Narrative:

We were given holding about 40 mi southeast of ord for flow control into ord. Had no alternate on flight plan and little additional fuel. Contacted dispatch successfully and requested alternate since we had only a few mins holding. After a little discussion and upon my insistence; dispatcher sent an updated plan with mdw as alternate; and only giving us 1 turn in the hold pattern for holding fuel. Shortly after that; we were cleared out of the hold. I then attempted contact with dispatcher again to inform him we were on our way to ord and no diversion would be needed. The dispatcher did not answer repeated calls from the hold point all the way into ord. I contacted the dispatcher after landing on the landline to ascertain why in fact he had not answered the radio calls. He stated he saw on his scope that we were heading to ord and that he heard no radio calls. He suggested that maybe the aircraft transmitter was not working (it was working perfectly) or that maybe we were in a turn with the aft; as a reason for him not hearing the radio calls. Bottom line; I attempted no fewer than 10 times to call dispatcher from the holding fix (where I had originally spoke with him) until directly overhead ord. He either refused to answer or there is a problem with communications around ord. In either case; it is a safety issue if a dispatcher will not answer a call during a low fuel situation; or; if communications are not possible. Until the situation is rectified; I will immediately start requiring additional fuel into ord. Supplemental information from acn 712492: flight was assigned a hold at bearz intersection en route to ord. WX at ord was VFR; alternate none on the dispatch release. Flight called me on ord company frequency; to advise of a 30-min efc issued from ATC and the lack of hold fuel available. I told the flight I would speak to the ATC coordinator to learn if ATC expected the flight to hold the full 30 mins. After speaking with ATC coordinator I was told that the hold would not last more than 10 mins. I got back on ord frequency and advised of what ATC told us; and also advised him that I would send him up alternate/WX/NOTAMS for mdw (via ACARS). Flight acknowledged and said he would look for that data on ACARS. Approximately 6-7 mins later I saw that flight was released from his hold and descending for ord. About 20 mins later; captain phoned and asked if we were experiencing any problems with frequency. I advised the captain that I had heard him when he called; and during his hold he did come in weak at one point; presumably based on the orientation of the aircraft. Otherwise; I told him I knew of no other problems with frequency. He told me that he attempted to radio me several times to tell me that he was released from holding and was descending for ord; but was never able to establish communications with me or any other dispatcher. I reiterated to him that I knew of no radio problems with the frequency and that I was actually hearing a call from a flight on the ground in ZZZ speaking on the frequency as we spoke on the phone. I asked him if the problem could have been affiliated with a radio problem on board the aircraft; to which he said 'no.' having stayed at my dispatch desk for the duration of his hold; and the fact that no other dispatcher heard him call; I question the working condition of the aircraft's transceiver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 INBOUND TO ORD WITH NO ALTERNATE AND MINIMAL HOLD FUEL WAS TOLD TO EXPECT 30 MIN HOLD. CAPT HAD CONSIDERABLE DIFFICULTY REACHING DISPATCH ON VHF.

