Narrative:

At XA49Z I received a message from air carrier flight X en route jfk-nrt stating that zan had just reported an eruption of the kliuchevskoi volcano on the kamchatka peninsula of russia. The flight was planned on russian route G583 directly over the coordinates of the volcano and the ash plume was reported to be as high as 12000 meters. The flight was about 25 mins away from a point at which we have 3 different routing options and less than 1 hour from the gateway of the russian route. I immediately checked for any volcanic ash advisories and found none. I then walked back to the old meteorology office where we had just received a copy of the new advisory. They showed me a high resolution picture of the area which helped greatly in the decision to rerte the flight. The flight was rerted to R220. In addition, an zan SIGMET stated that the bezymianny volcano had erupted in the same vicinity as the previous eruption with ash to FL200. We do not automatically receive fir or center sigmets on the desk. We also do not automatically receive volcanic ash advisories that are not rexmitted by the ATC system command center. The first advisory from tokyo was canceled at XB34Z. At no time during this process or for the rest of the shift, did I receive any notification of this event from commercial WX information in norman. Given the severity of the eruption and the necessity of a timely rerte to avoid the area along with the lack of available routing options, I believe that safety of flight was seriously compromised. Had it not been for zan, I would not have known about this event without checking the volcanic advisories continuously. In my experience, the old company meteorology department was always diligent about getting this information to the desks as soon as it was known.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER FOR INTL ACR ALLEGES COMMERCIAL WX INFO SUPPLIER FAILED TO ADVISE HIS OFFICE IN A TIMELY FASHION REGARDING POTENTIAL VOLCANIC ASH EXPOSURE DUE TO THE ERUPTION OF 2 VOLCANOES ON THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA.

Narrative: AT XA49Z I RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM ACR FLT X ENRTE JFK-NRT STATING THAT ZAN HAD JUST RPTED AN ERUPTION OF THE KLIUCHEVSKOI VOLCANO ON THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA OF RUSSIA. THE FLT WAS PLANNED ON RUSSIAN RTE G583 DIRECTLY OVER THE COORDINATES OF THE VOLCANO AND THE ASH PLUME WAS RPTED TO BE AS HIGH AS 12000 METERS. THE FLT WAS ABOUT 25 MINS AWAY FROM A POINT AT WHICH WE HAVE 3 DIFFERENT ROUTING OPTIONS AND LESS THAN 1 HR FROM THE GATEWAY OF THE RUSSIAN RTE. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED FOR ANY VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORIES AND FOUND NONE. I THEN WALKED BACK TO THE OLD METEOROLOGY OFFICE WHERE WE HAD JUST RECEIVED A COPY OF THE NEW ADVISORY. THEY SHOWED ME A HIGH RESOLUTION PICTURE OF THE AREA WHICH HELPED GREATLY IN THE DECISION TO RERTE THE FLT. THE FLT WAS RERTED TO R220. IN ADDITION, AN ZAN SIGMET STATED THAT THE BEZYMIANNY VOLCANO HAD ERUPTED IN THE SAME VICINITY AS THE PREVIOUS ERUPTION WITH ASH TO FL200. WE DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE FIR OR CTR SIGMETS ON THE DESK. WE ALSO DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY RECEIVE VOLCANIC ASH ADVISORIES THAT ARE NOT REXMITTED BY THE ATC SYS COMMAND CTR. THE FIRST ADVISORY FROM TOKYO WAS CANCELED AT XB34Z. AT NO TIME DURING THIS PROCESS OR FOR THE REST OF THE SHIFT, DID I RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION OF THIS EVENT FROM COMMERCIAL WX INFO IN NORMAN. GIVEN THE SEVERITY OF THE ERUPTION AND THE NECESSITY OF A TIMELY RERTE TO AVOID THE AREA ALONG WITH THE LACK OF AVAILABLE ROUTING OPTIONS, I BELIEVE THAT SAFETY OF FLT WAS SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR ZAN, I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS EVENT WITHOUT CHKING THE VOLCANIC ADVISORIES CONTINUOUSLY. IN MY EXPERIENCE, THE OLD COMPANY METEOROLOGY DEPT WAS ALWAYS DILIGENT ABOUT GETTING THIS INFO TO THE DESKS AS SOON AS IT WAS KNOWN.

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.