Narrative:

Unable to contact control tower at sat. A flight requested RVR report at sat for runway 22R. The phone number that we have in the computer for sat tower is 210-805-5509. This number resulted in a series of beeps. When I got an air carrier agent they gave me a number with last 4 numbers as 5507. When I called this number, I got a recording saying to call airport operations at 207-3433. When I called airport operations, I got an operator who put me on hold for several mins. This operator called airport communications and then after having me on hold for several more mins, xferred me to a man in the terminal building. I told him my request to speak to the tower and he said that the tower was restr and only he could call them or I could contact them on the radio. I finally got the RVR again after waiting on hold while this man called someone else and asked them to call the tower on their secret number and relay the information back to him to relay to me. I asked this man what I was supposed to do in an emergency and he said call the tower on the radio or go through this same process. This process, by the way, took 23 mins of continuous calling or holding on the phone to get 1 RVR reading. This is totally unacceptable for an emergency situation. We can call the control towers all over the united states and other countries, why not sat? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the dispatcher said that she was very frustrated by the group of people who led her through the telephone labyrinth. She has now updated the telephone log in the operations manual and all is back to normal.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DISPATCHER RPTS THAT SHE ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE SAT TWR TO OBTAIN THE CURRENT RVR READINGS, BUT UNKNOWN TO THE DISPATCH OFFICE THE TWR PHONE HAD CHANGED.

Narrative: UNABLE TO CONTACT CTL TWR AT SAT. A FLT REQUESTED RVR RPT AT SAT FOR RWY 22R. THE PHONE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMPUTER FOR SAT TWR IS 210-805-5509. THIS NUMBER RESULTED IN A SERIES OF BEEPS. WHEN I GOT AN ACR AGENT THEY GAVE ME A NUMBER WITH LAST 4 NUMBERS AS 5507. WHEN I CALLED THIS NUMBER, I GOT A RECORDING SAYING TO CALL ARPT OPS AT 207-3433. WHEN I CALLED ARPT OPS, I GOT AN OPERATOR WHO PUT ME ON HOLD FOR SEVERAL MINS. THIS OPERATOR CALLED ARPT COMS AND THEN AFTER HAVING ME ON HOLD FOR SEVERAL MORE MINS, XFERRED ME TO A MAN IN THE TERMINAL BUILDING. I TOLD HIM MY REQUEST TO SPEAK TO THE TWR AND HE SAID THAT THE TWR WAS RESTR AND ONLY HE COULD CALL THEM OR I COULD CONTACT THEM ON THE RADIO. I FINALLY GOT THE RVR AGAIN AFTER WAITING ON HOLD WHILE THIS MAN CALLED SOMEONE ELSE AND ASKED THEM TO CALL THE TWR ON THEIR SECRET NUMBER AND RELAY THE INFO BACK TO HIM TO RELAY TO ME. I ASKED THIS MAN WHAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO IN AN EMER AND HE SAID CALL THE TWR ON THE RADIO OR GO THROUGH THIS SAME PROCESS. THIS PROCESS, BY THE WAY, TOOK 23 MINS OF CONTINUOUS CALLING OR HOLDING ON THE PHONE TO GET 1 RVR READING. THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE FOR AN EMER SIT. WE CAN CALL THE CTL TWRS ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES, WHY NOT SAT? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE DISPATCHER SAID THAT SHE WAS VERY FRUSTRATED BY THE GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO LED HER THROUGH THE TELEPHONE LABYRINTH. SHE HAS NOW UPDATED THE TELEPHONE LOG IN THE OPS MANUAL AND ALL IS BACK TO NORMAL.

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.