Narrative:

On 01/fri/04, I amended the release for a flight en route from lax to ord to change the alternate from rfd to msn. WX in the entire area was foggy in mke, grr, gyy, and ind. The flight was an A320 aircraft and msn is authority/authorized as an alternate. At msn, ILS runway 18 and ILS runway 21 include the note: ADF required. I believe a tailwind precluded the use of ILS runway 36 that day. I have since discovered that our A320 fleet is not standardized and that the plane was not ADF equipped. Company maintenance does have an operations placard in the MEL which would notify the dispatcher that an A320 ADF is 'inoperative' and that would have notified me of a 'no ADF' situation. However, there is no notification system to let the dispatcher know that only some of our A320 fleet actually has an ADF installed in the plane. As a result, I was unaware that the A320 on flight had no ADF at all and amended the release for msn as an alternate. At around XA00Z, while the flight was still en route to ord, I informed my relief dispatcher of the WX and then I departed my shirt. The flight did divert to msn and landed around XA40Z. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: discussions with the reporter indicated that this air carrier operates A320 aircraft in a variety of navigation/RNAV configns. Among those are GPS equipped aircraft on which ADF's are not required for domestic dispatch. For the operation in question, therefore, the diversion to msn was entirely appropriate and properly authority/authorized.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER WAS NOT AWARE THE A320 ACFT BEING DISPATCHED WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AN OPERATIVE ADF WHICH WAS REQUIRED FOR APCHS AT THE DISPATCH ALTERNATE, MSN.

Narrative: ON 01/FRI/04, I AMENDED THE RELEASE FOR A FLT ENRTE FROM LAX TO ORD TO CHANGE THE ALTERNATE FROM RFD TO MSN. WX IN THE ENTIRE AREA WAS FOGGY IN MKE, GRR, GYY, AND IND. THE FLT WAS AN A320 ACFT AND MSN IS AUTH AS AN ALTERNATE. AT MSN, ILS RWY 18 AND ILS RWY 21 INCLUDE THE NOTE: ADF REQUIRED. I BELIEVE A TAILWIND PRECLUDED THE USE OF ILS RWY 36 THAT DAY. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED THAT OUR A320 FLEET IS NOT STANDARDIZED AND THAT THE PLANE WAS NOT ADF EQUIPPED. COMPANY MAINT DOES HAVE AN OPS PLACARD IN THE MEL WHICH WOULD NOTIFY THE DISPATCHER THAT AN A320 ADF IS 'INOP' AND THAT WOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ME OF A 'NO ADF' SIT. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO NOTIFICATION SYS TO LET THE DISPATCHER KNOW THAT ONLY SOME OF OUR A320 FLEET ACTUALLY HAS AN ADF INSTALLED IN THE PLANE. AS A RESULT, I WAS UNAWARE THAT THE A320 ON FLT HAD NO ADF AT ALL AND AMENDED THE RELEASE FOR MSN AS AN ALTERNATE. AT AROUND XA00Z, WHILE THE FLT WAS STILL ENRTE TO ORD, I INFORMED MY RELIEF DISPATCHER OF THE WX AND THEN I DEPARTED MY SHIRT. THE FLT DID DIVERT TO MSN AND LANDED AROUND XA40Z. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DISCUSSIONS WITH THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THIS ACR OPERATES A320 ACFT IN A VARIETY OF NAV/RNAV CONFIGNS. AMONG THOSE ARE GPS EQUIPPED ACFT ON WHICH ADF'S ARE NOT REQUIRED FOR DOMESTIC DISPATCH. FOR THE OP IN QUESTION, THEREFORE, THE DIVERSION TO MSN WAS ENTIRELY APPROPRIATE AND PROPERLY AUTH.

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.