Narrative:

Flight X was issued flight release to ZZZ3; alternates ZZZ and ZZZ1. Area thunderstorms activity affecting ZZZ3 and moving eastward. The flight was filed over a route on the western side of the WX to allow flight to arrive ZZZ3 via the northwest cornerposts. ZZZ3 was accepting traffic still. After launch and while the flight was en route; the WX stalled and developed an area of severe thunderstorms at ZZZ3 which caused the approachs to be stopped while the tower was evacuate/evacuationed because of a possible tornado on the field. While flight was north of VOR; I started to advise the flight via ACARS of the problems at ZZZ3 and that they could expect holding until approachs resumed. The flight went into holding as expected to the north and west of ZZZ. When it became apparent that ZZZ3 was not going to open any time soon; the manager made an announcement to the dispatchers to land the airborne aircraft as several diversion cities had already exceeded the number of diversions that they could possibly handle. Being that the aircraft was already very close to his primary diversion airport; and they had no real WX problems as all the severe WX was east of ZZZ; I sent an ACARS message to the flight; requested that if the current weight allowed that I needed him to land ZZZ and situation this storm event out while we regroup and start ZZZ3 recovery plan. It appears the message was received; so I moved onto other flts needing my attention. I received several 1-WORD messages from the flight and not understanding them; I assumed he was using the ACARS to look at WX conditions at nearby cities while he was burning down to allow for a normal landing at ZZZ. Approximately 25 mins later; I noticed the aircraft on my flight monitor still flying around in a holding pattern and resent a more direct message to land when his weight allows -- explaining he was not getting into ZZZ3 and any attempt would just compound our attempts to smooth out the operation. Approximately 55 mins after my original land request; and approximately 25 mins after my second request; I noted on my flight monitor that it appeared the flight was now heading for ZZZ1 which was already saturated with diverted flts; and I get back another 1-WORD reply; 'ZZZ2.' not understanding the reasoning of flying 200+ mi; I contacted the watch commander at center and advised I had some concern as to who was now in control of this aircraft; and could they contact the crew and have them call me via any commercial radio frequency as I was not getting the normal communication from my aircraft and at this point I was very concerned. I gave the watch commander 2 different frequencys to have them call me via commercial radio. Shortly thereafter; I received a voice message from another dispatcher that ATC made contact; and the captain stated he was in command of that aircraft and going to ZZZ2. I quickly sent a message to the flight that I had received his message from center that the captain chose to ignore redirect directions from the dispatcher and was heading to ZZZ2. Under captain's emergency authority/authorized; I sent ZZZ2 WX and NOTAMS. Soon after; I received a phone patch via commercial radio from the captain and in a rather angry tone that he was going to ZZZ2; that he was in control of this flight; that he tried on every frequency available and could not reach dispatch; and did not like the WX conditions at ZZZ. I responded that I was not going to argue. This was neither the time nor the place; that we will discuss this upon arrival in ZZZ2. Flight landed ZZZ2. No call from the captain. This was just one of several flts under my care at that time. This was the only one that did not understand my redirects and comply. ZZZ ended up with 5 or so other diverted flts that landed there just before or shortly after the time period that I had expected this flight to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DISPATCHER REPORTS COMMUNICATION FAILURE AND DIVERSION OF ONE OF HIS FLIGHTS TO UNPLANNED ALTERNATE.

