Narrative:

Upon arrival of my shift; received 18 flts passed down from the previous dispatcher. There was significant WX that was impacting the northeast as ceilings and visibilities were diminishing. During the process of reviewing my current flts and the flts to be completed; I was handed another 16 flts to watch from another dispatcher. While being briefed on her flts; I asked about 2 flts to dca and another one going into bwi; and noticed no alternates listed on either one. I questioned the dispatcher about the 2 flts and she told me that the dca had departed and I had assumed that the xa:12 forecast didn't require an alternate; since the xa:18 forecast was already out. By this time it was xa:30 and I had 12 releases due out by xb:30. The other dispatcher then added an alternate to the bwi flight. I told her to use iad or dca and to get hold of the crew to return to the gate to get more fuel. More fuel was added. When the crew called I read the numbers and told them the new alternate only to find out the release was not refiled (queued); more about that later. The taf's were continuing to amend. Avp fell below legal limits and I had to amend other releases to use hpn instead of avp. Jfk; lga; ewr and others were in ground delay programs with wheels up times changing and updates needed to be adjusted. Then 15 mins before wheels up time on 2 of my aircraft were ready to launch; jfk went into a ground stop and I had to make more phone calls. I hope the picture is getting clear. I was busy. After the rush I was following flts. Time was slowing down and was checking the 2 flts I had questions about. I noticed the one was not refiled and wondered where was the alternate required for dca. Upon my discovery; I talked to another dispatcher and a duty manager to seek advice. I believe in the future; before taking over flts; they should all be checked out and not assumed because of all the safety reasons. Also; if I am overwhelmed with flts; contact a lead or duty manager or another dispatcher for help.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER ADVISES THAT AN OVERLOAD OF FLTS AND BAD WX RESULTED IN TASK SATURATION AND A FAILURE TO MAKE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE DISPATCH RELEASES FOR 2 FLTS THAT HAD BEEN PASSED OFF BY THE PREVIOUS DISPATCHER.

Narrative: UPON ARR OF MY SHIFT; RECEIVED 18 FLTS PASSED DOWN FROM THE PREVIOUS DISPATCHER. THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WX THAT WAS IMPACTING THE NE AS CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WERE DIMINISHING. DURING THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING MY CURRENT FLTS AND THE FLTS TO BE COMPLETED; I WAS HANDED ANOTHER 16 FLTS TO WATCH FROM ANOTHER DISPATCHER. WHILE BEING BRIEFED ON HER FLTS; I ASKED ABOUT 2 FLTS TO DCA AND ANOTHER ONE GOING INTO BWI; AND NOTICED NO ALTERNATES LISTED ON EITHER ONE. I QUESTIONED THE DISPATCHER ABOUT THE 2 FLTS AND SHE TOLD ME THAT THE DCA HAD DEPARTED AND I HAD ASSUMED THAT THE XA:12 FORECAST DIDN'T REQUIRE AN ALTERNATE; SINCE THE XA:18 FORECAST WAS ALREADY OUT. BY THIS TIME IT WAS XA:30 AND I HAD 12 RELEASES DUE OUT BY XB:30. THE OTHER DISPATCHER THEN ADDED AN ALTERNATE TO THE BWI FLT. I TOLD HER TO USE IAD OR DCA AND TO GET HOLD OF THE CREW TO RETURN TO THE GATE TO GET MORE FUEL. MORE FUEL WAS ADDED. WHEN THE CREW CALLED I READ THE NUMBERS AND TOLD THEM THE NEW ALTERNATE ONLY TO FIND OUT THE RELEASE WAS NOT REFILED (QUEUED); MORE ABOUT THAT LATER. THE TAF'S WERE CONTINUING TO AMEND. AVP FELL BELOW LEGAL LIMITS AND I HAD TO AMEND OTHER RELEASES TO USE HPN INSTEAD OF AVP. JFK; LGA; EWR AND OTHERS WERE IN GND DELAY PROGRAMS WITH WHEELS UP TIMES CHANGING AND UPDATES NEEDED TO BE ADJUSTED. THEN 15 MINS BEFORE WHEELS UP TIME ON 2 OF MY ACFT WERE READY TO LAUNCH; JFK WENT INTO A GND STOP AND I HAD TO MAKE MORE PHONE CALLS. I HOPE THE PICTURE IS GETTING CLR. I WAS BUSY. AFTER THE RUSH I WAS FOLLOWING FLTS. TIME WAS SLOWING DOWN AND WAS CHKING THE 2 FLTS I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT. I NOTICED THE ONE WAS NOT REFILED AND WONDERED WHERE WAS THE ALTERNATE REQUIRED FOR DCA. UPON MY DISCOVERY; I TALKED TO ANOTHER DISPATCHER AND A DUTY MGR TO SEEK ADVICE. I BELIEVE IN THE FUTURE; BEFORE TAKING OVER FLTS; THEY SHOULD ALL BE CHKED OUT AND NOT ASSUMED BECAUSE OF ALL THE SAFETY REASONS. ALSO; IF I AM OVERWHELMED WITH FLTS; CONTACT A LEAD OR DUTY MGR OR ANOTHER DISPATCHER FOR HELP.

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.