B757-200
Dispatch Dispatcher
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Airport; Human Factors; MEL
While signing on duty yesterday I got a heads up from dayshift Dispatcher the B757 enroute to SNA had a brake on MEL and landing numbers were fine. He also told me he looked at departure numbers out of SNA and they too looked OK. I looked at the numbers and saw we were OK but my own personal alarm bells were going off due to the brake inoperative and the very short runway. I sent this message to the on Duty Manager.'I have not taken turnover yet but was told my SNA bird will have a brake inoperative. I ran through the numbers and they look alright but I just want to throw this out there while we have time to think about it.'The Manager replied; 'Yes; we looked at the payload history coming out of SNA and they have not been over 44K the past two weeks. We are aware that we could take a hit if they are really high on payload tonight. Do you think if they are under 50K we will be good?'[Later] 'The numbers were OK but I'm operating off what is probably the shortest operational runway in the entire system and have a brake inoperative! There is a layer of safety peeled away with this condition. Yes; I can do it but the unknowns that I have to think about are jumping at me with this. I'd be fine off a longer runway but my 'proceed with caution' alarm is going off. Perhaps we should take that plane [elsewhere] to maintain that added layer of safety...runway at SNA is [just] 5;700 FT!'We talk about safety in training and the 'first link in the chain' and trying to recognize it. Seems yesterday we were in the same old mode ('can we do it?') (yes) '(then lets do it!'). Besides FAR's and company procedures I dispatch by a simple three rule process: First; is it legal? Next; is it safe? And finally; is it smart? This operation fell short on item three with me!As a result I suggest that; to ensure that added layer of safety does not get taken away; we ought to look at a policy of no dispatch with a brake inoperative to a runway less than 6;500 to 7;000 FT.
A Dispatcher addressed his concerns about dispatching a B757 to the short runway at SNA with an MEL'd brake.