POORLY ORGANIZED FOR FINDING INFO IN A TIMELY MANNER.

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.