Narrative:

I began my day with several air to ground messages from flight XXX asking if flts were getting into ZZZZ. I had not signed into all of my applications nor did I have time to review all WX or initially contact station operations. I had just completed a quick-turn from afternoons shift where I was very familiar with the WX affecting ZZZZ and the potential for irregular operations and diversions. As I sat down many of the flts on my desk were delayed and were having significant operational issues as well as many questions. Due to this; I was not timely in my response and I was soon on a satcom with the captain. He asked if they were getting into ZZZZ and I replied that ZZZZ operations said they were landing but could not tell me length of holds. It was my understanding that some flts may have diverted. I was unaware that flts had recently missed approach due to windshear as flight XXX would do moments later. Flight XXX called back and said he was declaring an emergency so he could proceed to ZZZZ1. Apparently; ATC was not allowing flts there and we did not have the gas to go to another airport since ZZZZ2 was not able to handle a B747. During this irregular operation with flight XXX I was working maintenance issues with another flight possible diversion to ZZZ3 with a third weight and load planning issues with 2 more. All required multiple phone calls; ACARS messages and several personal visits from load planners and fleet controllers. Upon arrival at ZZZZ1; the flight crew decided they had too long of a day and refused to fly back to ZZZZ. I asked my colleague to call operations and see what the plan was for the flight and he was told that it was a crew desk issue. He asked about the plan for the passenger and he was hung up on. I patched the flight in with the crew desk to determine the plan for the crew and scheduler said there was no current plan. I asked him to call me as soon as a plan for the crew was developed. He said he would. The next I knew of a plan was after I was handed a message from another dispatcher that the flight duty manager had sent. Apparently; the decision was they would cancel the flight and surface the crew from ZZZZ. I was never contacted about this by anyone and the information was contradictory to the information I was giving the pilots which was there was no plan at the time. I had been concurrently taking several satphone calls about what to do with the passenger. Apparently; ZZZZ1 had busses planeside to take the passenger and crew somewhere; it just wasn't apparent where. I made the decision to keep the passenger on board until I could get some answers from operations or ZZZZ. Operations said not to let them off the plane because they were sending a flight crew over and because there were no cust service agents at hnd to process the passenger. I was also dealing with flight XXX and maintenance control reference a hydraulic problem that needed to be looked at in ZZZZ1 before departure. The relief crew arrived and blocked out before they ever contacted me. On taxi; they asked if it was still ok to proceed to ZZZZ after curfew which was in effect. I told them we had received special permission to land into curfew hours until XC00 and that although we were running late we should be able to land and that operations was still coordinating. I called operations and reconfirmed that we had a special permission to land during curfew and they said yes. The flight called back approximately 15 mins later and said ZZZZ would not allow them to land. I said if unable ZZZZ proceed to alternate ZZZZ4. The flight called back and said unable ZZZZ and will proceed to ZZZZ4 as agreed to by operations. At that moment; operations calls back and says unable ZZZZ4 account all hotel rooms full; but ok to return to ZZZZ1 as they now have customs available. I understood this to mean we also have agents en route to handle passenger. I diverted the flight back to ZZZZ1 and the crew calls me again and says ZZZZ1 unable to accept aircraft account nobody to handle aircraft and no one available to direct aircraft in. Flight crew declares emergency and proceeds to ZZZZ. I am unable to converse with flight XXX but find out through operations that flight is delayed due to realignment of ILS equipment. There are unconfirmed rumorsthat there was another missed approach. Due to irregular operations affecting all ZZZZ arrival and departures as well as many operational issues and regular work I was unusually overwhelmed. I was thoroughly reliant on operations to provide me with information from ZZZZ operations on ZZZZ1 activities as well as information of operating plans and all regional alternate suitability for our customers and crew. Most days I am able to call and review data personally with stations but was saturated in workload on this day. It was obvious now that I was not receiving timely information regarding missed approachs; operations and alternate airport status as well as permit information or crew assignments. Several questions remain. Why did we have a plan to operate to ZZZZ4 if unable ZZZZ for several hours; but at decision time I was advised that ZZZZ4 had no hotel rooms? Another is how did we obtain a waiver for ZZZZ curfew? What was the permission number and why would ATC allow the flight to depart ZZZZ1 if they knew he would not be allowed to land in ZZZZ? Why would we not be allowed back to ZZZZ1?