Narrative: FLT X WAS ISSUED FLT RELEASE TO ZZZ3; ALTERNATES ZZZ AND ZZZ1. AREA TSTMS ACTIVITY AFFECTING ZZZ3 AND MOVING EASTWARD. THE FLT WAS FILED OVER A RTE ON THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE WX TO ALLOW FLT TO ARRIVE ZZZ3 VIA THE NW CORNERPOSTS. ZZZ3 WAS ACCEPTING TFC STILL. AFTER LAUNCH AND WHILE THE FLT WAS ENRTE; THE WX STALLED AND DEVELOPED AN AREA OF SEVERE TSTMS AT ZZZ3 WHICH CAUSED THE APCHS TO BE STOPPED WHILE THE TWR WAS EVACED BECAUSE OF A POSSIBLE TORNADO ON THE FIELD. WHILE FLT WAS N OF VOR; I STARTED TO ADVISE THE FLT VIA ACARS OF THE PROBS AT ZZZ3 AND THAT THEY COULD EXPECT HOLDING UNTIL APCHS RESUMED. THE FLT WENT INTO HOLDING AS EXPECTED TO THE N AND W OF ZZZ. WHEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT ZZZ3 WAS NOT GOING TO OPEN ANY TIME SOON; THE MGR MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE DISPATCHERS TO LAND THE AIRBORNE ACFT AS SEVERAL DIVERSION CITIES HAD ALREADY EXCEEDED THE NUMBER OF DIVERSIONS THAT THEY COULD POSSIBLY HANDLE. BEING THAT THE ACFT WAS ALREADY VERY CLOSE TO HIS PRIMARY DIVERSION ARPT; AND THEY HAD NO REAL WX PROBS AS ALL THE SEVERE WX WAS E OF ZZZ; I SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO THE FLT; REQUESTED THAT IF THE CURRENT WT ALLOWED THAT I NEEDED HIM TO LAND ZZZ AND SIT THIS STORM EVENT OUT WHILE WE REGROUP AND START ZZZ3 RECOVERY PLAN. IT APPEARS THE MESSAGE WAS RECEIVED; SO I MOVED ONTO OTHER FLTS NEEDING MY ATTN. I RECEIVED SEVERAL 1-WORD MESSAGES FROM THE FLT AND NOT UNDERSTANDING THEM; I ASSUMED HE WAS USING THE ACARS TO LOOK AT WX CONDITIONS AT NEARBY CITIES WHILE HE WAS BURNING DOWN TO ALLOW FOR A NORMAL LNDG AT ZZZ. APPROX 25 MINS LATER; I NOTICED THE ACFT ON MY FLT MONITOR STILL FLYING AROUND IN A HOLDING PATTERN AND RESENT A MORE DIRECT MESSAGE TO LAND WHEN HIS WT ALLOWS -- EXPLAINING HE WAS NOT GETTING INTO ZZZ3 AND ANY ATTEMPT WOULD JUST COMPOUND OUR ATTEMPTS TO SMOOTH OUT THE OP. APPROX 55 MINS AFTER MY ORIGINAL LAND REQUEST; AND APPROX 25 MINS AFTER MY SECOND REQUEST; I NOTED ON MY FLT MONITOR THAT IT APPEARED THE FLT WAS NOW HEADING FOR ZZZ1 WHICH WAS ALREADY SATURATED WITH DIVERTED FLTS; AND I GET BACK ANOTHER 1-WORD REPLY; 'ZZZ2.' NOT UNDERSTANDING THE REASONING OF FLYING 200+ MI; I CONTACTED THE WATCH COMMANDER AT CENTER AND ADVISED I HAD SOME CONCERN AS TO WHO WAS NOW IN CTL OF THIS ACFT; AND COULD THEY CONTACT THE CREW AND HAVE THEM CALL ME VIA ANY COMMERCIAL RADIO FREQ AS I WAS NOT GETTING THE NORMAL COM FROM MY ACFT AND AT THIS POINT I WAS VERY CONCERNED. I GAVE THE WATCH COMMANDER 2 DIFFERENT FREQS TO HAVE THEM CALL ME VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; I RECEIVED A VOICE MESSAGE FROM ANOTHER DISPATCHER THAT ATC MADE CONTACT; AND THE CAPT STATED HE WAS IN COMMAND OF THAT ACFT AND GOING TO ZZZ2. I QUICKLY SENT A MESSAGE TO THE FLT THAT I HAD RECEIVED HIS MESSAGE FROM CTR THAT THE CAPT CHOSE TO IGNORE REDIRECT DIRECTIONS FROM THE DISPATCHER AND WAS HEADING TO ZZZ2. UNDER CAPT'S EMER AUTH; I SENT ZZZ2 WX AND NOTAMS. SOON AFTER; I RECEIVED A PHONE PATCH VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO FROM THE CAPT AND IN A RATHER ANGRY TONE THAT HE WAS GOING TO ZZZ2; THAT HE WAS IN CTL OF THIS FLT; THAT HE TRIED ON EVERY FREQ AVAILABLE AND COULD NOT REACH DISPATCH; AND DID NOT LIKE THE WX CONDITIONS AT ZZZ. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO ARGUE. THIS WAS NEITHER THE TIME NOR THE PLACE; THAT WE WILL DISCUSS THIS UPON ARR IN ZZZ2. FLT LANDED ZZZ2. NO CALL FROM THE CAPT. THIS WAS JUST ONE OF SEVERAL FLTS UNDER MY CARE AT THAT TIME. THIS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT DID NOT UNDERSTAND MY REDIRECTS AND COMPLY. ZZZ ENDED UP WITH 5 OR SO OTHER DIVERTED FLTS THAT LANDED THERE JUST BEFORE OR SHORTLY AFTER THE TIME PERIOD THAT I HAD EXPECTED THIS FLT TO LAND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.