Narrative:

This flight was originally dispatched around some thunderstorms in the area and he turned it over to me after showing me what the game-plan was for the flight. The flight had some cells en route that required deviation; but the crew was going around the cells and everything looked good for a VOR approach onto runway 13 into ZZZ. At the time the flight was released; there was no indication that the VOR was OTS and it was not notamed OTS. The crew reported the VOR was initially reporting; but while they were en route; the VOR stopped working and became inoperative. The crew reported this on the radio and I started looking for other options at this point. One thing I immediately noticed was the WX was down; but there were cells pushing through ZZZ to the north and the WX was clearing up behind it. I recommended the crew to hold and wait it out a few mins and we should get some improving conditions very soon after the cells passed through. After the cells passed; the AWOS reported much better conditions. We still could not do the ILS to runway 31 due to winds of 12020g25 and the VOR was out on runway 13; but the WX had now improved to 008SCT 037BKN 047OVC with a visibility of 3 mi. Our air carrier is authority/authorized to do a circling approach with minimums of 1500 ft and 3 mi; so I suggested trying it if he had a good visual of the airport. He was a little apprehensive and said that he wondered if it would be legal to land at ZZZ because the reported WX was not what the actual conditions looked to be and that he thought it might be a little lower than what the AWOS was reporting. Knowing that it was certainly possible that we could be getting an erroneous reading from the AWOS; I asked him if he could see the airport and he aid he had the field in sight. At this point; I suggested that if he had the field in sight; then he should try the visual approach as I saw no problem landing safely. He agreed and according to his report; center cleared him in for the visual approach to runway 13 and he kept the airport in sight at all times; avoided the clouds and landed safely. The crew stated that the way the WX was they should not have been dispatched to ZZZ at all. I do not agree with this. When I took over the flight; it did not look like it would be a problem. Keep in mind; the VOR was fully operational when the flight left and only failed when the flight was en route. The flight was fully legal at the time the flight was dispatched. When the VOR became inoperative; I was faced with changing conditions and I started looking at other possible options. I called the AWOS numerous times to get the most current up to the minute WX and it showed a gradual improvement so I was optimistic that we could still get in. When the AWOS reported the WX above circling minimums; I felt confident that we could get in; but the crew said he doubted the AWOS reports veracity. When the crew said there might be a problem with the AWOS report; I asked them if they had a visual on the airport to xchk it as an extra precautionary measure. When they said they had the field in sight; I knew there should be no problem at all shooting a visual approach. I do not feel that I pressured him into doing something unsafe and illegal; I was pointing out legal options for him and trying to figure out a way to get him safely and legally on the ground. I think in the end he was convinced that everything was both safe and legal and shot the approach with no problems. At this air carrier; the dispatchers want to get the flts to their destination if at all possible; but we are taught that safety is paramount and I do not feel that safety was compromised at any time during this flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SF340 DISPATCHER REPORTS A FLIGHT DISPATCHED TO AN AIRPORT WITH AN INOPERABLE VOR WAS LEGAL WHEN IT TOOK OFF BECAUSE THE VOR FAILED WHILE IT WAS ENROUTE.

