Narrative:

The center tank fuel pump was inoperative on aircraft X on apr/sun/04 in ZZZ2. MEL 28-04 allows 1 fuel pump to be inoperative if no fuel is carried in the center tank. While preparing the release, I carefully added remarks to the load agent: 'attention load planner. Reference MEL 28-04 center tank must remain empty. Center tank to remain empty, no 1000 pound MEL fuel in this case.' I also sent a message to ZZZ2 operations asking them to alert the fueler to not pump any fuel into the center tank and to follow the company fueling manual procedures outlined in the MEL. Apparently, loads has a new program that 'automatic sends' the fuel slip without the load planner seeing the remarks. In this case the load planner said that she had stepped away from her desk for a min and that the fuel slip went out automatically while she was gone -- the computer had on its own sent a fuel slip with 1000 pounds of fuel included in the center tank. That by itself is troubling because I had deleted the 1000 pounds of MEL fuel from the 'jr' MEL tab before I sent out the release. Fortunately, our very capable operation agent in ZZZ2 saw the fuel slip with the 1000 pounds in the center tank and called to get a new fuel slip with no fuel in the center tank. Probably somewhere within one or more of the many office memos and procedures for dispatch is a note, which requires that the dispatcher calls the load planner when remarks for loads are included in the release. However, nowhere is there a memo or procedure that tells us that loads has a new automatic send system that sends out fuel slips without the load agent ever seeing the release. Thinking the remarks in the release were sufficient, I failed to call the load agent in this case. But shouldn't a memo be written to alert other dispatchers to this new load planning automatic send function?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LARGE TRANSPORT WAS DISPATCHED WITH FUEL IN THE CTR TANK IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS WITH CTR TANK BOOST PUMP INOP.

Narrative: THE CTR TANK FUEL PUMP WAS INOP ON ACFT X ON APR/SUN/04 IN ZZZ2. MEL 28-04 ALLOWS 1 FUEL PUMP TO BE INOP IF NO FUEL IS CARRIED IN THE CTR TANK. WHILE PREPARING THE RELEASE, I CAREFULLY ADDED REMARKS TO THE LOAD AGENT: 'ATTN LOAD PLANNER. REF MEL 28-04 CTR TANK MUST REMAIN EMPTY. CTR TANK TO REMAIN EMPTY, NO 1000 LB MEL FUEL IN THIS CASE.' I ALSO SENT A MESSAGE TO ZZZ2 OPS ASKING THEM TO ALERT THE FUELER TO NOT PUMP ANY FUEL INTO THE CTR TANK AND TO FOLLOW THE COMPANY FUELING MANUAL PROCS OUTLINED IN THE MEL. APPARENTLY, LOADS HAS A NEW PROGRAM THAT 'AUTO SENDS' THE FUEL SLIP WITHOUT THE LOAD PLANNER SEEING THE REMARKS. IN THIS CASE THE LOAD PLANNER SAID THAT SHE HAD STEPPED AWAY FROM HER DESK FOR A MIN AND THAT THE FUEL SLIP WENT OUT AUTOMATICALLY WHILE SHE WAS GONE -- THE COMPUTER HAD ON ITS OWN SENT A FUEL SLIP WITH 1000 LBS OF FUEL INCLUDED IN THE CTR TANK. THAT BY ITSELF IS TROUBLING BECAUSE I HAD DELETED THE 1000 LBS OF MEL FUEL FROM THE 'JR' MEL TAB BEFORE I SENT OUT THE RELEASE. FORTUNATELY, OUR VERY CAPABLE OP AGENT IN ZZZ2 SAW THE FUEL SLIP WITH THE 1000 LBS IN THE CTR TANK AND CALLED TO GET A NEW FUEL SLIP WITH NO FUEL IN THE CTR TANK. PROBABLY SOMEWHERE WITHIN ONE OR MORE OF THE MANY OFFICE MEMOS AND PROCS FOR DISPATCH IS A NOTE, WHICH REQUIRES THAT THE DISPATCHER CALLS THE LOAD PLANNER WHEN REMARKS FOR LOADS ARE INCLUDED IN THE RELEASE. HOWEVER, NOWHERE IS THERE A MEMO OR PROC THAT TELLS US THAT LOADS HAS A NEW AUTO SEND SYS THAT SENDS OUT FUEL SLIPS WITHOUT THE LOAD AGENT EVER SEEING THE RELEASE. THINKING THE REMARKS IN THE RELEASE WERE SUFFICIENT, I FAILED TO CALL THE LOAD AGENT IN THIS CASE. BUT SHOULDN'T A MEMO BE WRITTEN TO ALERT OTHER DISPATCHERS TO THIS NEW LOAD PLANNING AUTO SEND FUNCTION?

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.