Medium Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Dispatch Dispatcher
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Environment - Non Weather Related
Dispatcher at a nearby desk advised me that one of my flights was calling on her frequency. (I imagine a dialing error was made in the haste of the situation; as my desk was a similar number.) She conferenced the flight with Maintenance Control. I went over to the desk (on the other side of the room); and overheard they were declaring an emergency and asking Dispatch to respond. I answered and asked for details; if they had time. They responded with details; but unfortunately; they were unreadable due to bleed over from another operations frequency. Eventually I was able to confirm landing back at [departure airport]; declaring emergency due main pitch trim inoperative; after frustrating attempts by the crew to inform me of problem and action to be taken. The problem with this bleed over is not a new problem; and makes communication between the flight crew and Dispatch difficult at best. In this case; the emergency did not require any action or assistance from the Dispatcher; but there have been instances when this was not the case. This is not a new problem; but probably should be re-addressed.
A Dispatcher reported that he heard an aircraft declaring an emergency for an elevator trim problem but the company radio frequency bleed over was so strong that he had difficulty acknowledging the crew's emergency.