Narrative:

I released the aircraft as flight XXX/YYY, phx-lax-phx, with a single MEL item; a right air conditioning pack inoperative. Flight was planned at FL240/FL250. The next flight segment was planned for phx-ont as flight ZZZ. This route (the normal one) uses J212, which because of its FL260 MEA, was not unsuitable for flight for this aircraft. I refiled ZZZ clearance for another route. I called phx, and spoke with ZZZ captain, to advise him on the change in the phx-ont routing for his later flight. I was doing this now, as by the time he called me later, his first officer would have already obtained the clearance. I spoke with the captain of ZZZ again later, this time on the ground, via radio, at lax, where the fog had come in. After giving me a PIREP; the captain mentioned that 'that pack is working again.' I asked if it had just done that while en route, or whether our maintenance folks in phx had cleared it. He replied, 'oh, they fixed it before we departed phx; we told 'them' to tell you.' I received no notification from the captain of our maintenance control, and his release was never amended to reflect the status of his aircraft. It's disconcerting that we continue to be an hour behind our aircraft. Had this been the deferring of rather than the clearing of an item, I seriously doubt we'd have gotten much better notification. The system here isn't anywhere near failsafe. Also, crews need to realize that maintenance clearing/deferring an item does not constitute an amended dispatch release. Unless the captain communications directly with his dispatcher, they're assuming the operation is safe, legal, and in the airlines best interest.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER HAD RELEASED FLT WITH AIR CONDITION PACK INOP RESTRICTING FLT TO MAX 250 MSL. PACK WAS REPAIRED AND FLT FLEW A HIGHER ROUTE WITHOUT DISPATCH KNOWLEDGE OR CLEARING THE MEL ITEM.

Narrative: I RELEASED THE ACFT AS FLT XXX/YYY, PHX-LAX-PHX, WITH A SINGLE MEL ITEM; A R AIR CONDITIONING PACK INOP. FLT WAS PLANNED AT FL240/FL250. THE NEXT FLT SEGMENT WAS PLANNED FOR PHX-ONT AS FLT ZZZ. THIS RTE (THE NORMAL ONE) USES J212, WHICH BECAUSE OF ITS FL260 MEA, WAS NOT UNSUITABLE FOR FLT FOR THIS ACFT. I REFILED ZZZ CLRNC FOR ANOTHER RTE. I CALLED PHX, AND SPOKE WITH ZZZ CAPT, TO ADVISE HIM ON THE CHANGE IN THE PHX-ONT RTING FOR HIS LATER FLT. I WAS DOING THIS NOW, AS BY THE TIME HE CALLED ME LATER, HIS F/O WOULD HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED THE CLRNC. I SPOKE WITH THE CAPT OF ZZZ AGAIN LATER, THIS TIME ON THE GND, VIA RADIO, AT LAX, WHERE THE FOG HAD COME IN. AFTER GIVING ME A PIREP; THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT 'THAT PACK IS WORKING AGAIN.' I ASKED IF IT HAD JUST DONE THAT WHILE ENRTE, OR WHETHER OUR MAINT FOLKS IN PHX HAD CLRED IT. HE REPLIED, 'OH, THEY FIXED IT BEFORE WE DEPARTED PHX; WE TOLD 'THEM' TO TELL YOU.' I RECEIVED NO NOTIFICATION FROM THE CAPT OF OUR MAINT CTL, AND HIS RELEASE WAS NEVER AMENDED TO REFLECT THE STATUS OF HIS ACFT. IT'S DISCONCERTING THAT WE CONTINUE TO BE AN HR BEHIND OUR ACFT. HAD THIS BEEN THE DEFERRING OF RATHER THAN THE CLRING OF AN ITEM, I SERIOUSLY DOUBT WE'D HAVE GOTTEN MUCH BETTER NOTIFICATION. THE SYS HERE ISN'T ANYWHERE NEAR FAILSAFE. ALSO, CREWS NEED TO REALIZE THAT MAINT CLRING/DEFERRING AN ITEM DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN AMENDED DISPATCH RELEASE. UNLESS THE CAPT COMS DIRECTLY WITH HIS DISPATCHER, THEY'RE ASSUMING THE OPERATION IS SAFE, LEGAL, AND IN THE AIRLINES BEST INTEREST.

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