Narrative:

As a dispatcher for an air carrier airlines, I lost operational control of the flts in my sector. Flts were overdue, no times, in some cases, as much as over 1 hour, until I had the time to look into it. Sometimes I had not flight followed any of my flts for as much as 3 hours. Also, I felt I had not given the proper WX briefing to all of my flts. The state of fl had 2 lines of severe thunderstorms, convective sigmets, ground stops, radar outage at mco. Many of my flts left were not safe because I didn't have the time to brief them all on the WX and other conditions in fl. I had 2 flts divert due to low fuel and mco closed due to a storm, and I wasn't told until after the fact. In addition to all the severe WX in fl, I also had 2 broken airplanes to deal with, one of which turned into a maintenance ferry flight to jax. I had flts running 2, 3, 4 and even 5 hours late. I couldn't keep up delaying them down line. I could not properly and safely keep up with everything in my sector of 13 airplanes. I've been dispatching for 10 yrs, this was the worst! The problem -- the management has recently down-sized the manpower in dispatch, thus increasing the workload per sector. Each has 12 airplanes, one has 13. We, the dispatchers of air carrier, have orally and in writing told the company that any more than 10 aircraft per sector is just too much for 1 dispatcher, therefore, not safe. But the company decided to eliminate 1 sector anyway. I guess they care more abut a dollar or two, than they do about the safety of their passenger. Solution -- air carrier needs to hire more dispatchers soon and go back to 5 sectors instead of 4, and go back to their original agreement of no more than 10 aircraft per dispatcher. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated there was a company provision to call in backup dispatchers if needed, but he says this never happens. The reporter stated that, even though other carrier dispatchers have as many as 15 airplanes at a time on their shift, in these cases the flts are longer perhaps 2 or 3 hour flts. His flts can be as short as 30 mins and average about 1 hour.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR DISPATCHER BELIEVES THE COMPANY ERRS IN SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS BY REQUIRING THE DISPATCHERS TO WORK MORE THAN 10 ACFT PER SECTOR.

Narrative: AS A DISPATCHER FOR AN ACR AIRLINES, I LOST OPERATIONAL CTL OF THE FLTS IN MY SECTOR. FLTS WERE OVERDUE, NO TIMES, IN SOME CASES, AS MUCH AS OVER 1 HR, UNTIL I HAD THE TIME TO LOOK INTO IT. SOMETIMES I HAD NOT FLT FOLLOWED ANY OF MY FLTS FOR AS MUCH AS 3 HRS. ALSO, I FELT I HAD NOT GIVEN THE PROPER WX BRIEFING TO ALL OF MY FLTS. THE STATE OF FL HAD 2 LINES OF SEVERE TSTMS, CONVECTIVE SIGMETS, GND STOPS, RADAR OUTAGE AT MCO. MANY OF MY FLTS LEFT WERE NOT SAFE BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME TO BRIEF THEM ALL ON THE WX AND OTHER CONDITIONS IN FL. I HAD 2 FLTS DIVERT DUE TO LOW FUEL AND MCO CLOSED DUE TO A STORM, AND I WASN'T TOLD UNTIL AFTER THE FACT. IN ADDITION TO ALL THE SEVERE WX IN FL, I ALSO HAD 2 BROKEN AIRPLANES TO DEAL WITH, ONE OF WHICH TURNED INTO A MAINT FERRY FLT TO JAX. I HAD FLTS RUNNING 2, 3, 4 AND EVEN 5 HRS LATE. I COULDN'T KEEP UP DELAYING THEM DOWN LINE. I COULD NOT PROPERLY AND SAFELY KEEP UP WITH EVERYTHING IN MY SECTOR OF 13 AIRPLANES. I'VE BEEN DISPATCHING FOR 10 YRS, THIS WAS THE WORST! THE PROB -- THE MGMNT HAS RECENTLY DOWN-SIZED THE MANPOWER IN DISPATCH, THUS INCREASING THE WORKLOAD PER SECTOR. EACH HAS 12 AIRPLANES, ONE HAS 13. WE, THE DISPATCHERS OF ACR, HAVE ORALLY AND IN WRITING TOLD THE COMPANY THAT ANY MORE THAN 10 ACFT PER SECTOR IS JUST TOO MUCH FOR 1 DISPATCHER, THEREFORE, NOT SAFE. BUT THE COMPANY DECIDED TO ELIMINATE 1 SECTOR ANYWAY. I GUESS THEY CARE MORE ABUT A DOLLAR OR TWO, THAN THEY DO ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THEIR PAX. SOLUTION -- ACR NEEDS TO HIRE MORE DISPATCHERS SOON AND GO BACK TO 5 SECTORS INSTEAD OF 4, AND GO BACK TO THEIR ORIGINAL AGREEMENT OF NO MORE THAN 10 ACFT PER DISPATCHER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THERE WAS A COMPANY PROVISION TO CALL IN BACKUP DISPATCHERS IF NEEDED, BUT HE SAYS THIS NEVER HAPPENS. THE RPTR STATED THAT, EVEN THOUGH OTHER CARRIER DISPATCHERS HAVE AS MANY AS 15 AIRPLANES AT A TIME ON THEIR SHIFT, IN THESE CASES THE FLTS ARE LONGER PERHAPS 2 OR 3 HR FLTS. HIS FLTS CAN BE AS SHORT AS 30 MINS AND AVERAGE ABOUT 1 HR.

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.