Air carrier widebody transport track deviation due to loss of omega systems caused by solar burst.

Attributes
ACN	108359
Time
Date	198904
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 30000 msl bound upper : 30000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	108359
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

About 17 mins from gateway, inbound to lax, we lost both omega receivers. I attribute that to solar flare activity as all aircraft had been complaining (us included) of a 30 min loss of HF communication. As we had been on course previous to this and had 2 other aircraft in sight slightly to our left, we continued on using flight plan headings. We declared navigation unreliable. We crossed the gateway 10 miles south of the intersection at which time we were able to get a good 'dd' fix on the FMS and continue in. All other omega equipped aircraft were experiencing problems (as reported either to ATC or to each other). I feel that one INS platform should be required on all omega aircraft as a backup.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB TRACK DEVIATION DUE TO LOSS OF OMEGA SYSTEMS CAUSED BY SOLAR BURST.

Narrative: ABOUT 17 MINS FROM GATEWAY, INBND TO LAX, WE LOST BOTH OMEGA RECEIVERS. I ATTRIBUTE THAT TO SOLAR FLARE ACTIVITY AS ALL ACFT HAD BEEN COMPLAINING (US INCLUDED) OF A 30 MIN LOSS OF HF COMMUNICATION. AS WE HAD BEEN ON COURSE PREVIOUS TO THIS AND HAD 2 OTHER ACFT IN SIGHT SLIGHTLY TO OUR LEFT, WE CONTINUED ON USING FLT PLAN HDGS. WE DECLARED NAV UNRELIABLE. WE CROSSED THE GATEWAY 10 MILES S OF THE INTXN AT WHICH TIME WE WERE ABLE TO GET A GOOD 'DD' FIX ON THE FMS AND CONTINUE IN. ALL OTHER OMEGA EQUIPPED ACFT WERE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS (AS REPORTED EITHER TO ATC OR TO EACH OTHER). I FEEL THAT ONE INS PLATFORM SHOULD BE REQUIRED ON ALL OMEGA ACFT AS A BACKUP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.