RPTR; A DISPATCHER; IS UNABLE TO CONTACT STATION OPS PERSONNEL AT AN ARPT TO WHICH HE NEEDED TO DIVERT DUE TO A MEDICAL EMER.
Synopsis
RPTR; A DISPATCHER; IS UNABLE TO CONTACT STATION OPS PERSONNEL AT AN ARPT TO WHICH HE NEEDED TO DIVERT DUE TO A MEDICAL EMER.
Narrative
FLT CONTACTED ME W OF ICT TO ADVISE OF A DEVELOPING MEDICAL SIT. A PHONE PATCH WAS ESTABLISHED BTWN A DOCTOR ON BOARD THE ACFT AND THE COMPANY DUTY DOCTOR. THERE WAS AN 82 YR OLD FEMALE PAX ON BOARD WITH CHEST PAINS; DIZZINESS; DISORIENTATION AND WEAKNESS ON L SIDE. PAX WAS DIABETIC AND HAD HISTORY OF STROKE AT AGE 40. BOTH DOCTORS AGREED THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND ASAP AND HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET THE FLT. A DIVERSION TO XYZ WAS INITIATED AND I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT XYZ OPS TO ADVISE THEM OF THE DIVERSION AND TO HAVE PARAMEDICS STANDING BY. NO ONE ANSWERED ON THE OPS LINE AND; IN FACT; THERE WAS AN ANSWERING MACHINE. JUST AS I WAS CALLING THE FAA TWR TO HAVE THEM CALL OUT THE PARAMEDICS; OPS ADVISED ME THEY WERE ABLE TO CONTACT SOMEONE IN XYZ AND ADVISE THEM OF THE DIVERSION AND NEED FOR PARAMEDICS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY CONTACTING SOMEONE IN XYZ AND ADVISE THEM OF THE DIVERSION AND NEED FOR PARAMEDICS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY CONTACTING SOMEONE AT AN ON-LINE STATION IN AN EMER AND THAT IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE SIT. THERE SHOULD BE A CELL PHONE OR PAGER NUMBER WHERE THE DISPATCHER CAN REACH STATION PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY IN AN EMER. THE PURPOSE OF THIS RPT IS NOT TO BE CRITICAL OF XYZ OPS. THIS IS IN FACT A SYS WIDE PROB. OPS PERSONNEL HAVE MANY DUTIES TO PERFORM AT LINE STATIONS; WHICH TAKE THEM OUT OF THE OPS OFFICE; BUT THERE IS NO REASON THAT THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE A PAGE OR CELL PHONE WHERE DISPATCH CAN REACH THEM. THIS PROB NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.