A DC10-10 DUMPS FUEL WITHOUT CLRNC WHILE FLYING BY FAM. SO STARTED THE FUEL DUMP ON HIS OWN DISCRETION; WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE CAPT AND OBTAINING HIS APPROVAL.

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JUST PRIOR TO FAM THE SO SAID IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE GOING TO BE OVER LNDG WT. THE FLT WAS FEB/KK/97; APPROX XX30; ORD TO MEM; DC10-10; LNDG WT 375000 LBS. I TOLD HIM TO CALL ACR OPS AND ASK THEM IF THEY WANT US TO DUMP SOME FUEL OR DELAY THE FLT; SINCE WE WERE ALREADY LATE AND I DIDN'T KNOW HOW CRITICAL OUR LOAD WAS TO BE ON TIME IN MEM. ALSO; I WANTED TO WAIT UNTIL WE GOT CLOSER TO MEM BEFORE DUMPING BECAUSE WE COULD BE FINE. WE DSNDED TO FL220 TO BURN MORE FUEL AND ASKED ATC FOR THE FULL ARR RTE; RATHER THAN DIRECT. THE COMPANY CAME BACK ON THE RADIO AND SAID IT WAS OK TO DUMP IF WE NEEDED. I TURNED AROUND TO THE SO AND TOLD HIM; I THINK WE WILL BE FINE; LET'S WAIT UNTIL WE GET CLOSER AND LOOK AT IT AGAIN. I TURNED BACK FORWARD AND SAW A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT ON. TURNING TO THE SO PANEL; I ASKED HIM WHAT THE LIGHT WAS FROM. TO MY 'AMAZEMENT' HE WAS DUMPING FUEL WITHOUT TELLING ME OR GETTING MY PERMISSION AND THE MASTER CAUTION WAS FROM THE FUEL DUMP. I TOLD HIM TO DISCONTINUE THE DUMP; WHICH HE DID. I COULD HARDLY BELIEVE HE DID THAT. WE CALLED ATC AND TOLD THEM WE WERE DUMPING IMMEDIATELY WHICH WAS APPROVED BUT BASICALLY AFTER THE FACT. THE SO AND I TALKED AND I GUESS HE MISUNDERSTOOD. HE WAS 30 YRS MIL AND THEY DUMP WHENEVER THEY WANT TO; COMPANY TOLD US WE COULD DUMP. HE IS A SO CHK AIRMAN AND SHOULD KNOW BETTER BUT HE WAS VERY EMBARRASSED AND APOLOGETIC. I GUESS HE JUST DIDN'T THINK THAT HE NEEDED TO COORDINATE FUEL DUMP WITH THE CAPT; CREW AND ATC. I AM SURE IT WAS A MISTAKE AND I KNOW HE WOULD NOT DO THIS AGAIN.