Narrative:

I'd like to bring one to your attention that has been plaguing our office concerning the B737-700 ad fuel. I have been working desk xx this week, which is a long haul desk. Needless to say the need for the extra fuel on the B-700's is required on almost every flight unlike some of the short haul desks. Over a period of several days I caught the computer dropping the extra fuel after I had commanded it to be put in the MEL section and added the remark. Unfortunately, there appears to be no rhyme or reason for when the computer is going to do this, it just happens randomly. I have discussed this problem with other dispatchers and they have experienced the same phenomenon as well. The releases I previously sent you are some of the same flts where the fuel was dropped when I merely changed a bleed setting in the performance section of the work plan. The odd part of this particular flight is, the fuel was moved from MEL to tanker fuel, then, when I sent the 3RD release to correct this, it took the fuel back out of the tanker fuel. This is the only mistake I have caught on paper due to it happening when I sent a new release. I have seen the fuel drop for a various number of other reasons from the 'flight planning/release' side of air carrier flight planning computer (not the reset and replan function which starts you over the scratch). Air carrier flight planning computer has dropped this fuel due to simply changing a hold time or adding an alternate on the original plan. It is not just annoying but needless to say, a safety issue as well as making a dispatcher vulnerable should this fuel drop after the fact and is not caught by the dispatcher. Fortunately, in the example I sent to you, I caught the 'dropping' of this fuel before departure as I was glancing over the B-700's to make sure I had complied with the ad. Had it been a busier night, I may not have been afforded the time to do so.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 DISPATCHER NOTES THE COMPANY FLT PLANNING COMPUTER IS DROPPING EXTRA FUEL REQUIRED BY AN FAA AD NOTE.

Narrative: I'D LIKE TO BRING ONE TO YOUR ATTN THAT HAS BEEN PLAGUING OUR OFFICE CONCERNING THE B737-700 AD FUEL. I HAVE BEEN WORKING DESK XX THIS WEEK, WHICH IS A LONG HAUL DESK. NEEDLESS TO SAY THE NEED FOR THE EXTRA FUEL ON THE B-700'S IS REQUIRED ON ALMOST EVERY FLT UNLIKE SOME OF THE SHORT HAUL DESKS. OVER A PERIOD OF SEVERAL DAYS I CAUGHT THE COMPUTER DROPPING THE EXTRA FUEL AFTER I HAD COMMANDED IT TO BE PUT IN THE MEL SECTION AND ADDED THE REMARK. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE APPEARS TO BE NO RHYME OR REASON FOR WHEN THE COMPUTER IS GOING TO DO THIS, IT JUST HAPPENS RANDOMLY. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS PROB WITH OTHER DISPATCHERS AND THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PHENOMENON AS WELL. THE RELEASES I PREVIOUSLY SENT YOU ARE SOME OF THE SAME FLTS WHERE THE FUEL WAS DROPPED WHEN I MERELY CHANGED A BLEED SETTING IN THE PERFORMANCE SECTION OF THE WORK PLAN. THE ODD PART OF THIS PARTICULAR FLT IS, THE FUEL WAS MOVED FROM MEL TO TANKER FUEL, THEN, WHEN I SENT THE 3RD RELEASE TO CORRECT THIS, IT TOOK THE FUEL BACK OUT OF THE TANKER FUEL. THIS IS THE ONLY MISTAKE I HAVE CAUGHT ON PAPER DUE TO IT HAPPENING WHEN I SENT A NEW RELEASE. I HAVE SEEN THE FUEL DROP FOR A VARIOUS NUMBER OF OTHER REASONS FROM THE 'FLT PLANNING/RELEASE' SIDE OF ACR FLT PLANNING COMPUTER (NOT THE RESET AND REPLAN FUNCTION WHICH STARTS YOU OVER THE SCRATCH). ACR FLT PLANNING COMPUTER HAS DROPPED THIS FUEL DUE TO SIMPLY CHANGING A HOLD TIME OR ADDING AN ALTERNATE ON THE ORIGINAL PLAN. IT IS NOT JUST ANNOYING BUT NEEDLESS TO SAY, A SAFETY ISSUE AS WELL AS MAKING A DISPATCHER VULNERABLE SHOULD THIS FUEL DROP AFTER THE FACT AND IS NOT CAUGHT BY THE DISPATCHER. FORTUNATELY, IN THE EXAMPLE I SENT TO YOU, I CAUGHT THE 'DROPPING' OF THIS FUEL BEFORE DEP AS I WAS GLANCING OVER THE B-700'S TO MAKE SURE I HAD COMPLIED WITH THE AD. HAD IT BEEN A BUSIER NIGHT, I MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AFFORDED THE TIME TO DO SO.

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.