Commercial Fixed Wing
Dispatch Dispatcher
Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Smoke / Fire / Fumes / Odor
Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft; Environment - Non Weather Related; Procedure
Shortly after the shift turnover as I just finished signing into the computer and bringing up all of the applications I received an ACARS from this flight stating 'Emergency declared smoke in cabin' and I responded 'Rogr...Thnx; Are you continuing.' I never received any other messages from the flight as they were probably busy. To try and get more information I called ATC Flow and the phone was busy. I called Tower and asked if they knew if the flight was headed to their airport; they said yes and they were about to call for the equipment. Turns out there was smoke in the forward galley coming from a galley oven. I write this report because an hour or so after the flight landed I received a call from one of the divert airport chief pilots who during our conversation said that the crew sent some ACARS to me and that I never responded; I only received the ACARS mentioned above. I would like an answer as to why I never received any additional ACARS messages from the flight; dispatchers are here for safety and when it was time to do that I wasn't able to and the crew is out there on their own with no support.
A Dispatcher reported that one of his flight's crew ACARSed him about a galley smoke event and diverted as a result; then he was unable to communicate with the aircraft the remainder of the flight.