Narrative:

Aircraft departed 08A airport and called me for IFR flight plan. I had no flight plan and checked the fdio; but no flight plan was stored. I advised the pilot and he stated that he had filed with AFSS via phone 30 mins prior. I issued the aircraft a locally issued beacon code so that I could provide radar service while we worked this issue. I attempted to call AFSS via our operational landline using 3 different dial codes. I received no answer. After the aircraft had flown about 10 mi; I advised him that I had had no luck and suggested that he try by radio. I continued to try repeatedly on the landline. I also called the watch desk at ZTL to see if they had any word on the AFSS being OTS -- they did not. Finally; 10 full mins after the aircraft had initially called me; AFSS answered the landline. Almost simultaneously; the flight plan printed on the printer and the pilot called me back on the radio. I told the AFSS specialist that I had been calling for 10 mins and asked if there had been an outage of some type. She replied that they had been very busy. I told her that I now had the needed flight plan and she could disregard my call. I was under the impression that contractor had some type of contract guaranteeing that calls would be answered promptly. For me to have to work for 10 mins to contact them is unacceptable. The alternative is for me to get the flight plan information from the pilot and do their work for them. That is also unacceptable. Both serve to distract me from my own job which is safety. I was working several other aircraft at the time. I also had to amend this flight plan because by the time I was able to issue it to the pilot; he was 25 mi from his departure point; causing timing issues. Totally unsatisfactory from both a service point of view and a safety point of view.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MGM CTLR DESCRIBED INCIDENT WHEN FSS FAILED TO PROCESS FLT PLAN INFO IN A TIMELY MANNER. INCREASED VOLUME/COMPLEXITY ISSUES RESULT FOR THE CTLR.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED 08A ARPT AND CALLED ME FOR IFR FLT PLAN. I HAD NO FLT PLAN AND CHKED THE FDIO; BUT NO FLT PLAN WAS STORED. I ADVISED THE PLT AND HE STATED THAT HE HAD FILED WITH AFSS VIA PHONE 30 MINS PRIOR. I ISSUED THE ACFT A LOCALLY ISSUED BEACON CODE SO THAT I COULD PROVIDE RADAR SVC WHILE WE WORKED THIS ISSUE. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL AFSS VIA OUR OPERATIONAL LANDLINE USING 3 DIFFERENT DIAL CODES. I RECEIVED NO ANSWER. AFTER THE ACFT HAD FLOWN ABOUT 10 MI; I ADVISED HIM THAT I HAD HAD NO LUCK AND SUGGESTED THAT HE TRY BY RADIO. I CONTINUED TO TRY REPEATEDLY ON THE LANDLINE. I ALSO CALLED THE WATCH DESK AT ZTL TO SEE IF THEY HAD ANY WORD ON THE AFSS BEING OTS -- THEY DID NOT. FINALLY; 10 FULL MINS AFTER THE ACFT HAD INITIALLY CALLED ME; AFSS ANSWERED THE LANDLINE. ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY; THE FLT PLAN PRINTED ON THE PRINTER AND THE PLT CALLED ME BACK ON THE RADIO. I TOLD THE AFSS SPECIALIST THAT I HAD BEEN CALLING FOR 10 MINS AND ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN AN OUTAGE OF SOME TYPE. SHE REPLIED THAT THEY HAD BEEN VERY BUSY. I TOLD HER THAT I NOW HAD THE NEEDED FLT PLAN AND SHE COULD DISREGARD MY CALL. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT CONTRACTOR HAD SOME TYPE OF CONTRACT GUARANTEEING THAT CALLS WOULD BE ANSWERED PROMPTLY. FOR ME TO HAVE TO WORK FOR 10 MINS TO CONTACT THEM IS UNACCEPTABLE. THE ALTERNATIVE IS FOR ME TO GET THE FLT PLAN INFO FROM THE PLT AND DO THEIR WORK FOR THEM. THAT IS ALSO UNACCEPTABLE. BOTH SERVE TO DISTRACT ME FROM MY OWN JOB WHICH IS SAFETY. I WAS WORKING SEVERAL OTHER ACFT AT THE TIME. I ALSO HAD TO AMEND THIS FLT PLAN BECAUSE BY THE TIME I WAS ABLE TO ISSUE IT TO THE PLT; HE WAS 25 MI FROM HIS DEP POINT; CAUSING TIMING ISSUES. TOTALLY UNSATISFACTORY FROM BOTH A SVC POINT OF VIEW AND A SAFETY POINT OF VIEW.

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.