Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour prior to departure, the phone center received what I am told, a specific bomb threat. Being the aircraft dispatcher for that flight, I am to be notified immediately. I only found out about this threat to the flight's safety by accident. I was walking by our main office to get a cup of coffee when I overheard them talking about something that sounded important. I inquired, 'what's going on?' they replied, 'oh, we had a bomb threat.' I asked, 'specific or non specific?' they answered that they didn't know. Then I asked, 'which flight?' their response, the one going into ZZZ?' 'which one?' 'flight xyz.' that happened to be my flight and that's how I found out about the bomb threat. Just a mere 3 hours after the phone call was received. I was receiving all information regarding this flight from the folks at the main office when I should've received it first hand. My operational control was undermined a second way that I know of. Airline security was on the phone with them when I heard them make a judgement call about my flight. I don't know what information airline security wanted to convey, by means of commercial radio but the person at the main office said that I wouldn't commercial radio the flight while it was on approach. I believe that is my decision to make, especially being a potentially hazardous situation. Knowledge of procedures from airline security, the main office, and personnel would be a tremendous help in handling emergency sits. Proper communication flow would also be of assistance. 2 more things to add: 1) 2 days after the incident, the person at the main office that said they didn't know if the threat was specific or non specific asked me what the difference was. 2) it has come to my attention that the fbi was not contacted as I was assured they would be. On a recorded line, the operations director called. I asked him if the FAA and fbi had been contacted and if not, would he like me to do it. He assured me that airline security was making the contact calls. I again said 'the fbi?' he said yes, and not to bother.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR DISPATCHER DISCOVERS BY CASUAL CONVERSATION THAT A FLT UNDER HIS CTL WAS THE SUBJECT OF A BOMB THREAT FOR THE LAST 3 HRS. SINCE HE WAS NOT NOTIFIED, HE QUESTIONS THE ADEQUACY OF COMPANY PROCS.

Narrative: APPROX 1 HR PRIOR TO DEP, THE PHONE CTR RECEIVED WHAT I AM TOLD, A SPECIFIC BOMB THREAT. BEING THE ACFT DISPATCHER FOR THAT FLT, I AM TO BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS THREAT TO THE FLT'S SAFETY BY ACCIDENT. I WAS WALKING BY OUR MAIN OFFICE TO GET A CUP OF COFFEE WHEN I OVERHEARD THEM TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED IMPORTANT. I INQUIRED, 'WHAT'S GOING ON?' THEY REPLIED, 'OH, WE HAD A BOMB THREAT.' I ASKED, 'SPECIFIC OR NON SPECIFIC?' THEY ANSWERED THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW. THEN I ASKED, 'WHICH FLT?' THEIR RESPONSE, THE ONE GOING INTO ZZZ?' 'WHICH ONE?' 'FLT XYZ.' THAT HAPPENED TO BE MY FLT AND THAT'S HOW I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE BOMB THREAT. JUST A MERE 3 HRS AFTER THE PHONE CALL WAS RECEIVED. I WAS RECEIVING ALL INFO REGARDING THIS FLT FROM THE FOLKS AT THE MAIN OFFICE WHEN I SHOULD'VE RECEIVED IT FIRST HAND. MY OPERATIONAL CTL WAS UNDERMINED A SECOND WAY THAT I KNOW OF. AIRLINE SECURITY WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THEM WHEN I HEARD THEM MAKE A JUDGEMENT CALL ABOUT MY FLT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT INFO AIRLINE SECURITY WANTED TO CONVEY, BY MEANS OF COMMERCIAL RADIO BUT THE PERSON AT THE MAIN OFFICE SAID THAT I WOULDN'T COMMERCIAL RADIO THE FLT WHILE IT WAS ON APCH. I BELIEVE THAT IS MY DECISION TO MAKE, ESPECIALLY BEING A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT. KNOWLEDGE OF PROCS FROM AIRLINE SECURITY, THE MAIN OFFICE, AND PERSONNEL WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS HELP IN HANDLING EMER SITS. PROPER COM FLOW WOULD ALSO BE OF ASSISTANCE. 2 MORE THINGS TO ADD: 1) 2 DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE PERSON AT THE MAIN OFFICE THAT SAID THEY DIDN'T KNOW IF THE THREAT WAS SPECIFIC OR NON SPECIFIC ASKED ME WHAT THE DIFFERENCE WAS. 2) IT HAS COME TO MY ATTN THAT THE FBI WAS NOT CONTACTED AS I WAS ASSURED THEY WOULD BE. ON A RECORDED LINE, THE OPS DIRECTOR CALLED. I ASKED HIM IF THE FAA AND FBI HAD BEEN CONTACTED AND IF NOT, WOULD HE LIKE ME TO DO IT. HE ASSURED ME THAT AIRLINE SECURITY WAS MAKING THE CONTACT CALLS. I AGAIN SAID 'THE FBI?' HE SAID YES, AND NOT TO BOTHER.

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.