Narrative:

Flight X contacted dispatch via satcom as they were approaching 45 degrees north/50 degrees west. The flight had received information of a convective SIGMET from gander oceanic and they wanted more information concerning the thunderstorm activity. The satellite image of the northern atlantic showed a small area of thunderstorms at 45 degrees north/50 degrees west and the high level significant WX prognostic chart highlighted an area of possible embedded cumulonimbus in the same location. I remembered though that a hurricane was in the tropical atlantic in the previous 3 days. The satellite image of the thunderstorms did appear to be the remains of the earlier hurricane. I advised the crew that the satellite image showed thunderstorms with tops below 35000 ft. The crew said that their WX radar showed the same, and they believed that they could easily navigation around the WX. The flight continued to jfk without incident. When the crew contacted me, I was unaware of any problems in the northwestern atlantic. I did ask the crew to standby for 2 mins while I reviewed information that was available to me. I tried to pull up 'RF 8100T' national but the RF file was empty. I later learned that the hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm. I'm used to our meteorologists hand delivering frequent updates on hurricanes and tropical storms to my desk. The airline's department services have been xferred to a new system and I am still getting used to the differences on how my department receives WX information. The captain called me when the flight arrived in jfk. He too was unaware of any problems in the north atlantic until gander oceanic informed him of a SIGMET. He also informed me that the flight crew deviated off course while they were trying to get more WX information. The tropical storm did not present a problem for the flight but the captain and myself would have been more comfortable if we had the latest information on it. I do want to note that I started my shift in the early am. At that time, flight was already en route. I do not know what was discussed with the crew in their predep WX briefing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SIGMET INFO DISSEMINATION PROB RELATED TO A LACK OF COORD BTWN AIRLINE WX DEPT AND DISPATCH OFFICE. DISPATCHER ENCOUNTERS DIFFICULTY IN FINDING INFO AFTER A B767-300 FLT CREW REQUESTS SIGMET RELATED INFO AS RELATED TO THAT AREA AS ALERTED BY OCEANIC CTL AT CZQX, NF.

Narrative: FLT X CONTACTED DISPATCH VIA SATCOM AS THEY WERE APCHING 45 DEGS N/50 DEGS W. THE FLT HAD RECEIVED INFO OF A CONVECTIVE SIGMET FROM GANDER OCEANIC AND THEY WANTED MORE INFO CONCERNING THE TSTM ACTIVITY. THE SATELLITE IMAGE OF THE NORTHERN ATLANTIC SHOWED A SMALL AREA OF TSTMS AT 45 DEGS N/50 DEGS W AND THE HIGH LEVEL SIGNIFICANT WX PROGNOSTIC CHART HIGHLIGHTED AN AREA OF POSSIBLE EMBEDDED CUMULONIMBUS IN THE SAME LOCATION. I REMEMBERED THOUGH THAT A HURRICANE WAS IN THE TROPICAL ATLANTIC IN THE PREVIOUS 3 DAYS. THE SATELLITE IMAGE OF THE TSTMS DID APPEAR TO BE THE REMAINS OF THE EARLIER HURRICANE. I ADVISED THE CREW THAT THE SATELLITE IMAGE SHOWED TSTMS WITH TOPS BELOW 35000 FT. THE CREW SAID THAT THEIR WX RADAR SHOWED THE SAME, AND THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY COULD EASILY NAV AROUND THE WX. THE FLT CONTINUED TO JFK WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHEN THE CREW CONTACTED ME, I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBS IN THE NORTHWESTERN ATLANTIC. I DID ASK THE CREW TO STANDBY FOR 2 MINS WHILE I REVIEWED INFO THAT WAS AVAILABLE TO ME. I TRIED TO PULL UP 'RF 8100T' NATIONAL BUT THE RF FILE WAS EMPTY. I LATER LEARNED THAT THE HURRICANE WAS DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM. I'M USED TO OUR METEOROLOGISTS HAND DELIVERING FREQUENT UPDATES ON HURRICANES AND TROPICAL STORMS TO MY DESK. THE AIRLINE'S DEPT SVCS HAVE BEEN XFERRED TO A NEW SYS AND I AM STILL GETTING USED TO THE DIFFERENCES ON HOW MY DEPT RECEIVES WX INFO. THE CAPT CALLED ME WHEN THE FLT ARRIVED IN JFK. HE TOO WAS UNAWARE OF ANY PROBS IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC UNTIL GANDER OCEANIC INFORMED HIM OF A SIGMET. HE ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THE FLT CREW DEVIATED OFF COURSE WHILE THEY WERE TRYING TO GET MORE WX INFO. THE TROPICAL STORM DID NOT PRESENT A PROB FOR THE FLT BUT THE CAPT AND MYSELF WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD THE LATEST INFO ON IT. I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT I STARTED MY SHIFT IN THE EARLY AM. AT THAT TIME, FLT WAS ALREADY ENRTE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH THE CREW IN THEIR PREDEP WX BRIEFING.

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.