Narrative:

We were given an aircraft with an inoperative pack, so the captain and I called the dispatcher to express our concern about flying at night over the mountain ranges from ord to sea. We asked him what the lowest MEA's en route were, and he said nothing was above 10000 ft. We questioned him, and again he repeated 10000 ft was the highest. So we both proceeded to the aircraft and were perplexed at the 10000 ft MEA's. Upon arriving at the gate, we found out that our aircraft was changed and thus the gate. We were never notified of this by the dispatcher and in fact the fuel was lowered without the captain's concurrence. Upon departing on time with a new aircraft with 2 packs, we pulled out our en route charts and the STAR and found that in fact we were lied to by our dispatcher. The MEA's en route were from 10200 ft to over 11000 ft and on our STAR the MEA's were FL180. A dispatcher should not cut corners and lie to crew members. Supplemental information from acn 637009: dispatch gave me incorrect information deliberately. I feel that dispatch did this in order to get the flight out. On examining the new flight plan, I noticed the fuel was lowered from 28.7 pounds on the original flight plan to 27.4 pounds on the new flight plan. It is my understanding from fom 4.10.6, fuel increases or decreases, that 'a decrease in fuel under any circumstances requires consultation between the captain and dispatch and generation of a new or amended dispatch release.' this communication between myself and dispatch did not take place. I called the dispatch supervisor before the flight departed and explained to her what had transpired in regard to my dealings with dispatch. She was more concerned with me talking to him to understand why he did what he did. I had no interest in hearing why he provided me with false information. I think dispatch needs to be taught how to read a STAR, an en route map, and become acquainted with dispatch duties as outlined in the fom.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW RPT ON DISPATCHER PROBS, LACK OF CHKING ENRTE MEA'S, ACFT GATE CHANGE AND FUEL RELEASE ALTERED WITHOUT PROPER CONSULTATION AT ORD.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN AN ACFT WITH AN INOP PACK, SO THE CAPT AND I CALLED THE DISPATCHER TO EXPRESS OUR CONCERN ABOUT FLYING AT NIGHT OVER THE MOUNTAIN RANGES FROM ORD TO SEA. WE ASKED HIM WHAT THE LOWEST MEA'S ENRTE WERE, AND HE SAID NOTHING WAS ABOVE 10000 FT. WE QUESTIONED HIM, AND AGAIN HE REPEATED 10000 FT WAS THE HIGHEST. SO WE BOTH PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT AND WERE PERPLEXED AT THE 10000 FT MEA'S. UPON ARRIVING AT THE GATE, WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR ACFT WAS CHANGED AND THUS THE GATE. WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS BY THE DISPATCHER AND IN FACT THE FUEL WAS LOWERED WITHOUT THE CAPT'S CONCURRENCE. UPON DEPARTING ON TIME WITH A NEW ACFT WITH 2 PACKS, WE PULLED OUT OUR ENRTE CHARTS AND THE STAR AND FOUND THAT IN FACT WE WERE LIED TO BY OUR DISPATCHER. THE MEA'S ENRTE WERE FROM 10200 FT TO OVER 11000 FT AND ON OUR STAR THE MEA'S WERE FL180. A DISPATCHER SHOULD NOT CUT CORNERS AND LIE TO CREW MEMBERS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 637009: DISPATCH GAVE ME INCORRECT INFO DELIBERATELY. I FEEL THAT DISPATCH DID THIS IN ORDER TO GET THE FLT OUT. ON EXAMINING THE NEW FLT PLAN, I NOTICED THE FUEL WAS LOWERED FROM 28.7 LBS ON THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN TO 27.4 LBS ON THE NEW FLT PLAN. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM FOM 4.10.6, FUEL INCREASES OR DECREASES, THAT 'A DECREASE IN FUEL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES REQUIRES CONSULTATION BTWN THE CAPT AND DISPATCH AND GENERATION OF A NEW OR AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE.' THIS COM BTWN MYSELF AND DISPATCH DID NOT TAKE PLACE. I CALLED THE DISPATCH SUPVR BEFORE THE FLT DEPARTED AND EXPLAINED TO HER WHAT HAD TRANSPIRED IN REGARD TO MY DEALINGS WITH DISPATCH. SHE WAS MORE CONCERNED WITH ME TALKING TO HIM TO UNDERSTAND WHY HE DID WHAT HE DID. I HAD NO INTEREST IN HEARING WHY HE PROVIDED ME WITH FALSE INFO. I THINK DISPATCH NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT HOW TO READ A STAR, AN ENRTE MAP, AND BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH DISPATCH DUTIES AS OUTLINED IN THE FOM.

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.