Narrative:

I ran the release and in the process got interrupted by other business and failed to queue the release. A short time later I received a phone call from the station that they could not pull up the release. At that point I briefly reviewed the release; made the choice to change the altitude; re-ran the release; checked WX; fuel and sent the release. I did not rechk the passenger load as I had previously done this. Because the flight planning system is not automatically entering payload at this time; and because there was a delay between the time I manually entered the payload and when I actually queued the release; the payload defaulted to zero when the release was re-run and the burn was not accurate and gate fuel was not adequate. This; combined with deteriorating WX in clt (there was no need for an alternate or more than 15 mins of contingency fuel at pushback) and the flight being put into holding resulted in a diversion and discovery of a payload error on the release. To correct this; I will need to be aware of default settings in the flight planning system when making changes to a release and review a release as completely as I do when I run the release for the first time. On a side note; as I was filling out this paperwork; I received notification of an aircraft change to another flight. When I re-ran the release; I realized the flight planning system wanted to tanker 9000 pounds of fuel. I realized immediately that this was vastly different from the first time I ran the release and doublechked all information. I found that the flight planning system had defaulted to 2 passenger (which is the number of continuing passenger; not the 70 passenger I originally planned for). I was able to not only correct the error; but it was the clue that helped me piece together how the error happened on this first flight release.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CRJ200 FLT CREW IS DISPATCHED WITH INCORRECT FUEL LOAD AND DIVERTS.

Narrative: I RAN THE RELEASE AND IN THE PROCESS GOT INTERRUPTED BY OTHER BUSINESS AND FAILED TO QUEUE THE RELEASE. A SHORT TIME LATER I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE STATION THAT THEY COULD NOT PULL UP THE RELEASE. AT THAT POINT I BRIEFLY REVIEWED THE RELEASE; MADE THE CHOICE TO CHANGE THE ALT; RE-RAN THE RELEASE; CHKED WX; FUEL AND SENT THE RELEASE. I DID NOT RECHK THE PAX LOAD AS I HAD PREVIOUSLY DONE THIS. BECAUSE THE FLT PLANNING SYS IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY ENTERING PAYLOAD AT THIS TIME; AND BECAUSE THERE WAS A DELAY BTWN THE TIME I MANUALLY ENTERED THE PAYLOAD AND WHEN I ACTUALLY QUEUED THE RELEASE; THE PAYLOAD DEFAULTED TO ZERO WHEN THE RELEASE WAS RE-RUN AND THE BURN WAS NOT ACCURATE AND GATE FUEL WAS NOT ADEQUATE. THIS; COMBINED WITH DETERIORATING WX IN CLT (THERE WAS NO NEED FOR AN ALTERNATE OR MORE THAN 15 MINS OF CONTINGENCY FUEL AT PUSHBACK) AND THE FLT BEING PUT INTO HOLDING RESULTED IN A DIVERSION AND DISCOVERY OF A PAYLOAD ERROR ON THE RELEASE. TO CORRECT THIS; I WILL NEED TO BE AWARE OF DEFAULT SETTINGS IN THE FLT PLANNING SYS WHEN MAKING CHANGES TO A RELEASE AND REVIEW A RELEASE AS COMPLETELY AS I DO WHEN I RUN THE RELEASE FOR THE FIRST TIME. ON A SIDE NOTE; AS I WAS FILLING OUT THIS PAPERWORK; I RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF AN ACFT CHANGE TO ANOTHER FLT. WHEN I RE-RAN THE RELEASE; I REALIZED THE FLT PLANNING SYS WANTED TO TANKER 9000 LBS OF FUEL. I REALIZED IMMEDIATELY THAT THIS WAS VASTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE FIRST TIME I RAN THE RELEASE AND DOUBLECHKED ALL INFO. I FOUND THAT THE FLT PLANNING SYS HAD DEFAULTED TO 2 PAX (WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF CONTINUING PAX; NOT THE 70 PAX I ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR). I WAS ABLE TO NOT ONLY CORRECT THE ERROR; BUT IT WAS THE CLUE THAT HELPED ME PIECE TOGETHER HOW THE ERROR HAPPENED ON THIS FIRST FLT RELEASE.

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.