Narrative:

Our original departure time was XA40Z from lft to mei. The current WX in mei was below landing minimums. Our flight control told the captain to wait till the 'top of the hour' to declare if we would be going to mei. This whole duration of time, I was in the airplane performing my preflight duties. The captain was in lft operations talking with company flight control. According to the captain, a new dispatch came through with an amendment at XB00Z. I never knew of the new dispatch, however, I did know there were changes because the captain informed me of them. The WX in mei was forecasted to be above minimums at XD00Z. Our dispatcher told the captain to depart '20 mins' after the hour. The captain's watch was set for eastern time, but we were in central time. He miscalculated the time. We ended up leaving 1 hour earlier than we were supposed to leave, because he added 6 hours to his watch which eastern time said. Throughout this whole time, I never knew our proposed departure time had changed. The whole flight went uneventfully, and safety was never compromised. I didn't know we were even in the wrong until the day after the flight. Supplemental information from acn 534760: we were on a continuous duty overnight, which meant we achieve maybe 4 hours of rest prior to arriving at lft. The current forecast at that time was above landing minimums. I called my dispatcher and we decided to wait until the new WX at the top of the hour came out. At that time the dispatcher said he would either send me to mei or go directly to atl, our next destination after mei. A new dispatch came out with a change to the original alternate from jan to atl. I called him and he said that we could go at 20 mins after the hour because our flight time would put us into using the forecast time. He said that if we get to mei to hold and call him. I left lft an hour early zulu time, which meant that the current surface and the forecast put my destination below landing minimums at the actual time of arrival. I had 3800 pounds of fuel -- that was plenty to fly to mei, hold for about 1 hour, then go to atl and still have 45 mins reserve fuel left. Once arriving at mei, I held for about 45 mins then the WX rose to above landing minimums. While holding, I kept my dispatcher informed of time and fuel on board. All this was brought to my attention once returning to atl by the EMB120 fleet manager.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB120 FLC DEPARTS 1 HR EARLIER THAN DISPATCHED FOR THEIR WX AFFECTED DEST ARPT, THUS WORKING ON AN OLDER FORECAST THAT DID NOT GIVE A FAVORABLE WX SIT AT TIME OF ARR AT MEI, MS.

Narrative: OUR ORIGINAL DEP TIME WAS XA40Z FROM LFT TO MEI. THE CURRENT WX IN MEI WAS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. OUR FLT CTL TOLD THE CAPT TO WAIT TILL THE 'TOP OF THE HR' TO DECLARE IF WE WOULD BE GOING TO MEI. THIS WHOLE DURATION OF TIME, I WAS IN THE AIRPLANE PERFORMING MY PREFLT DUTIES. THE CAPT WAS IN LFT OPS TALKING WITH COMPANY FLT CTL. ACCORDING TO THE CAPT, A NEW DISPATCH CAME THROUGH WITH AN AMENDMENT AT XB00Z. I NEVER KNEW OF THE NEW DISPATCH, HOWEVER, I DID KNOW THERE WERE CHANGES BECAUSE THE CAPT INFORMED ME OF THEM. THE WX IN MEI WAS FORECASTED TO BE ABOVE MINIMUMS AT XD00Z. OUR DISPATCHER TOLD THE CAPT TO DEPART '20 MINS' AFTER THE HR. THE CAPT'S WATCH WAS SET FOR EASTERN TIME, BUT WE WERE IN CENTRAL TIME. HE MISCALCULATED THE TIME. WE ENDED UP LEAVING 1 HR EARLIER THAN WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE, BECAUSE HE ADDED 6 HRS TO HIS WATCH WHICH EASTERN TIME SAID. THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE TIME, I NEVER KNEW OUR PROPOSED DEP TIME HAD CHANGED. THE WHOLE FLT WENT UNEVENTFULLY, AND SAFETY WAS NEVER COMPROMISED. I DIDN'T KNOW WE WERE EVEN IN THE WRONG UNTIL THE DAY AFTER THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534760: WE WERE ON A CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT, WHICH MEANT WE ACHIEVE MAYBE 4 HRS OF REST PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT LFT. THE CURRENT FORECAST AT THAT TIME WAS ABOVE LNDG MINIMUMS. I CALLED MY DISPATCHER AND WE DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEW WX AT THE TOP OF THE HR CAME OUT. AT THAT TIME THE DISPATCHER SAID HE WOULD EITHER SEND ME TO MEI OR GO DIRECTLY TO ATL, OUR NEXT DEST AFTER MEI. A NEW DISPATCH CAME OUT WITH A CHANGE TO THE ORIGINAL ALTERNATE FROM JAN TO ATL. I CALLED HIM AND HE SAID THAT WE COULD GO AT 20 MINS AFTER THE HR BECAUSE OUR FLT TIME WOULD PUT US INTO USING THE FORECAST TIME. HE SAID THAT IF WE GET TO MEI TO HOLD AND CALL HIM. I LEFT LFT AN HR EARLY ZULU TIME, WHICH MEANT THAT THE CURRENT SURFACE AND THE FORECAST PUT MY DEST BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS AT THE ACTUAL TIME OF ARR. I HAD 3800 LBS OF FUEL -- THAT WAS PLENTY TO FLY TO MEI, HOLD FOR ABOUT 1 HR, THEN GO TO ATL AND STILL HAVE 45 MINS RESERVE FUEL LEFT. ONCE ARRIVING AT MEI, I HELD FOR ABOUT 45 MINS THEN THE WX ROSE TO ABOVE LNDG MINIMUMS. WHILE HOLDING, I KEPT MY DISPATCHER INFORMED OF TIME AND FUEL ON BOARD. ALL THIS WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN ONCE RETURNING TO ATL BY THE EMB120 FLEET MGR.

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.