Narrative:

I was captain of flight on 1/tue/88, scheduled den-atl. The flight dispatcher neglected to put a valid time or his name on the dispatch release. My first officer noticed this prior to pushback from the gate, so we called on the radio and noted a new dispatch time and dispatcher's name on the paperwork (standard procedure when a flight is more than 1 hour late departing, also). The flight was unusual in that we held for a thunderstorm over atl for 1 hour, then diverted to new orleans after contacting dispatch by radio. (There was no problem with this occurrence.) the reason for this report is that the company reported to the FAA that the flight occurred west/O being dispatched, apparently not knowing that a release was obtained by radio prior to pushback. The matter is under investigation, but note is made with the situation as I saw it. Our flight operations management says company manager of safety routinely notifies the FAA of any unusual occurrences prior to investigating the situation, so that 'we tell the FAA before they come to us with it.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW FAILED TO GET A VALID DISPATCH RELEASE BEFORE LEAVING THE DISPATCH OFFICE. PIC CLAIMS THEY CORRECTED THE ERROR BEFORE PUSHBACK.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT OF FLT ON 1/TUE/88, SCHEDULED DEN-ATL. THE FLT DISPATCHER NEGLECTED TO PUT A VALID TIME OR HIS NAME ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE. MY F/O NOTICED THIS PRIOR TO PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE, SO WE CALLED ON THE RADIO AND NOTED A NEW DISPATCH TIME AND DISPATCHER'S NAME ON THE PAPERWORK (STANDARD PROC WHEN A FLT IS MORE THAN 1 HR LATE DEPARTING, ALSO). THE FLT WAS UNUSUAL IN THAT WE HELD FOR A TSTM OVER ATL FOR 1 HR, THEN DIVERTED TO NEW ORLEANS AFTER CONTACTING DISPATCH BY RADIO. (THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THIS OCCURRENCE.) THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS THAT THE COMPANY RPTED TO THE FAA THAT THE FLT OCCURRED W/O BEING DISPATCHED, APPARENTLY NOT KNOWING THAT A RELEASE WAS OBTAINED BY RADIO PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. THE MATTER IS UNDER INVESTIGATION, BUT NOTE IS MADE WITH THE SITUATION AS I SAW IT. OUR FLT OPERATIONS MGMNT SAYS COMPANY MGR OF SAFETY ROUTINELY NOTIFIES THE FAA OF ANY UNUSUAL OCCURRENCES PRIOR TO INVESTIGATING THE SITUATION, SO THAT 'WE TELL THE FAA BEFORE THEY COME TO US WITH IT.'

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.