Narrative:

Aircraft routing -- seoul, korea to penang, malaysia. Flight time - 6 hours, 20 mins. In our dispatch office, we have 2 dispatchers on duty 24 hours a day. 1 dispatcher is actually the flight planner who produces the flight plan and sends the fpl to the stations approximately 6 hours in advance of departure. The other dispatcher is responsible for all other dispatch duties, including sending WX/NOTAMS, and is the dispatcher of record. The flight plan has attached to it the dispatch release and name of the dispatcher of record. Prior to the fpl being sent, about XA45Z, I checked the WX and the fpl was sent. The original scheduled departure time was XC00Z but due to a mechanical delay at a previous station, the flight was operated approximately 5 hours late, with a new departure time of approximately XH00Z. The WX/NOTAM package is normally sent 2 hours prior to scheduled departure. At XF00Z, I was relieved by another dispatcher who sent the WX package out approximately XG00Z including NOTAMS for the listed alternate airport (kuala lumpur, malaysia). In this NOTAM for the alternate airport was a NOTAM listing the airport closed during our expected time of arrival. When the captain received the WX/NOTAM package at seoul, he changed his copy of the fpl by changing the alternate airport from kuala lumpur to singapore and added additional fuel. The captain did not notify our dispatch office until after his arrival at his destination. Although I was not working as the dispatcher of record when the WX/NOTAM package was sent or at the time of departure, I was working when the flight plan/dx release was sent and my name was on the release. This flight is operated routinely twice a week for a foreign carrier and when operated on/near on time, the airport runway closure at this airport is not a factor. Although the forecast WX at penang was VFR, the scheduled flight time was 6 hours, 20 mins. I should have caught the runway closure (NOTAM) at the alternate airport. I feel the dispatcher, who relieved me prior to the aircraft departure should also have caught the error. The captain who did catch the error, should have contacted our dispatch office prior to departure by several means that were available to him while on the ground in seoul. As I stated before, this would not have been a problem had the aircraft been operated on schedule, although this does not justify the oversight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER SENT A DISPATCH RELEASE INDICATING AN ALTERNATE ARPT THAT WAS NOTAMED TO BE CLOSED AT THE TIME OF ARR. PIC CORRECTED THE ERROR BUT FAILED TO ADVISE DISPATCH OF THE CHANGE.

Narrative: ACFT RTING -- SEOUL, KOREA TO PENANG, MALAYSIA. FLT TIME - 6 HRS, 20 MINS. IN OUR DISPATCH OFFICE, WE HAVE 2 DISPATCHERS ON DUTY 24 HRS A DAY. 1 DISPATCHER IS ACTUALLY THE FLT PLANNER WHO PRODUCES THE FLT PLAN AND SENDS THE FPL TO THE STATIONS APPROX 6 HRS IN ADVANCE OF DEP. THE OTHER DISPATCHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OTHER DISPATCH DUTIES, INCLUDING SENDING WX/NOTAMS, AND IS THE DISPATCHER OF RECORD. THE FLT PLAN HAS ATTACHED TO IT THE DISPATCH RELEASE AND NAME OF THE DISPATCHER OF RECORD. PRIOR TO THE FPL BEING SENT, ABOUT XA45Z, I CHKED THE WX AND THE FPL WAS SENT. THE ORIGINAL SCHEDULED DEP TIME WAS XC00Z BUT DUE TO A MECHANICAL DELAY AT A PREVIOUS STATION, THE FLT WAS OPERATED APPROX 5 HRS LATE, WITH A NEW DEP TIME OF APPROX XH00Z. THE WX/NOTAM PACKAGE IS NORMALLY SENT 2 HRS PRIOR TO SCHEDULED DEP. AT XF00Z, I WAS RELIEVED BY ANOTHER DISPATCHER WHO SENT THE WX PACKAGE OUT APPROX XG00Z INCLUDING NOTAMS FOR THE LISTED ALTERNATE ARPT (KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA). IN THIS NOTAM FOR THE ALTERNATE ARPT WAS A NOTAM LISTING THE ARPT CLOSED DURING OUR EXPECTED TIME OF ARR. WHEN THE CAPT RECEIVED THE WX/NOTAM PACKAGE AT SEOUL, HE CHANGED HIS COPY OF THE FPL BY CHANGING THE ALTERNATE ARPT FROM KUALA LUMPUR TO SINGAPORE AND ADDED ADDITIONAL FUEL. THE CAPT DID NOT NOTIFY OUR DISPATCH OFFICE UNTIL AFTER HIS ARR AT HIS DEST. ALTHOUGH I WAS NOT WORKING AS THE DISPATCHER OF RECORD WHEN THE WX/NOTAM PACKAGE WAS SENT OR AT THE TIME OF DEP, I WAS WORKING WHEN THE FLT PLAN/DX RELEASE WAS SENT AND MY NAME WAS ON THE RELEASE. THIS FLT IS OPERATED ROUTINELY TWICE A WK FOR A FOREIGN CARRIER AND WHEN OPERATED ON/NEAR ON TIME, THE ARPT RWY CLOSURE AT THIS ARPT IS NOT A FACTOR. ALTHOUGH THE FORECAST WX AT PENANG WAS VFR, THE SCHEDULED FLT TIME WAS 6 HRS, 20 MINS. I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THE RWY CLOSURE (NOTAM) AT THE ALTERNATE ARPT. I FEEL THE DISPATCHER, WHO RELIEVED ME PRIOR TO THE ACFT DEP SHOULD ALSO HAVE CAUGHT THE ERROR. THE CAPT WHO DID CATCH THE ERROR, SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH OFFICE PRIOR TO DEP BY SEVERAL MEANS THAT WERE AVAILABLE TO HIM WHILE ON THE GND IN SEOUL. AS I STATED BEFORE, THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM HAD THE ACFT BEEN OPERATED ON SCHEDULE, ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT JUSTIFY THE OVERSIGHT.

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.