McDonnell Douglas Undifferentiated or Other Model
Dispatch Dispatcher
Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Software and Automation; Procedure
5;500 pounds of fuel became trapped due to #1 float switch issue. They [requested priority handling] and landed in ZZZ.    While trying to communicate with the aircraft the ACARS send function in FPS failed.  I tried the backup in the services link and that also failed.  I had to have a fellow dispatcher send the ACARS for me since time was of the essence. It was a brief outage but at a very critical moment. Advised [supervisor] and contacted ZZZ Tower.
Dispatcher reported failure of the automated ACARS function on their work station complicated an event with an aircraft having fuel trapped in a wing tank due to component malfunction.