Dispatcher does a favor for the PIC of a FK10 by declaring an emergency for him, without his consent...

Attributes
ACN	367156
Time
Date	199704
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : yyy
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other personnel other
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	367156
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Flight xyz advised me that he had to shut down the APU on account of an oil overtemp indication. The #1 idg (integrated drive generator -- engine driven #1 engine) was already on placard. This made the aircraft a 1 generator operation. The captain indicated that he wanted to continue to xyz, I told him that there was a possibility of fog in xyz by virtue of no temperature/dewpoint spread and that several other airports in the area were in fog. Also I informed him that we were one step away from an emergency with the 1 generator condition. We then broke contact. I began looking at the abnormal/emergency procedures in the afm. The procedure advised landing at the closest suitable airport. I finally re-established verbal communication and cited the afm procedure to the captain. He agreed he should land. I asked the captain of his position and what was the closest usable airport, he told me yyz, yzz. Both yyz and yzz were in VFR conditions. The captain then requested where the nearest maintenance base was to get the aircraft repaired, and I told him either AAA or BBB. He elected to proceed to BBB, and we broke communications again. I then decided to declare an emergency with DDD, because of the captain's decision to overfly other airports that were usable. I wanted to provide him with priority handling. I sent the flight an ACARS message that I had declared an emergency with ATC. The aircraft proceeded onto BBB and landed without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER DOES A FAVOR FOR THE PIC OF A FK10 BY DECLARING AN EMER FOR HIM, WITHOUT HIS CONSENT, BECAUSE OF A 1 GENERATOR OP. RPTR STATES THAT HE WANTED CAPT TO OBTAIN PRIORITY TFC HANDLING FROM ATC.

Narrative: FLT XYZ ADVISED ME THAT HE HAD TO SHUT DOWN THE APU ON ACCOUNT OF AN OIL OVERTEMP INDICATION. THE #1 IDG (INTEGRATED DRIVE GENERATOR -- ENG DRIVEN #1 ENG) WAS ALREADY ON PLACARD. THIS MADE THE ACFT A 1 GENERATOR OP. THE CAPT INDICATED THAT HE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO XYZ, I TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY OF FOG IN XYZ BY VIRTUE OF NO TEMP/DEWPOINT SPREAD AND THAT SEVERAL OTHER ARPTS IN THE AREA WERE IN FOG. ALSO I INFORMED HIM THAT WE WERE ONE STEP AWAY FROM AN EMER WITH THE 1 GENERATOR CONDITION. WE THEN BROKE CONTACT. I BEGAN LOOKING AT THE ABNORMAL/EMER PROCS IN THE AFM. THE PROC ADVISED LNDG AT THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT. I FINALLY RE-ESTABLISHED VERBAL COM AND CITED THE AFM PROC TO THE CAPT. HE AGREED HE SHOULD LAND. I ASKED THE CAPT OF HIS POS AND WHAT WAS THE CLOSEST USABLE ARPT, HE TOLD ME YYZ, YZZ. BOTH YYZ AND YZZ WERE IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE CAPT THEN REQUESTED WHERE THE NEAREST MAINT BASE WAS TO GET THE ACFT REPAIRED, AND I TOLD HIM EITHER AAA OR BBB. HE ELECTED TO PROCEED TO BBB, AND WE BROKE COMS AGAIN. I THEN DECIDED TO DECLARE AN EMER WITH DDD, BECAUSE OF THE CAPT'S DECISION TO OVERFLY OTHER ARPTS THAT WERE USABLE. I WANTED TO PROVIDE HIM WITH PRIORITY HANDLING. I SENT THE FLT AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT I HAD DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC. THE ACFT PROCEEDED ONTO BBB AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Dispatcher does a favor for the PIC of a FK10 by declaring an emergency for him, without his consent, because of a 1 generator operation. Reporter states that he wanted captain to obtain priority traffic handling from ATC.