Narrative:

Crew contacted dispatch via ny control. Flight had departed dfw and had referenced their 'cockpit operations manual', that involved the low oil pressure or filter bypass light illuminated. I confirmed with them to proceed or speak with maintenance control. The oil pressure was in the green band and temperatures were normal. The maintenance controller advised the crew to continue to pvr and maintenance would med them on arrival the manual states that: 'accomplish the engine precautionary shutdown procedure in the section, or, if necessary, operate the engine at the minimum thrust required for safe completion of flight.' the maintenance controller terminated the phone patch. I verified with maintenance control that the crew was comfortable with continuing on and with the decision. He said 'yes.' upon arrival in pvr, maintenance control MEL'ed the 'low oil pressure light' under the assumption the switch was the issue. After returning to dfw, maintenance ran the engine and the light did not illuminate. Several hours later maintenance ran the engine again and still no light illuminated, the MEL was cleared. Two days later the flight (same aircraft) departed and on climb out the light illuminated. A phone patch was initiated with dispatch and maintenance control. Maintenance control advised the crew to return to origination city. It was later found that there was metal in the bypass. I was removed from dispatch authority/authorized to a flight following position until an internal investigation was completed for not upholding 'operational control.' I should have re-established communication with the crew to confirm they were comfortable with the decision.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RELIEVED OF DUTY AFTER A B727 FLT CONTINUATION WHEN FLT CREW ONLY COORDINATED WITH MAINT CTLR ON THE 'LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT-FILTER BYPASS LIGHT ILLUMINATED' WITH FLT OPERATING TO DEST ARPT, ON FREQ WITH ZZZ. US.

Narrative: CREW CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA NY CTL. FLT HAD DEPARTED DFW AND HAD REFERENCED THEIR 'COCKPIT OPS MANUAL', THAT INVOLVED THE LOW OIL PRESSURE OR FILTER BYPASS LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I CONFIRMED WITH THEM TO PROCEED OR SPEAK WITH MAINT CTL. THE OIL PRESSURE WAS IN THE GREEN BAND AND TEMPS WERE NORMAL. THE MAINT CTLR ADVISED THE CREW TO CONTINUE TO PVR AND MAINT WOULD MED THEM ON ARR THE MANUAL STATES THAT: 'ACCOMPLISH THE ENGINE PRECAUTIONARY SHUTDOWN PROC IN THE SECTION, OR, IF NECESSARY, OPERATE THE ENGINE AT THE MINIMUM THRUST REQUIRED FOR SAFE COMPLETION OF FLT.' THE MAINT CTLR TERMINATED THE PHONE PATCH. I VERIFIED WITH MAINT CTL THAT THE CREW WAS COMFORTABLE WITH CONTINUING ON AND WITH THE DECISION. HE SAID 'YES.' UPON ARR IN PVR, MAINT CTL MEL'ED THE 'LOW OIL PRESSURE LIGHT' UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THE SWITCH WAS THE ISSUE. AFTER RETURNING TO DFW, MAINT RAN THE ENGINE AND THE LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. SEVERAL HRS LATER MAINT RAN THE ENG AGAIN AND STILL NO LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE MEL WAS CLRED. TWO DAYS LATER THE FLT (SAME ACFT) DEPARTED AND ON CLBOUT THE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. A PHONE PATCH WAS INITIATED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. MAINT CTL ADVISED THE CREW TO RETURN TO ORIGINATION CITY. IT WAS LATER FOUND THAT THERE WAS METAL IN THE BYPASS. I WAS REMOVED FROM DISPATCH AUTH TO A FLT FOLLOWING POS UNTIL AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION WAS COMPLETED FOR NOT UPHOLDING 'OPERATIONAL CTL.' I SHOULD HAVE RE-ESTABLISHED COM WITH THE CREW TO CONFIRM THEY WERE COMFORTABLE WITH THE DECISION.

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.