Narrative:

Jul/tue/03 had thunderstorms forecasted from the midwest to the east. The thunderstorms started to develop much earlier than expected, therefore, created an extremely busy day. So much so, even after the manager split off several sections, mid shift workload was clearly pushing an unmanageable level. Flight from iad was preplanned when maintenance called to defer the #2 bleed air supply system, which requires FL310 and not to be operated in known or forecasted icing. After reviewing the MEL, I accepted the deferral knowing I was going to replan the flight overwater, avoiding en route WX. I refiled the new route and altitude and called operations to talk with the captain about the deferral and adjustments to the flight plan. He was not there, so I sent a message to the plane with the information and continued with my work until I heard from him approximately 45 mins later. He reviewed the MEL and my new routing and agreed with the plan. Once airborne, the captain sent me a message stating that ATC had rerouted them back over land and he accepted it. I told him he needed to refuse the routing due to the MEL restr of FL310 and the thunderstorms en route. He responded, asking if it was because of icing. I re-evaluated the situation. Radar showed an unavoidable wall of thunderstorms from gso south the destination. I checked with meteorology for en route icing returning to iad and for our arrival time we would be in the clear. I decided, in the interest of safety, the best option was for the flight to return to iad. I briefed the manager and she agreed that returning to iad was the best option. At that point, the crew called me on the radio, and I let them know we needed to return to iad. The flight did return to iad safely and not overweight. Supplemental information from acn 588400: at no time did we ever experience flying in anything other than the clear. We deviated around all WX and burned off fuel to ensure that we did not make an overweight landing. The return and landing at iad was uneventful.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A-320 HAS TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE IN ICING CONDITIONS BECAUSE OF A DEFERRED BLEED AIR SUPPLY SYS.

Narrative: JUL/TUE/03 HAD TSTMS FORECASTED FROM THE MIDWEST TO THE EAST. THE TSTMS STARTED TO DEVELOP MUCH EARLIER THAN EXPECTED, THEREFORE, CREATED AN EXTREMELY BUSY DAY. SO MUCH SO, EVEN AFTER THE MGR SPLIT OFF SEVERAL SECTIONS, MID SHIFT WORKLOAD WAS CLEARLY PUSHING AN UNMANAGEABLE LEVEL. FLT FROM IAD WAS PREPLANNED WHEN MAINT CALLED TO DEFER THE #2 BLEED AIR SUPPLY SYS, WHICH REQUIRES FL310 AND NOT TO BE OPERATED IN KNOWN OR FORECASTED ICING. AFTER REVIEWING THE MEL, I ACCEPTED THE DEFERRAL KNOWING I WAS GOING TO REPLAN THE FLT OVERWATER, AVOIDING ENRTE WX. I REFILED THE NEW RTE AND ALT AND CALLED OPS TO TALK WITH THE CAPT ABOUT THE DEFERRAL AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FLT PLAN. HE WAS NOT THERE, SO I SENT A MESSAGE TO THE PLANE WITH THE INFO AND CONTINUED WITH MY WORK UNTIL I HEARD FROM HIM APPROX 45 MINS LATER. HE REVIEWED THE MEL AND MY NEW ROUTING AND AGREED WITH THE PLAN. ONCE AIRBORNE, THE CAPT SENT ME A MESSAGE STATING THAT ATC HAD REROUTED THEM BACK OVER LAND AND HE ACCEPTED IT. I TOLD HIM HE NEEDED TO REFUSE THE ROUTING DUE TO THE MEL RESTR OF FL310 AND THE TSTMS ENRTE. HE RESPONDED, ASKING IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF ICING. I RE-EVALUATED THE SIT. RADAR SHOWED AN UNAVOIDABLE WALL OF TSTMS FROM GSO S THE DEST. I CHKED WITH METEOROLOGY FOR ENRTE ICING RETURNING TO IAD AND FOR OUR ARR TIME WE WOULD BE IN THE CLR. I DECIDED, IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY, THE BEST OPTION WAS FOR THE FLT TO RETURN TO IAD. I BRIEFED THE MGR AND SHE AGREED THAT RETURNING TO IAD WAS THE BEST OPTION. AT THAT POINT, THE CREW CALLED ME ON THE RADIO, AND I LET THEM KNOW WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO IAD. THE FLT DID RETURN TO IAD SAFELY AND NOT OVERWT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 588400: AT NO TIME DID WE EVER EXPERIENCE FLYING IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE CLR. WE DEVIATED AROUND ALL WX AND BURNED OFF FUEL TO ENSURE THAT WE DID NOT MAKE AN OVERWT LNDG. THE RETURN AND LNDG AT IAD WAS UNEVENTFUL.

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.