Narrative:

Air carrier engine shutdown. After takeoff at altitude approximately 3000 ft, the right engine shut itself off. The flight crew completed the shutdown per their QRH procedures, declared an emergency with ATC and received clearance to ZZZ. The flight only lasted about 12 mins. I noticed a rerte for this flight on flight monitor. I was running, with the change of destination from dfw-ZZZ. I called ZZZ operations to confirm this diversion and they were just becoming aware of it as well. ZZZ operations reported that the crash fire rescue equipment equipment was taking position at the runway I was convinced that everything was happening appropriately. I elected not to contact the flight crew who were undoubtedly busy. I thought they appeared not to need any further assistance setting up the emergency landing at ZZZ. I filed an internal report detailing this event which is stored in the record history. During the debrief I later had with captain, he volunteered information to me that the flight training department was emphasizing instruction that they should have ATC call dispatch instead of calling dispatch themselves. I find it particularly alarming that my pilots are being instructed to forego the requirement in our operations manual. For dispatch as soon as possible notification of engine failure or shutdown. This also raises significant concerns of the issue of rapid and reliable communications addressed in far 121.99. I understand that FAA inspector handbooks preclude using ATC facilities for the demonstration of that communication establishing that such communication should be independent of government facilities such as ATC. In summary, I conclude that in this isolated case, no safety issue arose. I was able to ascertain in a timely fashion what was going on. The diversion into ZZZ was very quick. Captain demonstrated the excellence we have come to expect of our flight crew's. He indicated to me that he knew during the event that dispatch was to be notified. He believed due to his training that this notification had been accomplished through his communication with ATC facilities. The truth is that I never received notification of the emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DISPATCHER IS UNHAPPY THAT AN MD80 CREW, AFTER DECLARING AN EMER, WITH AN ENG FAILURE AND A 12 MIN DIVERSION TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, DID NOT TAKE TIME TO CONTACT HIM.

Narrative: ACR ENG SHUTDOWN. AFTER TKOF AT ALT APPROX 3000 FT, THE R ENG SHUT ITSELF OFF. THE FLC COMPLETED THE SHUTDOWN PER THEIR QRH PROCS, DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO ZZZ. THE FLT ONLY LASTED ABOUT 12 MINS. I NOTICED A RERTE FOR THIS FLT ON FLT MONITOR. I WAS RUNNING, WITH THE CHANGE OF DEST FROM DFW-ZZZ. I CALLED ZZZ OPS TO CONFIRM THIS DIVERSION AND THEY WERE JUST BECOMING AWARE OF IT AS WELL. ZZZ OPS RPTED THAT THE CFR EQUIP WAS TAKING POS AT THE RWY I WAS CONVINCED THAT EVERYTHING WAS HAPPENING APPROPRIATELY. I ELECTED NOT TO CONTACT THE FLC WHO WERE UNDOUBTEDLY BUSY. I THOUGHT THEY APPEARED NOT TO NEED ANY FURTHER ASSISTANCE SETTING UP THE EMER LNDG AT ZZZ. I FILED AN INTERNAL RPT DETAILING THIS EVENT WHICH IS STORED IN THE RECORD HISTORY. DURING THE DEBRIEF I LATER HAD WITH CAPT, HE VOLUNTEERED INFO TO ME THAT THE FLT TRAINING DEPT WAS EMPHASIZING INSTRUCTION THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE ATC CALL DISPATCH INSTEAD OF CALLING DISPATCH THEMSELVES. I FIND IT PARTICULARLY ALARMING THAT MY PLTS ARE BEING INSTRUCTED TO FOREGO THE REQUIREMENT IN OUR OPS MANUAL. FOR DISPATCH ASAP NOTIFICATION OF ENG FAILURE OR SHUTDOWN. THIS ALSO RAISES SIGNIFICANT CONCERNS OF THE ISSUE OF RAPID AND RELIABLE COMS ADDRESSED IN FAR 121.99. I UNDERSTAND THAT FAA INSPECTOR HANDBOOKS PRECLUDE USING ATC FACILITIES FOR THE DEMONSTRATION OF THAT COM ESTABLISHING THAT SUCH COM SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT OF GOV FACILITIES SUCH AS ATC. IN SUMMARY, I CONCLUDE THAT IN THIS ISOLATED CASE, NO SAFETY ISSUE AROSE. I WAS ABLE TO ASCERTAIN IN A TIMELY FASHION WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE DIVERSION INTO ZZZ WAS VERY QUICK. CAPT DEMONSTRATED THE EXCELLENCE WE HAVE COME TO EXPECT OF OUR FLC'S. HE INDICATED TO ME THAT HE KNEW DURING THE EVENT THAT DISPATCH WAS TO BE NOTIFIED. HE BELIEVED DUE TO HIS TRAINING THAT THIS NOTIFICATION HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH HIS COM WITH ATC FACILITIES. THE TRUTH IS THAT I NEVER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF THE EMER.

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.