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Air carrier dispatcher duty activities interrupted by complete electrical failure at dispatcher office.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 581094 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200305 |
| Day | Fri |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dfw.tower |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| ASRS Report | 581094 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel |
| Qualification | other |
| ASRS Report | 581095 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 dispatcher |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Due to complete electrical failure in the dispatch office, all computer and communications function was lost. Computers were down for approximately 45 mins. All phones and radio frequencys were lost for approximately 2 hours. No sufficient back up plan implemented. No back up phone lines available on desks ab, AC and ad as on the other desks. These lines were requested over 1 yr ago. Supplemental information from acn 581096: laptop computers should have been more readily accessible and we should have some training on how to use them so that operational control can be restored in a timely manner. Supplemental information from acn 581098: power to computers was restored about 30 mins later, allowing flight following via asd. Communication via ACARS also resumed. However, aircraft with inoperative ACARS unit presented a problem. Supplemental information from acn 581101: no back-up system obvious. Laptops were being distributed when the power returned. 1 laptop for each quad. I don't believe this would work at all.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR DISPATCHER DUTY ACTIVITIES INTERRUPTED BY COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT DISPATCHER OFFICE.
Narrative: DUE TO COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN THE DISPATCH OFFICE, ALL COMPUTER AND COMS FUNCTION WAS LOST. COMPUTERS WERE DOWN FOR APPROX 45 MINS. ALL PHONES AND RADIO FREQS WERE LOST FOR APPROX 2 HRS. NO SUFFICIENT BACK UP PLAN IMPLEMENTED. NO BACK UP PHONE LINES AVAILABLE ON DESKS AB, AC AND AD AS ON THE OTHER DESKS. THESE LINES WERE REQUESTED OVER 1 YR AGO. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 581096: LAPTOP COMPUTERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE AND WE SHOULD HAVE SOME TRAINING ON HOW TO USE THEM SO THAT OPERATIONAL CTL CAN BE RESTORED IN A TIMELY MANNER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 581098: PWR TO COMPUTERS WAS RESTORED ABOUT 30 MINS LATER, ALLOWING FLT FOLLOWING VIA ASD. COM VIA ACARS ALSO RESUMED. HOWEVER, ACFT WITH INOP ACARS UNIT PRESENTED A PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 581101: NO BACK-UP SYS OBVIOUS. LAPTOPS WERE BEING DISTRIBUTED WHEN THE PWR RETURNED. 1 LAPTOP FOR EACH QUAD. I DON'T BELIEVE THIS WOULD WORK AT ALL.
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.