Narrative:

I released flight #XXX-YYY with aircraft number and no items. Afterwards; up the line; inbound to ZZZ; 2 problems were written up in and deferred in ZZZ prior to the ZZZ-XXX flight. Maintenance control put the item in the tracking system and the ZZZ-SSS dispatcher accepted it. Shortly thereafter; the aircraft pushed off the gate in ZZZ and then had a single channel autoslat failure. Maintenance control added that item in the tracking system. The time between the 2 entries was maybe 10-15 mins. Once I saw the second item added in the tracking system; I called maintenance control; and they verified that they'd be replacing the #2 problems in XXX; and when I asked about the autoslat failure; he said they'd reset/clear that as well. Since I had originally released the XXX-YYY with no MEL items; I was then pretty much all set. I did not arbitrarily amend the YYY-XXX flight when the 2 problems were deferred; since they are commonly replaced transiting XXX; and other maintenance facilities. Additionally; amending the XXX-YYY release to arbitrarily add the 2 problems as inoperative would have driven an altitude restr (aob FL250) in the tracking system which would have no longer been necessary once they later replaced the problems at XXX. The revised flight plan would have had to have been canceled and refiled back at the normal unrestr flight level at the last min; along with paperwork. The next thing I knew is the flight is out of XXX at FL360; and the tracking system is still showing both MEL items as active. I called maintenance control; who hadn't heard anything from XXX; and he found out that XXX had cleared the problems but they had dropped the ball and never called. Maintenance control said the autoslat item was still active; and since it had been deferred after pushback in ZZZ; the PIC needed to get a tracking number at XXX. I have no idea if he actually got one; and he did not call from XXX to get the release amended to match the MEL state of the aircraft. After departure; I amended his release via ACARS to add the autoslat item. The PIC did mention that the autoslat was now working (XXX maintenance had reset it) but that it was not cleared because it was a repeat item on this aircraft (I don't quite understand the logic behind that one). If maintenance control tells me that they're going to clear an item(south) that then allows me to send either an unrestr release (FL360 versus FL240) or a 'legal' release (ie; not releasing an abc-xyz flight with an inoperative window heat with xyz 1/2 SM +sn); I will certainly do so; but it appears that maintenance sometimes forgets to call; and PIC's sometimes forget to read their releases (remarks and MEL/cdl items). I guess the only solution is to call future PIC's in such situations and ensure things have been done properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A MAINT ITEM DEFERRED THAT RESTR FLT ALT. AUTOSLAT SYS DEFERRED OPERATIVE BUT THE DISPATCHER WAS NOT ADVISED.

Narrative: I RELEASED FLT #XXX-YYY WITH ACFT NUMBER AND NO ITEMS. AFTERWARDS; UP THE LINE; INBOUND TO ZZZ; 2 PROBS WERE WRITTEN UP IN AND DEFERRED IN ZZZ PRIOR TO THE ZZZ-XXX FLT. MAINT CTL PUT THE ITEM IN THE TRACKING SYS AND THE ZZZ-SSS DISPATCHER ACCEPTED IT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE ACFT PUSHED OFF THE GATE IN ZZZ AND THEN HAD A SINGLE CHANNEL AUTOSLAT FAILURE. MAINT CTL ADDED THAT ITEM IN THE TRACKING SYS. THE TIME BTWN THE 2 ENTRIES WAS MAYBE 10-15 MINS. ONCE I SAW THE SECOND ITEM ADDED IN THE TRACKING SYS; I CALLED MAINT CTL; AND THEY VERIFIED THAT THEY'D BE REPLACING THE #2 PROBS IN XXX; AND WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE AUTOSLAT FAILURE; HE SAID THEY'D RESET/CLR THAT AS WELL. SINCE I HAD ORIGINALLY RELEASED THE XXX-YYY WITH NO MEL ITEMS; I WAS THEN PRETTY MUCH ALL SET. I DID NOT ARBITRARILY AMEND THE YYY-XXX FLT WHEN THE 2 PROBS WERE DEFERRED; SINCE THEY ARE COMMONLY REPLACED TRANSITING XXX; AND OTHER MAINT FACILITIES. ADDITIONALLY; AMENDING THE XXX-YYY RELEASE TO ARBITRARILY ADD THE 2 PROBS AS INOP WOULD HAVE DRIVEN AN ALT RESTR (AOB FL250) IN THE TRACKING SYS WHICH WOULD HAVE NO LONGER BEEN NECESSARY ONCE THEY LATER REPLACED THE PROBS AT XXX. THE REVISED FLT PLAN WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE BEEN CANCELED AND REFILED BACK AT THE NORMAL UNRESTR FLT LEVEL AT THE LAST MIN; ALONG WITH PAPERWORK. THE NEXT THING I KNEW IS THE FLT IS OUT OF XXX AT FL360; AND THE TRACKING SYS IS STILL SHOWING BOTH MEL ITEMS AS ACTIVE. I CALLED MAINT CTL; WHO HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM XXX; AND HE FOUND OUT THAT XXX HAD CLRED THE PROBS BUT THEY HAD DROPPED THE BALL AND NEVER CALLED. MAINT CTL SAID THE AUTOSLAT ITEM WAS STILL ACTIVE; AND SINCE IT HAD BEEN DEFERRED AFTER PUSHBACK IN ZZZ; THE PIC NEEDED TO GET A TRACKING NUMBER AT XXX. I HAVE NO IDEA IF HE ACTUALLY GOT ONE; AND HE DID NOT CALL FROM XXX TO GET THE RELEASE AMENDED TO MATCH THE MEL STATE OF THE ACFT. AFTER DEP; I AMENDED HIS RELEASE VIA ACARS TO ADD THE AUTOSLAT ITEM. THE PIC DID MENTION THAT THE AUTOSLAT WAS NOW WORKING (XXX MAINT HAD RESET IT) BUT THAT IT WAS NOT CLRED BECAUSE IT WAS A REPEAT ITEM ON THIS ACFT (I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT ONE). IF MAINT CTL TELLS ME THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CLR AN ITEM(S) THAT THEN ALLOWS ME TO SEND EITHER AN UNRESTR RELEASE (FL360 VERSUS FL240) OR A 'LEGAL' RELEASE (IE; NOT RELEASING AN ABC-XYZ FLT WITH AN INOP WINDOW HEAT WITH XYZ 1/2 SM +SN); I WILL CERTAINLY DO SO; BUT IT APPEARS THAT MAINT SOMETIMES FORGETS TO CALL; AND PIC'S SOMETIMES FORGET TO READ THEIR RELEASES (REMARKS AND MEL/CDL ITEMS). I GUESS THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO CALL FUTURE PIC'S IN SUCH SITUATIONS AND ENSURE THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE PROPERLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.