Narrative:

Flight was dispatched from cyxu to pit with cak as an alternate, forecast to be good at ETA. A check of WX as flight neared destination showed that the metar, which would have been current at ETA, was below the forecast and below required alternate minimums. The flight was within the range of destination during which it would be descending, making it unreachable by commercial radio phone patch. Company radio/telephone link has been inoperative for about 1 week. I called operations to relay an amended release to change the alternate airport. Operations advised that the flight was not on frequency, having just called 'in range,' and would not come back up on frequency until landing. While the flight landed safely, there was a legal requirement for an alternate airport for destination and I was unable to communicate with the flight to provide that legal requirement and margin of safety. Contributing factors include inoperative communications equipment and the marginal coverage of the commercial radio phone patch system as air carrier uses it. Corrective actions suggested would be the timely repair of broken equipment and getting a better system to assure timely, reliable communication. Human factors include workload and staffing. I was the only dispatcher on staff at the time. There was no maintenance coordinator on duty. I was expected to and actually did perform some maintenance control functions as well as releasing other flts and other dispatch duties. It would have perhaps been better judgement to disregard other duties and devote more time to monitoring flight. However, there was no certainty the WX would deteriorate. In addition, whomever is on duty is expected to perform all duties when additional staff is not on duty.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY DISPATCHER WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT A JS31 CREW ON COMPANY RADIO.

Narrative: FLT WAS DISPATCHED FROM CYXU TO PIT WITH CAK AS AN ALTERNATE, FORECAST TO BE GOOD AT ETA. A CHK OF WX AS FLT NEARED DEST SHOWED THAT THE METAR, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN CURRENT AT ETA, WAS BELOW THE FORECAST AND BELOW REQUIRED ALTERNATE MINIMUMS. THE FLT WAS WITHIN THE RANGE OF DEST DURING WHICH IT WOULD BE DSNDING, MAKING IT UNREACHABLE BY COMMERCIAL RADIO PHONE PATCH. COMPANY RADIO/TELEPHONE LINK HAS BEEN INOP FOR ABOUT 1 WK. I CALLED OPS TO RELAY AN AMENDED RELEASE TO CHANGE THE ALTERNATE ARPT. OPS ADVISED THAT THE FLT WAS NOT ON FREQ, HAVING JUST CALLED 'IN RANGE,' AND WOULD NOT COME BACK UP ON FREQ UNTIL LNDG. WHILE THE FLT LANDED SAFELY, THERE WAS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT FOR AN ALTERNATE ARPT FOR DEST AND I WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FLT TO PROVIDE THAT LEGAL REQUIREMENT AND MARGIN OF SAFETY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE INOP COMS EQUIP AND THE MARGINAL COVERAGE OF THE COMMERCIAL RADIO PHONE PATCH SYS AS ACR USES IT. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS SUGGESTED WOULD BE THE TIMELY REPAIR OF BROKEN EQUIP AND GETTING A BETTER SYS TO ASSURE TIMELY, RELIABLE COM. HUMAN FACTORS INCLUDE WORKLOAD AND STAFFING. I WAS THE ONLY DISPATCHER ON STAFF AT THE TIME. THERE WAS NO MAINT COORDINATOR ON DUTY. I WAS EXPECTED TO AND ACTUALLY DID PERFORM SOME MAINT CTL FUNCTIONS AS WELL AS RELEASING OTHER FLTS AND OTHER DISPATCH DUTIES. IT WOULD HAVE PERHAPS BEEN BETTER JUDGEMENT TO DISREGARD OTHER DUTIES AND DEVOTE MORE TIME TO MONITORING FLT. HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO CERTAINTY THE WX WOULD DETERIORATE. IN ADDITION, WHOMEVER IS ON DUTY IS EXPECTED TO PERFORM ALL DUTIES WHEN ADDITIONAL STAFF IS NOT ON DUTY.

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.