Narrative:

I am an aircraft dispatcher for a major airline. On mar/mon/93, I was doing some research on new rtes from santiago chile to miami USA. This information has been requested by several capts operating these rtes. The major problems with these rtes are driftdown single engine performance over the andes mountains. I was working on a new route which would shorten the flight by 150 mi and 2000 pounds of fuel. I input the information into my work (main) computer to compare data. I used the weights and fuel data on today's flight scl- mia. The first major problem was I didn't delete the new shorter route from my computer. When the flight plan calculated for flight xx, it picked the new unanalyzed route. The second mistake was I didn't fully check the flight plan. I checked the fuel, MEL items, altitudes, and just a small portion of the flight route, not the full and complete route. The flight crew didn't catch the mistake also in their preflight preparations. It was not until after the flight departed santiago did the flight crew contacted the dispatcher and advise me of the mistake. A new flight plan was sent and input into the computer. A manual driftdown data showed that the flight would have no problem over the andes mountains, but we are not allowed to use new rtes until they are analyzed by operations. Myself as well as the 3 flight crew members were a little too self-assured reference our routine procedures. Just a small amount of added time to review the flight plan in length would have alleviated this miscalculation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT PLAN HANDLING PROC PROVIDES FLC WITH AN IMPROPER FLT PLAN FOR RTE.

Narrative: I AM AN ACFT DISPATCHER FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE. ON MAR/MON/93, I WAS DOING SOME RESEARCH ON NEW RTES FROM SANTIAGO CHILE TO MIAMI USA. THIS INFO HAS BEEN REQUESTED BY SEVERAL CAPTS OPERATING THESE RTES. THE MAJOR PROBS WITH THESE RTES ARE DRIFTDOWN SINGLE ENG PERFORMANCE OVER THE ANDES MOUNTAINS. I WAS WORKING ON A NEW RTE WHICH WOULD SHORTEN THE FLT BY 150 MI AND 2000 LBS OF FUEL. I INPUT THE INFO INTO MY WORK (MAIN) COMPUTER TO COMPARE DATA. I USED THE WTS AND FUEL DATA ON TODAY'S FLT SCL- MIA. THE FIRST MAJOR PROB WAS I DIDN'T DELETE THE NEW SHORTER RTE FROM MY COMPUTER. WHEN THE FLT PLAN CALCULATED FOR FLT XX, IT PICKED THE NEW UNANALYZED RTE. THE SECOND MISTAKE WAS I DIDN'T FULLY CHK THE FLT PLAN. I CHKED THE FUEL, MEL ITEMS, ALTS, AND JUST A SMALL PORTION OF THE FLT RTE, NOT THE FULL AND COMPLETE RTE. THE FLC DIDN'T CATCH THE MISTAKE ALSO IN THEIR PREFLT PREPARATIONS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER THE FLT DEPARTED SANTIAGO DID THE FLC CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER AND ADVISE ME OF THE MISTAKE. A NEW FLT PLAN WAS SENT AND INPUT INTO THE COMPUTER. A MANUAL DRIFTDOWN DATA SHOWED THAT THE FLT WOULD HAVE NO PROB OVER THE ANDES MOUNTAINS, BUT WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE NEW RTES UNTIL THEY ARE ANALYZED BY OPS. MYSELF AS WELL AS THE 3 FLC MEMBERS WERE A LITTLE TOO SELF-ASSURED REF OUR ROUTINE PROCS. JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF ADDED TIME TO REVIEW THE FLT PLAN IN LENGTH WOULD HAVE ALLEVIATED THIS MISCALCULATION.

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.