Dispatcher claims a computer error resulted in dispatch with less than legally-required fuel.

Attributes
ACN	463614
Time
Date	200002
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	463614
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Dispatcher prepared a release for a flight approximately 2 hours before departure. At the time the release was prepared, the payload figure showed 23300 pounds. For some reason, the computer system changed the figure to show 3000 pounds, based on what it read from the reservations system. Because this was a charter flight, which does not show in the reservations system, it 'defaulted' to 1 passenger and 2600 pounds of cargo. The computer then automatic-calculated the flight plan at the erroneous payload, resulting in a lower fuel lead than required for the flight plan as planned by the dispatcher. The flight arrived at its destination with 6400 pounds of fuel. Based on the correct payload, reserve fuel was 3562 pounds, burn to alternate of alb was 3384 pounds, equaling an arrival fuel of 6946 pounds.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER CLAIMS A COMPUTER ERROR RESULTED IN DISPATCH WITH LESS THAN LEGALLY-REQUIRED FUEL.

Narrative: DISPATCHER PREPARED A RELEASE FOR A FLT APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE DEP. AT THE TIME THE RELEASE WAS PREPARED, THE PAYLOAD FIGURE SHOWED 23300 LBS. FOR SOME REASON, THE COMPUTER SYS CHANGED THE FIGURE TO SHOW 3000 LBS, BASED ON WHAT IT READ FROM THE RESERVATIONS SYS. BECAUSE THIS WAS A CHARTER FLT, WHICH DOES NOT SHOW IN THE RESERVATIONS SYS, IT 'DEFAULTED' TO 1 PAX AND 2600 LBS OF CARGO. THE COMPUTER THEN AUTO-CALCULATED THE FLT PLAN AT THE ERRONEOUS PAYLOAD, RESULTING IN A LOWER FUEL LEAD THAN REQUIRED FOR THE FLT PLAN AS PLANNED BY THE DISPATCHER. THE FLT ARRIVED AT ITS DEST WITH 6400 LBS OF FUEL. BASED ON THE CORRECT PAYLOAD, RESERVE FUEL WAS 3562 LBS, BURN TO ALTERNATE OF ALB WAS 3384 LBS, EQUALING AN ARR FUEL OF 6946 LBS.

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.