An air carrier flight dispatcher is concerned that there was a change to procedure. He questions its...

Attributes
ACN	609818
Time
Date	200402
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : d10.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	609818
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	609816
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

It was brought to my attention by another flight's captain on another desk that I fielded a phone call for, that there was a problem in how much mileage/flight time fuel was being issued for dal diversions from dfw. After several phone calls to try to investigate what was going on (in the past a dal alternate defaulted to 35 mi to account for the missed approach and vectors to dal). I found out that on friday there was some conversation between someone in the flight department and navigation-data about an easy way to save air carrier's some fuel and money now. While I'm all in favor of saving money, a letter from our management team or training department would have been nice to alert the dispatchers of this. Not to mention someone looking into the legal issues (FARS) of such a dramatic change of 11 mi versus 35 mi. It also appeared from my investigation that there was a breakdown in conversation between the flight department and navigation-data wherein a change was looked at, and input into the computer flight planning system, but not approved by anyone responsible for the dispatch function at the air carrier. Then those involved went home on friday afternoon without following through.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT DISPATCHER IS CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS A CHANGE TO PROC. HE QUESTIONS ITS LEGALITY AND DOES NOT LIKE THE FACT THAT IT WAS NOT POSTED IN THE READ FILE.

Narrative: IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN BY ANOTHER FLT'S CAPT ON ANOTHER DESK THAT I FIELDED A PHONE CALL FOR, THAT THERE WAS A PROB IN HOW MUCH MILEAGE/FLT TIME FUEL WAS BEING ISSUED FOR DAL DIVERSIONS FROM DFW. AFTER SEVERAL PHONE CALLS TO TRY TO INVESTIGATE WHAT WAS GOING ON (IN THE PAST A DAL ALTERNATE DEFAULTED TO 35 MI TO ACCOUNT FOR THE MISSED APCH AND VECTORS TO DAL). I FOUND OUT THAT ON FRIDAY THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION BTWN SOMEONE IN THE FLT DEPT AND NAV-DATA ABOUT AN EASY WAY TO SAVE ACR'S SOME FUEL AND MONEY NOW. WHILE I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF SAVING MONEY, A LETTER FROM OUR MGMNT TEAM OR TRAINING DEPT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO ALERT THE DISPATCHERS OF THIS. NOT TO MENTION SOMEONE LOOKING INTO THE LEGAL ISSUES (FARS) OF SUCH A DRAMATIC CHANGE OF 11 MI VERSUS 35 MI. IT ALSO APPEARED FROM MY INVESTIGATION THAT THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN CONVERSATION BTWN THE FLT DEPT AND NAV-DATA WHEREIN A CHANGE WAS LOOKED AT, AND INPUT INTO THE COMPUTER FLT PLANNING SYS, BUT NOT APPROVED BY ANYONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DISPATCH FUNCTION AT THE ACR. THEN THOSE INVOLVED WENT HOME ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITHOUT FOLLOWING THROUGH.

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.

An air carrier flight dispatcher is concerned that there was a change to procedure. He questions its legality and does not like the fact that it was not posted in the read file.