AN SF340 DISPATCHER IS CONCERNED THAT A NEW LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW DISPATCHERS ADEQUATE OPERATIONAL CONTROL AND ACFT MAY FLY OUT OF LIMITS.

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THIS PROBLEM IS JUST THE MOST RECENT IN MY EXPERIENCE OF A NUMBER OF WT AND BALANCE ISSUES WHICH WE MANAGED TO RESOLVE IN 'THE NICK OF TIME' (IF ONLY BARELY). OUR AIRLINE'S NEWLY-INSTITUTED LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM DOES NOT ALLOW FLTS TO PUSH BACK UNTIL THE FLT CREW HAS SOLID FINAL NUMBERS -- AND IN FACT; IT ACTUALLY ALERTS THE CREW; THE INDIVIDUAL LOAD PLANNER; AND THE DISPATCHER WORKING THE FLT WHENEVER THE SIT IS 'CRITICAL' EITHER FOR WT; FOR CG LOCATION; OR BOTH. NOTWITHSTANDING WHAT THE SYSTEM 'ALLOWS;' CREWS DO LEAVE GATES WITHOUT THE RIGHT NUMBERS -- BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCE (LIMITED AS THEY ADMITTEDLY ARE); THIS HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE A SHIFT OR TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY (OUR OPERATIONAL DAY RUNS 24 HOURS). IN THIS SIT; THE ASSISTANT DISPATCHER CAME TO MY DESK TO TELL ME THAT I HAD A FLT THAT WAS 93 LBS OVERWEIGHT. SHE SAID SHE'D TRIED TO GET HOLD OF THE CREW; BUT TO NO AVAIL. I CROSSED EXAMINED HER BRIEFLY -- I WANTED TO BE SURE THE FLT WAS ONLY HEAVY; AND NOT ALSO OUT OF TRIM; EITHER FORWARD OR AFT. SHE ASSURED ME IT WAS A STRAIGHTFORWARD WT PROBLEM; OTHERWISE THE CG WAS WITHIN THE ENVELOPE. SHE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THE CONFUSION WITH THE NUMBERS HAD TO DO WITH LAST MINUTE CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN ON BOARD; AND THAT I SHOULD MAKE SURE THE FLT CREW UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THAT IN THEIR REVIEW OF THE LOAD MANIFEST. I WAS ABLE TO RAISE THE FLT CREW BY RADIO; AND A BRIEF CONVERSATION WITH THEM MADE IT CLEAR TO ME THEY WERE THOROUGHLY AWARE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED; AND THAT THEY WERE PREPARED TO MAKE WHATEVER ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT BE CALLED FOR PRIOR TO TKOF (OFTEN; AT BUSIER ARPTS; THE TAXI OUT BURN TAKES CARE OF THIS QUITE HANDILY). THIS SORT OF INCIDENT DOES SEEM TO POINT TO A FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE OPERATION CONTROL; HOWEVER -- IF FLTS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF THE GATE UNTIL THEY HAVE CORRECT LOAD MANIFEST DATA AND ARE IN FACT SCOOTING OFF WITHOUT IT; AS A SYSTEM THEN; WE'RE NOT CUTTING IT.