Narrative:

I was informed by the relieving dispatcher a few days after flight landed, that he had filed an as soon as possible report on flight XXX in april, ord-sju. I was working the caribbean desks that night and was concerned with thunderstorms along the carolina coast, as well as florida. I set up a flight ord-sju on a company route which takes the flight over sie.B24.champ/A300. This was to avoid the possibility of en route thunderstorms. Since ord-sju flts are usually planned as B43 (operations specification) special reserve releases, this flight inadvertently was filed over a route which has en route points further than can be reliably fixed each hour using class 1 navigation facilities. This flight, therefore, required international en route fuel reserves, ie, east/rsv. Since I had finished my shift, and the flight departed later, I was not able to correct the ATC filing. This flight landed sju without incident, and did not pose a safety risk due to fuel on board was sufficient for relieving dispatcher to change from a B43 release to east/rsv release or remove the alternate for sju which was stx. Sju WX was not calling for an alternate nor needed en route, but was added as a prudent measure for possibility of showers around sju at time of dispatch. Some steps should have been taken by relieving dispatcher to amend release and/or change ATC routing with agreement from captain while the flight was en route and thus find a workable solution adhering to company as well as far regulations. Some ways to avoid any possible future inadvertent filings are: 1) having route map in flight manual and dispatch work desks with area coverage where B43 can/can't be applied. 2) navigation data department blockage of rtes unable B43 filing. 3) better identifiable en route points for each company route making B43 a viable option when sits as this occur, or flight gets reported by ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 FLT WAS DISPATCHED ON AN ATLANTIC, OVERWATER OP ON ALTERNATE RTE THAT REQUIRED HIGHER FUEL RESERVES FOR THE RTE FLOWN AND FOR THE ARR FORECAST IN SJU.

Narrative: I WAS INFORMED BY THE RELIEVING DISPATCHER A FEW DAYS AFTER FLT LANDED, THAT HE HAD FILED AN ASAP RPT ON FLT XXX IN APRIL, ORD-SJU. I WAS WORKING THE CARIBBEAN DESKS THAT NIGHT AND WAS CONCERNED WITH TSTMS ALONG THE CAROLINA COAST, AS WELL AS FLORIDA. I SET UP A FLT ORD-SJU ON A COMPANY RTE WHICH TAKES THE FLT OVER SIE.B24.CHAMP/A300. THIS WAS TO AVOID THE POSSIBILITY OF ENRTE TSTMS. SINCE ORD-SJU FLTS ARE USUALLY PLANNED AS B43 (OPS SPEC) SPECIAL RESERVE RELEASES, THIS FLT INADVERTENTLY WAS FILED OVER A RTE WHICH HAS ENRTE POINTS FURTHER THAN CAN BE RELIABLY FIXED EACH HR USING CLASS 1 NAV FACILITIES. THIS FLT, THEREFORE, REQUIRED INTL ENRTE FUEL RESERVES, IE, E/RSV. SINCE I HAD FINISHED MY SHIFT, AND THE FLT DEPARTED LATER, I WAS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE ATC FILING. THIS FLT LANDED SJU WITHOUT INCIDENT, AND DID NOT POSE A SAFETY RISK DUE TO FUEL ON BOARD WAS SUFFICIENT FOR RELIEVING DISPATCHER TO CHANGE FROM A B43 RELEASE TO E/RSV RELEASE OR REMOVE THE ALTERNATE FOR SJU WHICH WAS STX. SJU WX WAS NOT CALLING FOR AN ALTERNATE NOR NEEDED ENRTE, BUT WAS ADDED AS A PRUDENT MEASURE FOR POSSIBILITY OF SHOWERS AROUND SJU AT TIME OF DISPATCH. SOME STEPS SHOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN BY RELIEVING DISPATCHER TO AMEND RELEASE AND/OR CHANGE ATC ROUTING WITH AGREEMENT FROM CAPT WHILE THE FLT WAS ENRTE AND THUS FIND A WORKABLE SOLUTION ADHERING TO COMPANY AS WELL AS FAR REGS. SOME WAYS TO AVOID ANY POSSIBLE FUTURE INADVERTENT FILINGS ARE: 1) HAVING RTE MAP IN FLT MANUAL AND DISPATCH WORK DESKS WITH AREA COVERAGE WHERE B43 CAN/CAN'T BE APPLIED. 2) NAV DATA DEPT BLOCKAGE OF RTES UNABLE B43 FILING. 3) BETTER IDENTIFIABLE ENRTE POINTS FOR EACH COMPANY RTE MAKING B43 A VIABLE OPTION WHEN SITS AS THIS OCCUR, OR FLT GETS RPTED BY ATC.

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.