Narrative: WE WERE GIVEN HOLDING ABOUT 40 MI SE OF ORD FOR FLOW CTL INTO ORD. HAD NO ALTERNATE ON FLT PLAN AND LITTLE ADDITIONAL FUEL. CONTACTED DISPATCH SUCCESSFULLY AND REQUESTED ALTERNATE SINCE WE HAD ONLY A FEW MINS HOLDING. AFTER A LITTLE DISCUSSION AND UPON MY INSISTENCE; DISPATCHER SENT AN UPDATED PLAN WITH MDW AS ALTERNATE; AND ONLY GIVING US 1 TURN IN THE HOLD PATTERN FOR HOLDING FUEL. SHORTLY AFTER THAT; WE WERE CLRED OUT OF THE HOLD. I THEN ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH DISPATCHER AGAIN TO INFORM HIM WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO ORD AND NO DIVERSION WOULD BE NEEDED. THE DISPATCHER DID NOT ANSWER REPEATED CALLS FROM THE HOLD POINT ALL THE WAY INTO ORD. I CONTACTED THE DISPATCHER AFTER LNDG ON THE LANDLINE TO ASCERTAIN WHY IN FACT HE HAD NOT ANSWERED THE RADIO CALLS. HE STATED HE SAW ON HIS SCOPE THAT WE WERE HEADING TO ORD AND THAT HE HEARD NO RADIO CALLS. HE SUGGESTED THAT MAYBE THE ACFT XMITTER WAS NOT WORKING (IT WAS WORKING PERFECTLY) OR THAT MAYBE WE WERE IN A TURN WITH THE AFT; AS A REASON FOR HIM NOT HEARING THE RADIO CALLS. BOTTOM LINE; I ATTEMPTED NO FEWER THAN 10 TIMES TO CALL DISPATCHER FROM THE HOLDING FIX (WHERE I HAD ORIGINALLY SPOKE WITH HIM) UNTIL DIRECTLY OVERHEAD ORD. HE EITHER REFUSED TO ANSWER OR THERE IS A PROB WITH COMS AROUND ORD. IN EITHER CASE; IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE IF A DISPATCHER WILL NOT ANSWER A CALL DURING A LOW FUEL SITUATION; OR; IF COMS ARE NOT POSSIBLE. UNTIL THE SITUATION IS RECTIFIED; I WILL IMMEDIATELY START REQUIRING ADDITIONAL FUEL INTO ORD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 712492: FLT WAS ASSIGNED A HOLD AT BEARZ INTXN ENRTE TO ORD. WX AT ORD WAS VFR; ALTERNATE NONE ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE. FLT CALLED ME ON ORD COMPANY FREQ; TO ADVISE OF A 30-MIN EFC ISSUED FROM ATC AND THE LACK OF HOLD FUEL AVAILABLE. I TOLD THE FLT I WOULD SPEAK TO THE ATC COORDINATOR TO LEARN IF ATC EXPECTED THE FLT TO HOLD THE FULL 30 MINS. AFTER SPEAKING WITH ATC COORDINATOR I WAS TOLD THAT THE HOLD WOULD NOT LAST MORE THAN 10 MINS. I GOT BACK ON ORD FREQ AND ADVISED OF WHAT ATC TOLD US; AND ALSO ADVISED HIM THAT I WOULD SEND HIM UP ALTERNATE/WX/NOTAMS FOR MDW (VIA ACARS). FLT ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAID HE WOULD LOOK FOR THAT DATA ON ACARS. APPROX 6-7 MINS LATER I SAW THAT FLT WAS RELEASED FROM HIS HOLD AND DSNDING FOR ORD. ABOUT 20 MINS LATER; CAPT PHONED AND ASKED IF WE WERE EXPERIENCING ANY PROBS WITH FREQ. I ADVISED THE CAPT THAT I HAD HEARD HIM WHEN HE CALLED; AND DURING HIS HOLD HE DID COME IN WEAK AT ONE POINT; PRESUMABLY BASED ON THE ORIENTATION OF THE ACFT. OTHERWISE; I TOLD HIM I KNEW OF NO OTHER PROBS WITH FREQ. HE TOLD ME THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO RADIO ME SEVERAL TIMES TO TELL ME THAT HE WAS RELEASED FROM HOLDING AND WAS DSNDING FOR ORD; BUT WAS NEVER ABLE TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH ME OR ANY OTHER DISPATCHER. I REITERATED TO HIM THAT I KNEW OF NO RADIO PROBS WITH THE FREQ AND THAT I WAS ACTUALLY HEARING A CALL FROM A FLT ON THE GND IN ZZZ SPEAKING ON THE FREQ AS WE SPOKE ON THE PHONE. I ASKED HIM IF THE PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AFFILIATED WITH A RADIO PROB ON BOARD THE ACFT; TO WHICH HE SAID 'NO.' HAVING STAYED AT MY DISPATCH DESK FOR THE DURATION OF HIS HOLD; AND THE FACT THAT NO OTHER DISPATCHER HEARD HIM CALL; I QUESTION THE WORKING CONDITION OF THE ACFT'S TRANSCEIVER.

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.