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Dispatcher reports contradictory winds aloft loaded to flight planning computers rendered computed fuel loads erroneous.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 722772 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200612 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sea.airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
New winds aloft information was loaded into the flight planning system. The new information was clearly contradictory to other charts and winds aloft information we had. The system planned flts with a substantial tailwind that should have had a slight headwind and vice versa. This report is intended to cover the flts I dispatched during that shift; as it is clear the loaded wind information was erroneous. I added more extra fuel than normal to guard against serious over burns; but the system's en route burns were simply unreliable. Also; along with the winds aloft problem; I was contending with: 1) airborne holding to sea. 2) mountain wave turbulence plots and en route turbulence to advise my crews of and avoid. 3) working with the computer system to find optimal weights to avoid having to use alternates in the bay area. 4) the number of releases on the shift. Altogether; these issues led to a significant workload concern.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DISPATCHER RPTS CONTRADICTORY WINDS ALOFT LOADED TO FLT PLANNING COMPUTERS RENDERED COMPUTED FUEL LOADS ERRONEOUS.
Narrative: NEW WINDS ALOFT INFO WAS LOADED INTO THE FLT PLANNING SYSTEM. THE NEW INFO WAS CLEARLY CONTRADICTORY TO OTHER CHARTS AND WINDS ALOFT INFO WE HAD. THE SYSTEM PLANNED FLTS WITH A SUBSTANTIAL TAILWIND THAT SHOULD HAVE HAD A SLIGHT HEADWIND AND VICE VERSA. THIS RPT IS INTENDED TO COVER THE FLTS I DISPATCHED DURING THAT SHIFT; AS IT IS CLR THE LOADED WIND INFO WAS ERRONEOUS. I ADDED MORE EXTRA FUEL THAN NORMAL TO GUARD AGAINST SERIOUS OVER BURNS; BUT THE SYSTEM'S ENRTE BURNS WERE SIMPLY UNRELIABLE. ALSO; ALONG WITH THE WINDS ALOFT PROB; I WAS CONTENDING WITH: 1) AIRBORNE HOLDING TO SEA. 2) MOUNTAIN WAVE TURB PLOTS AND ENRTE TURB TO ADVISE MY CREWS OF AND AVOID. 3) WORKING WITH THE COMPUTER SYSTEM TO FIND OPTIMAL WTS TO AVOID HAVING TO USE ALTERNATES IN THE BAY AREA. 4) THE NUMBER OF RELEASES ON THE SHIFT. ALTOGETHER; THESE ISSUES LED TO A SIGNIFICANT WORKLOAD CONCERN.
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.