Narrative:

I was notified by ZZZ operations manager via a courtesy call to inform me that my crew on aircraft X was attempting to contact me and that they were being towed off the runway due to an emergency landing regarding gear extension problems. Since I was so surprised by this information; he asked me if I knew my flight had declared an emergency? I told him I was not aware until his call. He informed me that maintenance control was aware of the emergency. Had it not been for ZZZ operations giving me 'a courtesy call;' I would have never known about the emergency. As dispatcher on duty for that flight; I was never informed by any of management with the knowledge (I assumed the flight from dispatcher Y). Since this is both a safety issue; a regulation issue; and a company compliance issue I am required to notify the auths of the failures. Once I was able to contact my crew; I was informed that they indeed notified maintenance control via ZZZZ operations. (Crew had ZZZZ operations call maintenance regarding the gear problem.) the crew was dealing with lengthy emergency flows and special ATC instructions the aircraft was not equipped with SELCAL and therefore the crew could not communicate with dispatch in a 'rapid and reliable' manner as set forth in the regulations. Additionally; the length of flight also complicated the issue. Crew was noticeably shaken by the event. Once the crew cleared customs the captain called the dispatcher as required to make a report so the duty officer could be notified of the emergency. The dispatcher took the information and the details and contact number for the captain. At that time; the dispatcher was informed that the duty officer had been notified; again with no communication to the dispatcher. Total failure and disregard of communication from 3 sources of management who had the information about the in-flight emergency. All sources of management failed to inform the dispatcher. The dispatcher is responsible for the safety of flight and is required to be informed in a timely and efficient manner. Note: it wasn't busy enough to warrant total non-compliance. It was a very slow night and it was sheer neglect of duty not to communicate with the dispatcher about the emergency. Please also note that the dispatcher did not leave the office while the emergency had taken place. It should have been easy for someone to inform her of the emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Q400 DISPATCHER WAS NOT NOTIFIED BY CREW MANAGERS; MAINT; OR MANAGEMENT THAT AN ACFT ON THAT WATCH HAD A LNDG EMER.

Narrative: I WAS NOTIFIED BY ZZZ OPS MGR VIA A COURTESY CALL TO INFORM ME THAT MY CREW ON ACFT X WAS ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ME AND THAT THEY WERE BEING TOWED OFF THE RWY DUE TO AN EMER LNDG REGARDING GEAR EXTENSION PROBS. SINCE I WAS SO SURPRISED BY THIS INFO; HE ASKED ME IF I KNEW MY FLT HAD DECLARED AN EMER? I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT AWARE UNTIL HIS CALL. HE INFORMED ME THAT MAINT CTL WAS AWARE OF THE EMER. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR ZZZ OPS GIVING ME 'A COURTESY CALL;' I WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOWN ABOUT THE EMER. AS DISPATCHER ON DUTY FOR THAT FLT; I WAS NEVER INFORMED BY ANY OF MGMNT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE (I ASSUMED THE FLT FROM DISPATCHER Y). SINCE THIS IS BOTH A SAFETY ISSUE; A REG ISSUE; AND A COMPANY COMPLIANCE ISSUE I AM REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE AUTHS OF THE FAILURES. ONCE I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT MY CREW; I WAS INFORMED THAT THEY INDEED NOTIFIED MAINT CTL VIA ZZZZ OPS. (CREW HAD ZZZZ OPS CALL MAINT REGARDING THE GEAR PROB.) THE CREW WAS DEALING WITH LENGTHY EMER FLOWS AND SPECIAL ATC INSTRUCTIONS THE ACFT WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH SELCAL AND THEREFORE THE CREW COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH DISPATCH IN A 'RAPID AND RELIABLE' MANNER AS SET FORTH IN THE REGS. ADDITIONALLY; THE LENGTH OF FLT ALSO COMPLICATED THE ISSUE. CREW WAS NOTICEABLY SHAKEN BY THE EVENT. ONCE THE CREW CLRED CUSTOMS THE CAPT CALLED THE DISPATCHER AS REQUIRED TO MAKE A RPT SO THE DUTY OFFICER COULD BE NOTIFIED OF THE EMER. THE DISPATCHER TOOK THE INFO AND THE DETAILS AND CONTACT NUMBER FOR THE CAPT. AT THAT TIME; THE DISPATCHER WAS INFORMED THAT THE DUTY OFFICER HAD BEEN NOTIFIED; AGAIN WITH NO COM TO THE DISPATCHER. TOTAL FAILURE AND DISREGARD OF COM FROM 3 SOURCES OF MGMNT WHO HAD THE INFO ABOUT THE INFLT EMER. ALL SOURCES OF MGMNT FAILED TO INFORM THE DISPATCHER. THE DISPATCHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF FLT AND IS REQUIRED TO BE INFORMED IN A TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER. NOTE: IT WASN'T BUSY ENOUGH TO WARRANT TOTAL NON-COMPLIANCE. IT WAS A VERY SLOW NIGHT AND IT WAS SHEER NEGLECT OF DUTY NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE DISPATCHER ABOUT THE EMER. PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THE DISPATCHER DID NOT LEAVE THE OFFICE WHILE THE EMER HAD TAKEN PLACE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN EASY FOR SOMEONE TO INFORM HER OF THE EMER.

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.