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER HAS ISSUES WITH THE WAY INFO IS RELAYED FOR INTERNATIONAL WX DIVERSIONS.

Narrative: I BEGAN MY DAY WITH SEVERAL AIR TO GND MESSAGES FROM FLT XXX ASKING IF FLTS WERE GETTING INTO ZZZZ. I HAD NOT SIGNED INTO ALL OF MY APPLICATIONS NOR DID I HAVE TIME TO REVIEW ALL WX OR INITIALLY CONTACT STATION OPS. I HAD JUST COMPLETED A QUICK-TURN FROM AFTERNOONS SHIFT WHERE I WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE WX AFFECTING ZZZZ AND THE POTENTIAL FOR IRREGULAR OPS AND DIVERSIONS. AS I SAT DOWN MANY OF THE FLTS ON MY DESK WERE DELAYED AND WERE HAVING SIGNIFICANT OPERATIONAL ISSUES AS WELL AS MANY QUESTIONS. DUE TO THIS; I WAS NOT TIMELY IN MY RESPONSE AND I WAS SOON ON A SATCOM WITH THE CAPT. HE ASKED IF THEY WERE GETTING INTO ZZZZ AND I REPLIED THAT ZZZZ OPS SAID THEY WERE LNDG BUT COULD NOT TELL ME LENGTH OF HOLDS. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SOME FLTS MAY HAVE DIVERTED. I WAS UNAWARE THAT FLTS HAD RECENTLY MISSED APCH DUE TO WINDSHEAR AS FLT XXX WOULD DO MOMENTS LATER. FLT XXX CALLED BACK AND SAID HE WAS DECLARING AN EMER SO HE COULD PROCEED TO ZZZZ1. APPARENTLY; ATC WAS NOT ALLOWING FLTS THERE AND WE DID NOT HAVE THE GAS TO GO TO ANOTHER ARPT SINCE ZZZZ2 WAS NOT ABLE TO HANDLE A B747. DURING THIS IRREGULAR OP WITH FLT XXX I WAS WORKING MAINT ISSUES WITH ANOTHER FLT POSSIBLE DIVERSION TO ZZZ3 WITH A THIRD WT AND LOAD PLANNING ISSUES WITH 2 MORE. ALL REQUIRED MULTIPLE PHONE CALLS; ACARS MESSAGES AND SEVERAL PERSONAL VISITS FROM LOAD PLANNERS AND FLEET CTLRS. UPON ARR AT ZZZZ1; THE FLT CREW DECIDED THEY HAD TOO LONG OF A DAY AND REFUSED TO FLY BACK TO ZZZZ. I ASKED MY COLLEAGUE TO CALL OPS AND SEE WHAT THE PLAN WAS FOR THE FLT AND HE WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A CREW DESK ISSUE. HE ASKED ABOUT THE PLAN FOR THE PAX AND HE WAS HUNG UP ON. I PATCHED THE FLT IN WITH THE CREW DESK TO DETERMINE THE PLAN FOR THE CREW AND SCHEDULER SAID THERE WAS NO CURRENT PLAN. I ASKED HIM TO CALL ME AS SOON AS A PLAN FOR THE CREW WAS DEVELOPED. HE SAID HE WOULD. THE NEXT I KNEW OF A PLAN WAS AFTER I WAS HANDED A MESSAGE FROM ANOTHER DISPATCHER THAT THE FLT DUTY MGR HAD SENT. APPARENTLY; THE DECISION WAS THEY WOULD CANCEL THE FLT AND SURFACE THE CREW FROM ZZZZ. I WAS NEVER CONTACTED ABOUT THIS BY ANYONE AND THE INFO WAS CONTRADICTORY TO THE INFO I WAS GIVING THE PLTS WHICH WAS THERE WAS NO PLAN AT THE TIME. I HAD BEEN CONCURRENTLY TAKING SEVERAL SATPHONE CALLS ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THE PAX. APPARENTLY; ZZZZ1 HAD BUSSES PLANESIDE TO TAKE THE PAX AND CREW SOMEWHERE; IT JUST WASN'T APPARENT WHERE. I MADE THE DECISION TO KEEP THE PAX ON BOARD UNTIL I COULD GET SOME