AN A-320 HAS TO RETURN TO DEP ARPT DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO OPERATE IN ICING CONDITIONS BECAUSE OF A DEFERRED BLEED AIR SUPPLY SYS.

Narrative

JUL/TUE/03 HAD TSTMS FORECASTED FROM THE MIDWEST TO THE EAST. THE TSTMS STARTED TO DEVELOP MUCH EARLIER THAN EXPECTED; THEREFORE; CREATED AN EXTREMELY BUSY DAY. SO MUCH SO; EVEN AFTER THE MGR SPLIT OFF SEVERAL SECTIONS; MID SHIFT WORKLOAD WAS CLEARLY PUSHING AN UNMANAGEABLE LEVEL. FLT FROM IAD WAS PREPLANNED WHEN MAINT CALLED TO DEFER THE #2 BLEED AIR SUPPLY SYS; WHICH REQUIRES FL310 AND NOT TO BE OPERATED IN KNOWN OR FORECASTED ICING. AFTER REVIEWING THE MEL; I ACCEPTED THE DEFERRAL KNOWING I WAS GOING TO REPLAN THE FLT OVERWATER; AVOIDING ENRTE WX. I REFILED THE NEW RTE AND ALT AND CALLED OPS TO TALK WITH THE CAPT ABOUT THE DEFERRAL AND ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FLT PLAN. HE WAS NOT THERE; SO I SENT A MESSAGE TO THE PLANE WITH THE INFO AND CONTINUED WITH MY WORK UNTIL I HEARD FROM HIM APPROX 45 MINS LATER. HE REVIEWED THE MEL AND MY NEW ROUTING AND AGREED WITH THE PLAN. ONCE AIRBORNE; THE CAPT SENT ME A MESSAGE STATING THAT ATC HAD REROUTED THEM BACK OVER LAND AND HE ACCEPTED IT. I TOLD HIM HE NEEDED TO REFUSE THE ROUTING DUE TO THE MEL RESTR OF FL310 AND THE TSTMS ENRTE. HE RESPONDED; ASKING IF IT WAS BECAUSE OF ICING. I RE-EVALUATED THE SIT. RADAR SHOWED AN UNAVOIDABLE WALL OF TSTMS FROM GSO S THE DEST. I CHKED WITH METEOROLOGY FOR ENRTE ICING RETURNING TO IAD AND FOR OUR ARR TIME WE WOULD BE IN THE CLR. I DECIDED; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; THE BEST OPTION WAS FOR THE FLT TO RETURN TO IAD. I BRIEFED THE MGR AND SHE AGREED THAT RETURNING TO IAD WAS THE BEST OPTION. AT THAT POINT; THE CREW CALLED ME ON THE RADIO; AND I LET THEM KNOW WE NEEDED TO RETURN TO IAD. THE FLT DID RETURN TO IAD SAFELY AND NOT OVERWT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 588400: AT NO TIME DID WE EVER EXPERIENCE FLYING IN ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE CLR. WE DEVIATED AROUND ALL WX AND BURNED OFF FUEL TO ENSURE THAT WE DID NOT MAKE AN OVERWT LNDG. THE RETURN AND LNDG AT IAD WAS UNEVENTFUL.