Narrative:

Flight was dispatched without alternate airport (release 1) with standard dispatch fuel and briefing data to singapore. Captain reviewed data and had dispatcher add alternate wmkk (release 2) because captain reviewed WX data and saw storms in general area of south china sea. Storms in singapore were visible in the area but did not show on forecast. Singapore local WX radar is not available in vhhh operations or dispatch. No one is available at wsss operations. ATC forces flight to lower than planned altitude because of increasing traffic volume and slower cruise speeds which is not fuel efficient -- chronic problem not taken into account with dispatch. Routing is single airway with no rvsm or off-track routing. WX at singapore decayed en route which made diversion to wmkk a possibility. Dispatch was unaware of WX problems and storms affecting arrival. Dispatch called station manager at home to determine singapore WX conditions in area which was ridiculous. It was only then that we learned of local heavy trw in the arrival and approach area -- nothing on the local WX. Aircraft deviated around WX on arrival and approach to runway 20R; and landed at minimum fuel. Aircraft should not be dispatched to southeast asia airports in the middle of the night with minimum alternate airports without an alternate airport -- regardless of the WX conditions. Some airports including wsss (NOTAMS -- construction) only have one runway available. Dispatch and vhhh should have all modern planning aids available; including live WX radar uplinks available to all destinations. Currently vhhh; wsss; vvts; vtbs all have some sort of ATC or live WX radar available now; usually available on the internet or other service. Currently at wsss we have live radar available but there is no tie in to vhhh operations or dispatch; which there should be. Currently at vhhh we have live radar available; but there is no tie in to wsss operations or dispatch which there should be. We need to have more WX surveillance by WX planners and dispatchers during monsoon conditions in this area! There are other additional airports that need to be added to available alternates in the wsss area -- widd/batan; ind; and wiii/jakarta; ind. Additionally a diversion guide needs to be included in ACARS that is updated by the company to show immediate expected fpf with fuel and routing; contacts; parking guide; fueling procedures; fuel payment; passenger and crew considerations; etc. Type in destination airport -- wsss -- and diversion airport -- wmkk -- and all the data is there! The fom diversion airport data is not current and is missing key areas. Taking in account an unacceptable WX forecasting; unavailable local WX radar depictions for planning by crews and dispatchers; poor flight monitoring; the extreme traffic congestion on south pacific routes; and lower than fuel efficient altitudes and speeds of the aircraft; apparent extreme workloads of dispatchers; and standard aircraft fueling criteria. This flight was dispatched and managed poorly. The quality of the captain's decision making ability is diminished.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CAPT LAMENTS THE LACK OF LIVE RADAR AND POOR FUEL PLANNING BY COMPANY DISPATCHERS ON FLTS BETWEEN SOUTHEAST ASIAN CITIES.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITHOUT ALTERNATE ARPT (RELEASE 1) WITH STANDARD DISPATCH FUEL AND BRIEFING DATA TO SINGAPORE. CAPT REVIEWED DATA AND HAD DISPATCHER ADD ALTERNATE WMKK (RELEASE 2) BECAUSE CAPT REVIEWED WX DATA AND SAW STORMS IN GENERAL AREA OF SOUTH CHINA SEA. STORMS IN SINGAPORE WERE VISIBLE IN THE AREA BUT DID NOT SHOW ON FORECAST. SINGAPORE LOCAL WX RADAR IS NOT AVAILABLE IN VHHH OPS OR DISPATCH. NO ONE IS AVAILABLE AT WSSS OPS. ATC FORCES FLT TO LOWER THAN PLANNED ALT BECAUSE OF INCREASING TFC VOLUME AND SLOWER CRUISE SPEEDS WHICH IS NOT FUEL EFFICIENT -- CHRONIC PROBLEM NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WITH DISPATCH. ROUTING IS SINGLE AIRWAY WITH NO RVSM OR OFF-TRACK ROUTING. WX AT SINGAPORE DECAYED ENRTE WHICH MADE DIVERSION TO WMKK A POSSIBILITY. DISPATCH WAS UNAWARE OF WX PROBLEMS AND STORMS AFFECTING ARR. DISPATCH CALLED STATION MANAGER AT HOME TO DETERMINE SINGAPORE WX CONDITIONS IN AREA WHICH WAS RIDICULOUS. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT WE LEARNED OF LOCAL HEAVY TRW IN THE ARR AND APCH AREA -- NOTHING ON THE LOCAL WX. ACFT DEVIATED AROUND WX ON ARR AND APCH TO RWY 20R; AND LANDED AT MINIMUM FUEL. ACFT SHOULD NOT BE DISPATCHED TO SOUTHEAST ASIA ARPTS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT WITH MINIMUM ALTERNATE ARPTS WITHOUT AN ALTERNATE ARPT -- REGARDLESS OF THE WX CONDITIONS. SOME ARPTS INCLUDING WSSS (NOTAMS -- CONSTRUCTION) ONLY HAVE ONE RWY AVAILABLE. DISPATCH AND VHHH SHOULD HAVE ALL MODERN PLANNING AIDS AVAILABLE; INCLUDING LIVE WX RADAR UPLINKS AVAILABLE TO ALL DESTS. CURRENTLY VHHH; WSSS; VVTS; VTBS ALL HAVE SOME SORT OF ATC OR LIVE WX RADAR AVAILABLE NOW; USUALLY AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET OR OTHER SERVICE. CURRENTLY AT WSSS WE HAVE LIVE RADAR AVAILABLE BUT THERE IS NO TIE IN TO VHHH OPS OR DISPATCH; WHICH THERE SHOULD BE. CURRENTLY AT VHHH WE HAVE LIVE RADAR AVAILABLE; BUT THERE IS NO TIE IN TO WSSS OPS OR DISPATCH WHICH THERE SHOULD BE. WE NEED TO HAVE MORE WX SURVEILLANCE BY WX PLANNERS AND DISPATCHERS DURING MONSOON CONDITIONS IN THIS AREA! THERE ARE OTHER ADDITIONAL ARPTS THAT NEED TO BE ADDED TO AVAILABLE ALTERNATES IN THE WSSS AREA -- WIDD/BATAN; IND; AND WIII/JAKARTA; IND. ADDITIONALLY A DIVERSION GUIDE NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED IN ACARS THAT IS UPDATED BY THE COMPANY TO SHOW IMMEDIATE EXPECTED FPF WITH FUEL AND ROUTING; CONTACTS; PARKING GUIDE; FUELING PROCEDURES; FUEL PAYMENT; PAX AND CREW CONSIDERATIONS; ETC. TYPE IN DEST ARPT -- WSSS -- AND DIVERSION ARPT -- WMKK -- AND ALL THE DATA IS THERE! THE FOM DIVERSION ARPT DATA IS NOT CURRENT AND IS MISSING KEY AREAS. TAKING IN ACCOUNT AN UNACCEPTABLE WX FORECASTING; UNAVAILABLE LOCAL WX RADAR DEPICTIONS FOR PLANNING BY CREWS AND DISPATCHERS; POOR FLT MONITORING; THE EXTREME TFC CONGESTION ON SOUTH PACIFIC ROUTES; AND LOWER THAN FUEL EFFICIENT ALTS AND SPEEDS OF THE ACFT; APPARENT EXTREME WORKLOADS OF DISPATCHERS; AND STANDARD ACFT FUELING CRITERIA. THIS FLT WAS DISPATCHED AND MANAGED POORLY. THE QUALITY OF THE CAPT'S DECISION MAKING ABILITY IS DIMINISHED.

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.