Narrative:

We inadvertently encountered volcanic ash while in-flight. When we 'pulled' the flight plan up in mia operations, there was no mention of this danger nor did we receive any warning or information concerning this dangerous threat to safety of flight while en route to sju from any company dispatcher. There was a lot of WX in and around puerto rico island and north through west. The flight was at night, so the clues we had, as the flight crew, concerning this event, were nearly zero. We did encounter saint elmo's fire which seemed unusual but not necessarily unheard of since there was some convective activity in our area. All engine and aircraft system appeared normal throughout this encounter. At the top of descent we heard air carrier Y, B767-400, declare an emergency and divert into sju with an engine shut down due to volcanic ash. They spoke with their dispatcher during this event. We heard, zip, zero, nada from our dispatcher. We asked sju center about the volcanic ash and they reported it to be southeast of puerto rico. We knew about the volcano down near 'vc' bird but was totally unaware of the prevailing WX conditions that were occurring that night. We landed just ahead of the emergency aircraft on runway 10. Unbeknownst to me at this time is that we did have an encounter with the volcanic ash and sju maintenance discovered it after our departure to the hotel. That day the airport was covered by a volcanic ash cloud. It wasn't until the following day when we departed back to mia that I realized we had been exposed to this very serious/dangerous event. This is a problem with company dispatch, poor communication when you really need it. I've experienced several occasions with poor performance from these people. Some of the simplest, seemingly unimportant issue, by not following company part I and the aircraft operations manual requirement by utilizing the remarks section of the flight plan to explain add fuel, very good communication if used properly, to the serious by threatening a captain, me, for making a sound safe decision to divert.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING B727 FLC LEARNS OF VOLCANIC ASH CLOUDS IN THEIR VICINITY AFTER HEARING ANOTHER ACFT'S EMER DECLARATION WHILE 75 MI NW OF SJU, PR.

Narrative: WE INADVERTENTLY ENCOUNTERED VOLCANIC ASH WHILE INFLT. WHEN WE 'PULLED' THE FLT PLAN UP IN MIA OPS, THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THIS DANGER NOR DID WE RECEIVE ANY WARNING OR INFO CONCERNING THIS DANGEROUS THREAT TO SAFETY OF FLT WHILE ENRTE TO SJU FROM ANY COMPANY DISPATCHER. THERE WAS A LOT OF WX IN AND AROUND PUERTO RICO ISLAND AND N THROUGH W. THE FLT WAS AT NIGHT, SO THE CLUES WE HAD, AS THE FLC, CONCERNING THIS EVENT, WERE NEARLY ZERO. WE DID ENCOUNTER SAINT ELMO'S FIRE WHICH SEEMED UNUSUAL BUT NOT NECESSARILY UNHEARD OF SINCE THERE WAS SOME CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY IN OUR AREA. ALL ENG AND ACFT SYS APPEARED NORMAL THROUGHOUT THIS ENCOUNTER. AT THE TOP OF DSCNT WE HEARD ACR Y, B767-400, DECLARE AN EMER AND DIVERT INTO SJU WITH AN ENG SHUT DOWN DUE TO VOLCANIC ASH. THEY SPOKE WITH THEIR DISPATCHER DURING THIS EVENT. WE HEARD, ZIP, ZERO, NADA FROM OUR DISPATCHER. WE ASKED SJU CTR ABOUT THE VOLCANIC ASH AND THEY RPTED IT TO BE SE OF PUERTO RICO. WE KNEW ABOUT THE VOLCANO DOWN NEAR 'VC' BIRD BUT WAS TOTALLY UNAWARE OF THE PREVAILING WX CONDITIONS THAT WERE OCCURRING THAT NIGHT. WE LANDED JUST AHEAD OF THE EMER ACFT ON RWY 10. UNBEKNOWNST TO ME AT THIS TIME IS THAT WE DID HAVE AN ENCOUNTER WITH THE VOLCANIC ASH AND SJU MAINT DISCOVERED IT AFTER OUR DEP TO THE HOTEL. THAT DAY THE ARPT WAS COVERED BY A VOLCANIC ASH CLOUD. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY WHEN WE DEPARTED BACK TO MIA THAT I REALIZED WE HAD BEEN EXPOSED TO THIS VERY SERIOUS/DANGEROUS EVENT. THIS IS A PROB WITH COMPANY DISPATCH, POOR COM WHEN YOU REALLY NEED IT. I'VE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL OCCASIONS WITH POOR PERFORMANCE FROM THESE PEOPLE. SOME OF THE SIMPLEST, SEEMINGLY UNIMPORTANT ISSUE, BY NOT FOLLOWING COMPANY PART I AND THE ACFT OPS MANUAL REQUIREMENT BY UTILIZING THE REMARKS SECTION OF THE FLT PLAN TO EXPLAIN ADD FUEL, VERY GOOD COM IF USED PROPERLY, TO THE SERIOUS BY THREATENING A CAPT, ME, FOR MAKING A SOUND SAFE DECISION TO DIVERT.

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.