A dispatcher reports that during a shift change he diverted another dispatcher's flight to an altern...

Narrative:

Flight was dispatched with no alternate required and a min arrival fuel of 6.0 which gave the flight 2060 pounds of extra fuel. At about XA30L the forecast for ZZZ1 now changed to 1/4 mile and they were starting to report RVR. At this point the second dispatcher was coming on shift and this flight was located on his desk. As the dispatcher was signing in I was filling him in on the details of the flight and what options we had available to us. ZZZ1; ZZZ2; ZZZ3 were not legal options and ZZZ4 was MVFR and dropping. After discussing at length our options; I felt it would be best if the flight was sent to ZZZ5 due to fuel situation. ZZZ6 was snowing and if we went past ZZZ5 I felt we may not have the gas to make it to a suitable airport. The second dispatcher is still new to the position so I was doing most of the decision making while he was signing in at this point; this included talking with the crew on a phone patch. At XB00L I felt we should make a decision as to where to send the flight. Again our options were discussed and I strongly suggested ZZZ5 made the most sense. This was agreed upon. I then told the other dispatcher that he was to divert the flight and send numbers to the crew. I would do the computer work; (diverting; calling ZZZ5). This was all accomplished and the flight landed in ZZZ5 at XB36L . I felt that my involvement with the flight was basically over when the other dispatcher did the diversion in computer; this is when I assumed more of a backup role. ZZZ5 is listed as an alternate in the operations specifications hence the reason for this report. I felt there really was no other safe option for this flight due to WX conditions and fuel that existed at the time. It was very unfortunate that this was all taking place as the second dispatcher was coming on duty; but with that said I at no time felt that anything was being overlooked or neglected. Because this is the foggy time of the year; all of us could probably be a little more aware of the hourly and the airports we are dispatching to.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER RPTS THAT DURING A SHIFT CHANGE HE DIVERTED ANOTHER DISPATCHER'S FLT TO AN ALTERNATE BECAUSE TIME WAS SHORT FOR ACCEPTABLE DIVERSIONS ALONG THE FLT'S ROUTE.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH NO ALTERNATE REQUIRED AND A MIN ARR FUEL OF 6.0 WHICH GAVE THE FLT 2060 LBS OF EXTRA FUEL. AT ABOUT XA30L THE FORECAST FOR ZZZ1 NOW CHANGED TO 1/4 MILE AND THEY WERE STARTING TO RPT RVR. AT THIS POINT THE SECOND DISPATCHER WAS COMING ON SHIFT AND THIS FLT WAS LOCATED ON HIS DESK. AS THE DISPATCHER WAS SIGNING IN I WAS FILLING HIM IN ON THE DETAILS OF THE FLT AND WHAT OPTIONS WE HAD AVAILABLE TO US. ZZZ1; ZZZ2; ZZZ3 WERE NOT LEGAL OPTIONS AND ZZZ4 WAS MVFR AND DROPPING. AFTER DISCUSSING AT LENGTH OUR OPTIONS; I FELT IT WOULD BE BEST IF THE FLT WAS SENT TO ZZZ5 DUE TO FUEL SITUATION. ZZZ6 WAS SNOWING AND IF WE WENT PAST ZZZ5 I FELT WE MAY NOT HAVE THE GAS TO MAKE IT TO A SUITABLE ARPT. THE SECOND DISPATCHER IS STILL NEW TO THE POSITION SO I WAS DOING MOST OF THE DECISION MAKING WHILE HE WAS SIGNING IN AT THIS POINT; THIS INCLUDED TALKING WITH THE CREW ON A PHONE PATCH. AT XB00L I FELT WE SHOULD MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHERE TO SEND THE FLT. AGAIN OUR OPTIONS WERE DISCUSSED AND I STRONGLY SUGGESTED ZZZ5 MADE THE MOST SENSE. THIS WAS AGREED UPON. I THEN TOLD THE OTHER DISPATCHER THAT HE WAS TO DIVERT THE FLT AND SEND NUMBERS TO THE CREW. I WOULD DO THE COMPUTER WORK; (DIVERTING; CALLING ZZZ5). THIS WAS ALL ACCOMPLISHED AND THE FLT LANDED IN ZZZ5 AT XB36L . I FELT THAT MY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE FLT WAS BASICALLY OVER WHEN THE OTHER DISPATCHER DID THE DIVERSION IN COMPUTER; THIS IS WHEN I ASSUMED MORE OF A BACKUP ROLE. ZZZ5 IS LISTED AS AN ALTERNATE IN THE OPS SPECS HENCE THE REASON FOR THIS RPT. I FELT THERE REALLY WAS NO OTHER SAFE OPTION FOR THIS FLT DUE TO WX CONDITIONS AND FUEL THAT EXISTED AT THE TIME. IT WAS VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT THIS WAS ALL TAKING PLACE AS THE SECOND DISPATCHER WAS COMING ON DUTY; BUT WITH THAT SAID I AT NO TIME FELT THAT ANYTHING WAS BEING OVERLOOKED OR NEGLECTED. BECAUSE THIS IS THE FOGGY TIME OF THE YEAR; ALL OF US COULD PROBABLY BE A LITTLE MORE AWARE OF THE HOURLY AND THE ARPTS WE ARE DISPATCHING TO.

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.

Attributes
ACN	763235
Time
Date	200711
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-800
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	763235
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Company Weather FAA
Primary Problem	Weather

A dispatcher reports that during a shift change he diverted another dispatcher's flight to an alternate because time was short for acceptable diversions along the flight's route.