Narrative:

Last night was very busy for 1 dispatcher on duty. 1) the system normally backs up around XA00-XB00 due to the computer backup. The problem is that's the time the flts to latin america send ACARS message about destination. 2) aircraft X ZZZ-ZZZZ ACARS dispatch about destination below landing minimums. I didn't get the ACARS because system locks up. Crew calls dispatch via new york comrdo. Captain stated 'ZZZZ is below landing minimums; what you want me to do?' I couldn't answer the captain for like 15 mins because everything was locked up. I couldn't tell him to divert to his alternate due to I wasn't sure if the alternate was ZZZZ2 or ZZZ1. I didn't know his position or fuel remaining. I couldn't access his flight plan. I couldn't access current WX. I was in total computer lock-up. The system unfreeze for about 20 seconds where I could see what was his listed alternate. After about 15 mins of the captain asking me what to do. While this is going on; the phone is ringing but I am the only person here to answer the phone. System locks up again but I now see his alternate of ZZZZ2. I advised the captain to divert to ZZZZ2. 3) right after I hang up; aircraft Y calls after their first gate return to do weight and balance. Phone ringing off the hook while I am doing the weight and balance. I can't answer it because I am busy and system is intermittently freezing up. 4) aircraft Z -- ACARS -- still didn't get ACARS because system locking up. Operations called. System is more responsive. Aircraft is at the end of the runway and would like to move contingency fuel to extra fuel so he can depart because he is about 700 pounds under the plan at takeoff. System will not allow me to do it. I continued to convert a flag flight to domestic flight plan. Phone is still ringing. I don't know who it is. It could be my diverted flight or ZZZZ3 or ZZZZ2 or any comrdo again. But I can't tell because I am too busy to answer the phone. I tried moving the fuel after 3 attempts. I couldn't worry about it anymore because the phone never stopped ringing. So I made the flight gate return because I couldn't make the paperwork legal. He had the fuel but I couldn't make the paperwork legal. ZZZ-ZZZZ3 could not answer ACARS in adequate time due to workload saturation. Had to change his alternate because his alternate became illegal. 5) aircraft Y gate return again. 6) aircraft xx position -- had to do weight and balance. 7) now checking ACARS most of them about 1 hour ago. All of this happened because we don't have proper staffing. All flight require position reports. When the phone rings it can be anyone; but if an aircraft calls we are the phone we don't have that additional person to help like the normal day shift. We need 2 people on this shift as soon as possible. This is not the first time this has happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER DESCRIBES TASK OVERLOAD AS A COMPUTER SYSTEM GOES DOWN AND FLTS SEEK ALTERNATES VIA A SATURATED PHONE SYSTEM.

Narrative: LAST NIGHT WAS VERY BUSY FOR 1 DISPATCHER ON DUTY. 1) THE SYS NORMALLY BACKS UP AROUND XA00-XB00 DUE TO THE COMPUTER BACKUP. THE PROB IS THAT'S THE TIME THE FLTS TO LATIN AMERICA SEND ACARS MESSAGE ABOUT DEST. 2) ACFT X ZZZ-ZZZZ ACARS DISPATCH ABOUT DEST BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS. I DIDN'T GET THE ACARS BECAUSE SYS LOCKS UP. CREW CALLS DISPATCH VIA NEW YORK COMRDO. CAPT STATED 'ZZZZ IS BELOW LNDG MINIMUMS; WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO?' I COULDN'T ANSWER THE CAPT FOR LIKE 15 MINS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS LOCKED UP. I COULDN'T TELL HIM TO DIVERT TO HIS ALTERNATE DUE TO I WASN'T SURE IF THE ALTERNATE WAS ZZZZ2 OR ZZZ1. I DIDN'T KNOW HIS POS OR FUEL REMAINING. I COULDN'T ACCESS HIS FLT PLAN. I COULDN'T ACCESS CURRENT WX. I WAS IN TOTAL COMPUTER LOCK-UP. THE SYS UNFREEZE FOR ABOUT 20 SECONDS WHERE I COULD SEE WHAT WAS HIS LISTED ALTERNATE. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS OF THE CAPT ASKING ME WHAT TO DO. WHILE THIS IS GOING ON; THE PHONE IS RINGING BUT I AM THE ONLY PERSON HERE TO ANSWER THE PHONE. SYS LOCKS UP AGAIN BUT I NOW SEE HIS ALTERNATE OF ZZZZ2. I ADVISED THE CAPT TO DIVERT TO ZZZZ2. 3) RIGHT AFTER I HANG UP; ACFT Y CALLS AFTER THEIR FIRST GATE RETURN TO DO WT AND BAL. PHONE RINGING OFF THE HOOK WHILE I AM DOING THE WT AND BAL. I CAN'T ANSWER IT BECAUSE I AM BUSY AND SYS IS INTERMITTENTLY FREEZING UP. 4) ACFT Z -- ACARS -- STILL DIDN'T GET ACARS BECAUSE SYS LOCKING UP. OPS CALLED. SYS IS MORE RESPONSIVE. ACFT IS AT THE END OF THE RWY AND WOULD LIKE TO MOVE CONTINGENCY FUEL TO EXTRA FUEL SO HE CAN DEPART BECAUSE HE IS ABOUT 700 LBS UNDER THE PLAN AT TKOF. SYS WILL NOT ALLOW ME TO DO IT. I CONTINUED TO CONVERT A FLAG FLT TO DOMESTIC FLT PLAN. PHONE IS STILL RINGING. I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS. IT COULD BE MY DIVERTED FLT OR ZZZZ3 OR ZZZZ2 OR ANY COMRDO AGAIN. BUT I CAN'T TELL BECAUSE I AM TOO BUSY TO ANSWER THE PHONE. I TRIED MOVING THE FUEL AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS. I COULDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT ANYMORE BECAUSE THE PHONE NEVER STOPPED RINGING. SO I MADE THE FLT GATE RETURN BECAUSE I COULDN'T MAKE THE PAPERWORK LEGAL. HE HAD THE FUEL BUT I COULDN'T MAKE THE PAPERWORK LEGAL. ZZZ-ZZZZ3 COULD NOT ANSWER ACARS IN ADEQUATE TIME DUE TO WORKLOAD SATURATION. HAD TO CHANGE HIS ALTERNATE BECAUSE HIS ALTERNATE BECAME ILLEGAL. 5) ACFT Y GATE RETURN AGAIN. 6) ACFT XX POS -- HAD TO DO WT AND BAL. 7) NOW CHKING ACARS MOST OF THEM ABOUT 1 HR AGO. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PROPER STAFFING. ALL FLT REQUIRE POS RPTS. WHEN THE PHONE RINGS IT CAN BE ANYONE; BUT IF AN ACFT CALLS WE ARE THE PHONE WE DON'T HAVE THAT ADDITIONAL PERSON TO HELP LIKE THE NORMAL DAY SHIFT. WE NEED 2 PEOPLE ON THIS SHIFT ASAP. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED.

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.