Narrative:

This is about the 5TH report I have filed regarding our computerized flight planning as it pertains to the build-route function. This flight received a rerte while on taxi out. I entered the route into the build-route function exactly as it was given to the flight crew. The computer said that the route was built successfully. I then go to run the flight plan and lo-and-behold the route the computer created used different waypoints and looked completely different than the route I entered. While the rtes are technically the same; no one is able to figure that out unless you pull out en route charts and verify every fix. And since the computer has a poor reputation for reliability; the dispatcher must waste time validating the route and then try to convince the flight crew that 2 very different rtes are in fact the same. The fact that management does not see this as a safety issue and has done nothing to rectify it demonstrates that they don't know the first thing about aviation safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 DISPATCHER RPTS COMPANY'S FLT PLANNING COMPUTER IS INEFFICIENT AT PROGRAMMING AND DISPLAYING RTES IN A RECOGNIZABLE FORMAT.

Narrative: THIS IS ABOUT THE 5TH RPT I HAVE FILED REGARDING OUR COMPUTERIZED FLT PLANNING AS IT PERTAINS TO THE BUILD-RTE FUNCTION. THIS FLT RECEIVED A RERTE WHILE ON TAXI OUT. I ENTERED THE RTE INTO THE BUILD-RTE FUNCTION EXACTLY AS IT WAS GIVEN TO THE FLT CREW. THE COMPUTER SAID THAT THE RTE WAS BUILT SUCCESSFULLY. I THEN GO TO RUN THE FLT PLAN AND LO-AND-BEHOLD THE RTE THE COMPUTER CREATED USED DIFFERENT WAYPOINTS AND LOOKED COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THAN THE RTE I ENTERED. WHILE THE RTES ARE TECHNICALLY THE SAME; NO ONE IS ABLE TO FIGURE THAT OUT UNLESS YOU PULL OUT ENRTE CHARTS AND VERIFY EVERY FIX. AND SINCE THE COMPUTER HAS A POOR REPUTATION FOR RELIABILITY; THE DISPATCHER MUST WASTE TIME VALIDATING THE RTE AND THEN TRY TO CONVINCE THE FLT CREW THAT 2 VERY DIFFERENT RTES ARE IN FACT THE SAME. THE FACT THAT MGMNT DOES NOT SEE THIS AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO RECTIFY IT DEMONSTRATES THAT THEY DON'T KNOW THE FIRST THING ABOUT AVIATION SAFETY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.