Narrative:

On saturday, I believed to have turned all of flts over to my relief at each desk, and went home. Saturday morning was a busy and very hectic day. 9 dispatch desks were closed as well as the ATC desk. I gave an individual turnover to each relief, as is my custom. I briefed each dispatcher as to the WX, as well as any MEL restrs and any possible delays. After briefing my XA00Z and XB00Z desks, I returned to complete my flight plans at my desk. Unknown to me my desk X relief had been scheduled to arrive at XC00Z (2 hours after the usual start time). However, I was never notified of this fact. Several times I went to desk X to give a briefing and no one was there yet, so I returned to desk Y, assuming the person on desk X was running late and would arrive soon. Soon I was busy getting ready for my briefing and had MEL's to delete from flight plans already sent and I had WX to check for my alternates and destinations and radar for the long hauls. During this time I also noticed charter paperwork on desk which had not been assigned to another desk which I brought to the attention of the operations manager. Ready to go home, by this time it was just after XD30Z. Again, as I earlier mentioned, it wasn't uncommon for a desk to be empty, and I suppose that is how I forgot that I was missing one of my people as I passed the desk several times. I can't imagine that I actually left not noticing such a thing. P.south. I would like to also add that I wasn't able to begin building my flight plans for the desks till after XB00Z because shift mgrs were busy dividing up 9 desks of flts to be added to remaining open desks. So besides everything else, I was rushing to get my work done on time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCH SUPVR LEAVES HER STATION OPEN WHEN SHE FAILS TO REALIZE THAT HER RELIEF WAS SCHEDULED 2 HRS LATER THAN NORMAL.

Narrative: ON SATURDAY, I BELIEVED TO HAVE TURNED ALL OF FLTS OVER TO MY RELIEF AT EACH DESK, AND WENT HOME. SATURDAY MORNING WAS A BUSY AND VERY HECTIC DAY. 9 DISPATCH DESKS WERE CLOSED AS WELL AS THE ATC DESK. I GAVE AN INDIVIDUAL TURNOVER TO EACH RELIEF, AS IS MY CUSTOM. I BRIEFED EACH DISPATCHER AS TO THE WX, AS WELL AS ANY MEL RESTRS AND ANY POSSIBLE DELAYS. AFTER BRIEFING MY XA00Z AND XB00Z DESKS, I RETURNED TO COMPLETE MY FLT PLANS AT MY DESK. UNKNOWN TO ME MY DESK X RELIEF HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO ARRIVE AT XC00Z (2 HRS AFTER THE USUAL START TIME). HOWEVER, I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THIS FACT. SEVERAL TIMES I WENT TO DESK X TO GIVE A BRIEFING AND NO ONE WAS THERE YET, SO I RETURNED TO DESK Y, ASSUMING THE PERSON ON DESK X WAS RUNNING LATE AND WOULD ARRIVE SOON. SOON I WAS BUSY GETTING READY FOR MY BRIEFING AND HAD MEL'S TO DELETE FROM FLT PLANS ALREADY SENT AND I HAD WX TO CHK FOR MY ALTERNATES AND DESTS AND RADAR FOR THE LONG HAULS. DURING THIS TIME I ALSO NOTICED CHARTER PAPERWORK ON DESK WHICH HAD NOT BEEN ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER DESK WHICH I BROUGHT TO THE ATTN OF THE OPS MGR. READY TO GO HOME, BY THIS TIME IT WAS JUST AFTER XD30Z. AGAIN, AS I EARLIER MENTIONED, IT WASN'T UNCOMMON FOR A DESK TO BE EMPTY, AND I SUPPOSE THAT IS HOW I FORGOT THAT I WAS MISSING ONE OF MY PEOPLE AS I PASSED THE DESK SEVERAL TIMES. I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT I ACTUALLY LEFT NOT NOTICING SUCH A THING. P.S. I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO ADD THAT I WASN'T ABLE TO BEGIN BUILDING MY FLT PLANS FOR THE DESKS TILL AFTER XB00Z BECAUSE SHIFT MGRS WERE BUSY DIVIDING UP 9 DESKS OF FLTS TO BE ADDED TO REMAINING OPEN DESKS. SO BESIDES EVERYTHING ELSE, I WAS RUSHING TO GET MY WORK DONE ON TIME.

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.