A commercial fixed wing aircraft was dispatched with no alternate listed on the release.

Attributes
ACN	418950
Time
Date	199811
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other personnel other
Qualification	other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	418950
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I dispatched an air carrier flight xyz from atl-oaj without an alternate listed. However, aircraft departed with alternate fuel. Captain did not call prior to flight to discuss no alternate on release. I can only believe computer did not 'take' alternate in the system and I did not catch it when it was sent to captain. Aircraft landed with no problem. I found the problem/no alternate on my turnover to another dispatcher.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH NO ALTERNATE LISTED ON THE RELEASE.

Narrative: I DISPATCHED AN ACR FLT XYZ FROM ATL-OAJ WITHOUT AN ALTERNATE LISTED. HOWEVER, ACFT DEPARTED WITH ALTERNATE FUEL. CAPT DID NOT CALL PRIOR TO FLT TO DISCUSS NO ALTERNATE ON RELEASE. I CAN ONLY BELIEVE COMPUTER DID NOT 'TAKE' ALTERNATE IN THE SYS AND I DID NOT CATCH IT WHEN IT WAS SENT TO CAPT. ACFT LANDED WITH NO PROB. I FOUND THE PROB/NO ALTERNATE ON MY TURNOVER TO ANOTHER DISPATCHER.

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.