ANSWERS FROM OPS OR ZZZZ. OPS SAID NOT TO LET THEM OFF THE PLANE BECAUSE THEY WERE SENDING A FLT CREW OVER AND BECAUSE THERE WERE NO CUST SVC AGENTS AT HND TO PROCESS THE PAX. I WAS ALSO DEALING WITH FLT XXX AND MAINT CTL REF A HYD PROB THAT NEEDED TO BE LOOKED AT IN ZZZZ1 BEFORE DEP. THE RELIEF CREW ARRIVED AND BLOCKED OUT BEFORE THEY EVER CONTACTED ME. ON TAXI; THEY ASKED IF IT WAS STILL OK TO PROCEED TO ZZZZ AFTER CURFEW WHICH WAS IN EFFECT. I TOLD THEM WE HAD RECEIVED SPECIAL PERMISSION TO LAND INTO CURFEW HRS UNTIL XC00 AND THAT ALTHOUGH WE WERE RUNNING LATE WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LAND AND THAT OPS WAS STILL COORDINATING. I CALLED OPS AND RECONFIRMED THAT WE HAD A SPECIAL PERMISSION TO LAND DURING CURFEW AND THEY SAID YES. THE FLT CALLED BACK APPROX 15 MINS LATER AND SAID ZZZZ WOULD NOT ALLOW THEM TO LAND. I SAID IF UNABLE ZZZZ PROCEED TO ALTERNATE ZZZZ4. THE FLT CALLED BACK AND SAID UNABLE ZZZZ AND WILL PROCEED TO ZZZZ4 AS AGREED TO BY OPS. AT THAT MOMENT; OPS CALLS BACK AND SAYS UNABLE ZZZZ4 ACCOUNT ALL HOTEL ROOMS FULL; BUT OK TO RETURN TO ZZZZ1 AS THEY NOW HAVE CUSTOMS AVAILABLE. I UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN WE ALSO HAVE AGENTS ENRTE TO HANDLE PAX. I DIVERTED THE FLT BACK TO ZZZZ1 AND THE CREW CALLS ME AGAIN AND SAYS ZZZZ1 UNABLE TO ACCEPT ACFT ACCOUNT NOBODY TO HANDLE ACFT AND NO ONE AVAILABLE TO DIRECT ACFT IN. FLT CREW DECLARES EMER AND PROCEEDS TO ZZZZ. I AM UNABLE TO CONVERSE WITH FLT XXX BUT FIND OUT THROUGH OPS THAT FLT IS DELAYED DUE TO REALIGNMENT OF ILS EQUIP. THERE ARE UNCONFIRMED RUMORSTHAT THERE WAS ANOTHER MISSED APCH. DUE TO IRREGULAR OPS AFFECTING ALL ZZZZ ARR AND DEPS AS WELL AS MANY OPERATIONAL ISSUES AND REGULAR WORK I WAS UNUSUALLY OVERWHELMED. I WAS THOROUGHLY RELIANT ON OPS TO PROVIDE ME WITH INFO FROM ZZZZ OPS ON ZZZZ1 ACTIVITIES AS WELL AS INFO OF OPERATING PLANS AND ALL REGIONAL ALTERNATE SUITABILITY FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND CREW. MOST DAYS I AM ABLE TO CALL AND REVIEW DATA PERSONALLY WITH STATIONS BUT WAS SATURATED IN WORKLOAD ON THIS DAY. IT WAS OBVIOUS NOW THAT I WAS NOT RECEIVING TIMELY INFO REGARDING MISSED APCHS; OPS AND ALTERNATE ARPT STATUS AS WELL AS PERMIT INFO OR CREW ASSIGNMENTS. SEVERAL QUESTIONS REMAIN. WHY DID WE HAVE A PLAN TO OPERATE TO ZZZZ4 IF UNABLE ZZZZ FOR SEVERAL HRS; BUT AT DECISION TIME I WAS ADVISED THAT ZZZZ4 HAD NO HOTEL ROOMS? ANOTHER IS HOW DID WE OBTAIN A WAIVER FOR ZZZZ CURFEW? WHAT WAS THE PERMISSION NUMBER AND WHY WOULD ATC ALLOW THE FLT TO DEPART ZZZZ1 IF THEY KNEW HE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO LAND IN ZZZZ? WHY WOULD WE NOT BE ALLOWED BACK TO ZZZZ1?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.