Narrative:

Flight departed ZZZZ with no valid flight release. Prior to release ZZZZ station requested a fuel load for the flight. I was waiting for contact from crew to give the 'thumbs up' on the maintenance status of the aircraft as they were running it prior to departure. Captain did send an ACARS that stated all ok as they were taxiing back to gate to load passenger. At that time I had planned to send release to ZZZZ. I didn't get that done as I was working with other flight issues. I forgot to actually send the release. Flight contacted me once airborne regarding a discrepancy in their howgozit and the release they had. After a brief discussion I realized they had the release that was sent to them 20 hours prior (flight was operating 24 hours late). ZZZZ filed airways with old release. The flight the monitoring record showed release 2 and the route I planned over russia. Crew was operating on old release over polar route. We then ascertained the fuel on board and once the route was loading into flight planning system; we determined that we could operate to planned destination with all WX; fuel; and alternates planned. Fuel temperature was analyzed and found to be within limits. Route was then verified with russia ATC and all downline ATC fir's to assure all were on same page with our new plan. I did a re-analysis of the flight and planned the balance of the flight using B343 reserves and added an alternate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747-400 WAS DISPATCHED AND DEPARTED WITH ILLEGAL DISPATCH RELEASE. RELEASE WAS ISSUED THE PREVIOUS DAY; THE FLT WAS DELAYED; AND THE NEW RELEASE WAS NEVER SENT TO THE FLT CREW.

Narrative: FLT DEPARTED ZZZZ WITH NO VALID FLT RELEASE. PRIOR TO RELEASE ZZZZ STATION REQUESTED A FUEL LOAD FOR THE FLT. I WAS WAITING FOR CONTACT FROM CREW TO GIVE THE 'THUMBS UP' ON THE MAINT STATUS OF THE ACFT AS THEY WERE RUNNING IT PRIOR TO DEP. CAPT DID SEND AN ACARS THAT STATED ALL OK AS THEY WERE TAXIING BACK TO GATE TO LOAD PAX. AT THAT TIME I HAD PLANNED TO SEND RELEASE TO ZZZZ. I DIDN'T GET THAT DONE AS I WAS WORKING WITH OTHER FLT ISSUES. I FORGOT TO ACTUALLY SEND THE RELEASE. FLT CONTACTED ME ONCE AIRBORNE REGARDING A DISCREPANCY IN THEIR HOWGOZIT AND THE RELEASE THEY HAD. AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION I REALIZED THEY HAD THE RELEASE THAT WAS SENT TO THEM 20 HRS PRIOR (FLT WAS OPERATING 24 HRS LATE). ZZZZ FILED AIRWAYS WITH OLD RELEASE. THE FLT THE MONITORING RECORD SHOWED RELEASE 2 AND THE RTE I PLANNED OVER RUSSIA. CREW WAS OPERATING ON OLD RELEASE OVER POLAR RTE. WE THEN ASCERTAINED THE FUEL ON BOARD AND ONCE THE RTE WAS LOADING INTO FLT PLANNING SYS; WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD OPERATE TO PLANNED DEST WITH ALL WX; FUEL; AND ALTERNATES PLANNED. FUEL TEMP WAS ANALYZED AND FOUND TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. RTE WAS THEN VERIFIED WITH RUSSIA ATC AND ALL DOWNLINE ATC FIR'S TO ASSURE ALL WERE ON SAME PAGE WITH OUR NEW PLAN. I DID A RE-ANALYSIS OF THE FLT AND PLANNED THE BAL OF THE FLT USING B343 RESERVES AND ADDED AN ALTERNATE.

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.