Narrative: THIS FLT WAS ORIGINALLY DISPATCHED AROUND SOME TSTMS IN THE AREA AND HE TURNED IT OVER TO ME AFTER SHOWING ME WHAT THE GAME-PLAN WAS FOR THE FLT. THE FLT HAD SOME CELLS ENRTE THAT REQUIRED DEV; BUT THE CREW WAS GOING AROUND THE CELLS AND EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD FOR A VOR APCH ONTO RWY 13 INTO ZZZ. AT THE TIME THE FLT WAS RELEASED; THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE VOR WAS OTS AND IT WAS NOT NOTAMED OTS. THE CREW RPTED THE VOR WAS INITIALLY RPTING; BUT WHILE THEY WERE ENRTE; THE VOR STOPPED WORKING AND BECAME INOP. THE CREW RPTED THIS ON THE RADIO AND I STARTED LOOKING FOR OTHER OPTIONS AT THIS POINT. ONE THING I IMMEDIATELY NOTICED WAS THE WX WAS DOWN; BUT THERE WERE CELLS PUSHING THROUGH ZZZ TO THE N AND THE WX WAS CLRING UP BEHIND IT. I RECOMMENDED THE CREW TO HOLD AND WAIT IT OUT A FEW MINS AND WE SHOULD GET SOME IMPROVING CONDITIONS VERY SOON AFTER THE CELLS PASSED THROUGH. AFTER THE CELLS PASSED; THE AWOS RPTED MUCH BETTER CONDITIONS. WE STILL COULD NOT DO THE ILS TO RWY 31 DUE TO WINDS OF 12020G25 AND THE VOR WAS OUT ON RWY 13; BUT THE WX HAD NOW IMPROVED TO 008SCT 037BKN 047OVC WITH A VISIBILITY OF 3 MI. OUR ACR IS AUTH TO DO A CIRCLING APCH WITH MINIMUMS OF 1500 FT AND 3 MI; SO I SUGGESTED TRYING IT IF HE HAD A GOOD VISUAL OF THE ARPT. HE WAS A LITTLE APPREHENSIVE AND SAID THAT HE WONDERED IF IT WOULD BE LEGAL TO LAND AT ZZZ BECAUSE THE RPTED WX WAS NOT WHAT THE ACTUAL CONDITIONS LOOKED TO BE AND THAT HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LOWER THAN WHAT THE AWOS WAS RPTING. KNOWING THAT IT WAS CERTAINLY POSSIBLE THAT WE COULD BE GETTING AN ERRONEOUS READING FROM THE AWOS; I ASKED HIM IF HE COULD SEE THE ARPT AND HE AID HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. AT THIS POINT; I SUGGESTED THAT IF HE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT; THEN HE SHOULD TRY THE VISUAL APCH AS I SAW NO PROB LNDG SAFELY. HE AGREED AND ACCORDING TO HIS RPT; CTR CLRED HIM IN FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 13 AND HE KEPT THE ARPT IN SIGHT AT ALL TIMES; AVOIDED THE CLOUDS AND LANDED SAFELY. THE CREW STATED THAT THE WAY THE WX WAS THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED TO ZZZ AT ALL. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS. WHEN I TOOK OVER THE FLT; IT DID NOT LOOK LIKE IT WOULD BE A PROB. KEEP IN MIND; THE VOR WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL WHEN THE FLT LEFT AND ONLY FAILED WHEN THE FLT WAS ENRTE. THE FLT WAS FULLY LEGAL AT THE TIME THE FLT WAS DISPATCHED. WHEN THE VOR BECAME INOP; I WAS FACED WITH CHANGING CONDITIONS AND I STARTED LOOKING AT OTHER POSSIBLE OPTIONS. I CALLED THE AWOS NUMEROUS TIMES TO GET THE MOST CURRENT UP TO THE MINUTE WX AND IT SHOWED A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT SO I WAS OPTIMISTIC THAT WE COULD STILL GET IN. WHEN THE AWOS RPTED THE WX ABOVE CIRCLING MINIMUMS; I FELT CONFIDENT THAT WE COULD GET IN; BUT THE CREW SAID HE DOUBTED THE AWOS RPTS VERACITY. WHEN THE CREW SAID THERE MIGHT BE A PROB WITH THE AWOS RPT; I ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD A VISUAL ON THE ARPT TO XCHK IT AS AN EXTRA PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. WHEN THEY SAID THEY HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT; I KNEW THERE SHOULD BE NO PROB AT ALL SHOOTING A VISUAL APCH. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I PRESSURED HIM INTO DOING SOMETHING UNSAFE AND ILLEGAL; I WAS POINTING OUT LEGAL OPTIONS FOR HIM AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET HIM SAFELY AND LEGALLY ON THE GND. I THINK IN THE END HE WAS CONVINCED THAT EVERYTHING WAS BOTH SAFE AND LEGAL AND SHOT THE APCH WITH NO PROBS. AT THIS ACR; THE DISPATCHERS WANT TO GET THE FLTS TO THEIR DEST IF AT ALL POSSIBLE; BUT WE ARE TAUGHT THAT SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AND I DO NOT FEEL THAT SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED AT ANY TIME DURING THIS FLT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.