Airline Dispatcher Files FAA Complaint=20 06/12/2002=20 By JONATHAN D. SALANT / Associated Press=20 WASHINGTON =97 The American Airlines dispatcher who handled the flight=20 carrying alleged shoe-bomber Richard Reid has filed a whistle-blower=20 complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration.=20 In the 12-page complaint, dispatcher Julie Robichaux said American=20 Airlines interfered with her job and punished her for telling flight=20 crews of possible security problems.=20 American Airlines spokesman Steve Tankel denied the allegations.=20 The complaint comes at a time when American and some of its=20 employees have clashed over security, safety and personnel issues.=20 The airline, which had two of hijacked planes on Sept. 11, is=20 negotiating a new contract with its pilots' union.=20 Robichaux was on duty Dec. 22 when the captain of Flight 63 told her=20 about Reid. She said the captain reported Reid had been subdued but=20 it was unsafe to complete the flight to Miami. She said they decided=20 that the plane should land in Boston.=20 Dispatchers track flights for the airlines and are in frequent=20 contract with the flight crews, telling them about potential weather=20 problems, safety issues and other information.=20 After learning of the shoe-bomb incident, Robichaux said she asked=20 for help to track her other flights, but no one was available due to=20 layoffs. Tankel said there were enough dispatchers on duty at the=20 time.=20 She said the manager of the operations center contacted the captain=20 and told him to land at an airport in Canada. She said the captain=20 told the manager that he would land in Boston.=20 Tankel said Robichaux misunderstood the conversation and the=20 supervisor was only talking about a possible Canadian landing.=20 In May, she said she told flight crews about two security incidents=20 involving American flights to Zurich. On a flight out of Dallas, six=20 passengers traveling on Indian passports allegedly were=20 synchronizing watches. On a flight out of New York, a Pakistani=20 passenger refused to shut off his computer when the plane was about=20 to take off. He was removed from the flight.=20 She said her supervisor called her to a meeting that required a=20 union representative to attend, told her actions were inappropriate,=20 and was threatened with a letter that could be the first step in a=20 process that could lead to her losing her job.=20 Tankel said dispatchers are not supposed to handle security.=20 "As far as security is concerned, it had been our policy for some=20 time that security issues and events are managed through the center=20 manager," Tankel said. "The dispatcher maintains contact with the=20 captain so the dispatcher can rely information to the captain and=20 crew and get information from the captain and the crew."=20 Last week, the union released a videotape of interviews with pilots=20 and flight crews aboard the Paris-to-Miami flight that carried Reid.=20 The union charged American with failing to provide adequate training=20 for dealing with such emergencies.=20