A DISPATCHER RPT ON TERRAIN CLRNC PROBS AND DRIFTDOWN ACFT PERFORMANCE ISSUES ENCOUNTERED IN ROUTING FLTS IN PROX OF DESIGNATED MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN BTWN LAX AND PSP; CA.

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FLT LAX-PSP. SAAB 340B MODEL ACFT. I WAS THE DISPATCHER. I NORMALLY WORK ORD/DFW HUBS. FLT ABCD WAS ASSIGNED TO MY DESK BECAUSE COMPANY FAILED TO ADEQUATELY COVER THE SHIFT. WHILE CALCULATING THE FLT RELEASE; THE COMPUTER RETURNED THIS MESSAGE 'TERRAIN CHK BYPASSED TO DEST.' THIS MESSAGE CONCERNED ME. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT DRIFTDOWN PERFORMANCE. I HELD RELEASE; AND STARTED ASKING OTHER DISPATCHERS WHAT THE COMPUTER MESSAGE REFERRED TO; AS WELL AS ASKING MGMNT. MGMNT; AS USUAL; EITHER DID NOT KNOW OR WERE UNAVAILABLE. OTHER DISPATCHERS DID NOT KNOW. APCHING DEP TIME AND STILL NO ANSWERS. FINALLY; MGMNT CONTACTED A PERSON IN ENGINEERING OPS. THE ENGINEER ASSURED ME THE MESSAGE COULD BE IGNORED. FLT RELEASED ON FOLLOWING RTE: LAX.SLI3.SLI.V64.TRM..PSP. WHILE FLT ENRTE; ENGINEER CALLS BACK AND SAYS HE IS NOT SO SURE NOW ABOUT THE MESSAGE. UPON FURTHER REVIEW; IT APPEARED FLT WAS IN VIOLATION OF DRIFT-DOWN STANDARDS. FOR 19 NM (5 NM E OF HEMET OR 5 NM E OF BALDI) THE FLT WAS IN VIOLATION OF DRIFTDOWN PERFORMANCE. POOR COMPANY TRAINING AND MGMNT A DIRECT CAUSE OF THIS VIOLATION. I WAS BEING CAUTIOUS; YET THE VIOLATION OCCURRED. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL REDOUBLE MY EFFORTS AT CAUTION; AS WELL AS NOT TRUSTING MGMNT. I HAD A FEELING SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT. MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE LAX OP WAS A FACTOR. I COULD HAVE REROUTED THE FLT OR LOWERED FUEL OR PAYLOAD. I WILL NOT MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN.