A319 crew was dispatched to a destination not listed in the air carrier operations specifications.

Attributes
ACN	540383
Time
Date	200203
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
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	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	540303
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Company
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

A319 crew called out to substitute for broken MD80. Scheduled to fly air carrier X ZZZ-ewr. En route, discovered we had no stars or sids for ewr in our commercial charts. Borrowed commercial charts from MD80 pilots who were deadheading. Informed dispatcher we would need ewr sids faxed to ewr operations. Dispatcher replied we were not legal to land ewr, that airport is not a primary destination for air carrier X A319, alternate only. We were told to divert to lga. Ewr was not a primary destination for A319 in the air carrier X operations specifications. 25 mi from lga at 8000 ft we got a message that an ewr landing had been approved by air carrier X management. We were on top of ewr by that time. Lga approach handed us off to ewr approach. We had a very high workload below 10000 ft to change flight plan in FMS/FMC and load performance data and brief approach for ewr. Upon arrival at ewr, we discovered a number of A319's had been illegally dispatched there over the past 2 weeks. Safety got involved next day, and operations specifications have been amended and commercial chart stars and sids for ewr have been rush ordered for airbus pilots.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CREW WAS DISPATCHED TO A DEST NOT LISTED IN THE ACR OPS SPECS.

Narrative: A319 CREW CALLED OUT TO SUBSTITUTE FOR BROKEN MD80. SCHEDULED TO FLY ACR X ZZZ-EWR. ENRTE, DISCOVERED WE HAD NO STARS OR SIDS FOR EWR IN OUR COMMERCIAL CHARTS. BORROWED COMMERCIAL CHARTS FROM MD80 PLTS WHO WERE DEADHEADING. INFORMED DISPATCHER WE WOULD NEED EWR SIDS FAXED TO EWR OPS. DISPATCHER REPLIED WE WERE NOT LEGAL TO LAND EWR, THAT ARPT IS NOT A PRIMARY DEST FOR ACR X A319, ALTERNATE ONLY. WE WERE TOLD TO DIVERT TO LGA. EWR WAS NOT A PRIMARY DEST FOR A319 IN THE ACR X OPS SPECS. 25 MI FROM LGA AT 8000 FT WE GOT A MESSAGE THAT AN EWR LNDG HAD BEEN APPROVED BY ACR X MGMNT. WE WERE ON TOP OF EWR BY THAT TIME. LGA APCH HANDED US OFF TO EWR APCH. WE HAD A VERY HIGH WORKLOAD BELOW 10000 FT TO CHANGE FLT PLAN IN FMS/FMC AND LOAD PERFORMANCE DATA AND BRIEF APCH FOR EWR. UPON ARR AT EWR, WE DISCOVERED A NUMBER OF A319'S HAD BEEN ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED THERE OVER THE PAST 2 WKS. SAFETY GOT INVOLVED NEXT DAY, AND OPS SPECS HAVE BEEN AMENDED AND COMMERCIAL CHART STARS AND SIDS FOR EWR HAVE BEEN RUSH ORDERED FOR AIRBUS PLTS.

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.