Dispatch unable to contact air carrier to advise of closure of airport due to earthquake.

Attributes
ACN	176489
Time
Date	199104
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : tio
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mhtg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : ub767
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other
ASRS Report	176489
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Navigational Facility
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Sjo opns contact dispatch in reference to an earthquake that had just occurred in sjo and reported the airport was closed for runway inspection and would be closed ufn. With this information I tried to contact the flight en route through lima radio/houston radio/portishead radio, all were unable to reach the flight. I then tried numerous times to contact panama center which I was unable to reach. Flight was on arwy UB767 over radon at 20Z. I never did get a hold of the flight to advise of the situation in sjo. I later then found out the airport was open and flight was on the ground at sjo, via dispatch. I contacted the captain at sjo and he replied he had lost all communication for approximately 30-40 mins in this area, and this usually happens when flying in the central/south american areas.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCH UNABLE TO CONTACT ACR TO ADVISE OF CLOSURE OF ARPT DUE TO EARTHQUAKE.

Narrative: SJO OPNS CONTACT DISPATCH IN REF TO AN EARTHQUAKE THAT HAD JUST OCCURRED IN SJO AND RPTED THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR RWY INSPECTION AND WOULD BE CLOSED UFN. WITH THIS INFO I TRIED TO CONTACT THE FLT ENRTE THROUGH LIMA RADIO/HOUSTON RADIO/PORTISHEAD RADIO, ALL WERE UNABLE TO REACH THE FLT. I THEN TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES TO CONTACT PANAMA CTR WHICH I WAS UNABLE TO REACH. FLT WAS ON ARWY UB767 OVER RADON AT 20Z. I NEVER DID GET A HOLD OF THE FLT TO ADVISE OF THE SITUATION IN SJO. I LATER THEN FOUND OUT THE ARPT WAS OPEN AND FLT WAS ON THE GND AT SJO, VIA DISPATCH. I CONTACTED THE CAPT AT SJO AND HE REPLIED HE HAD LOST ALL COM FOR APPROX 30-40 MINS IN THIS AREA, AND THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN FLYING IN THE CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICAN AREAS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.