Narrative:

Our flight osa/hnl we were given an alternate route 'north ftr' our original flight plan by osa clearance at the gate. En route, after change over to hnl radio, hnl radio questioned our routing. We advised them of the change made by osa clearance. They did not seem to be aware of the change. Later hnl called us with a reclrnc. The captain and I both copied 'cleared direct 35N 180E, 28N 170W, silva, booke 7 arrival, FL350'. We read this back and this readback was acknowledged by hnl radio. Later hnl called and told us '10 min before silva, contact hnl on 119.9 squawk 1500'. At about 170W, hnl called us and questioned our proceeding to silva. They said we had been cleared to 'thoma'. We told them that we had copied and read back 'silva' and that our readback had been acknowledged. We did not think at that time to remind them that we had been advised to contact hnl center 10 min prior to silva on 119.9. We asked to which position they would now like us to proceed. They said 'thoma' so we proceeded to 'thoma'. HF reception was very poor that night which could have been a factor. Under that condition thoma and silva are very similar in sound. Perhaps the positions thoma, silva, and shila (all entry points west of hnl) could be renamed so there would be less chance of misreading them under conditions of poor HF reception. I know it would be an additional expense of some magnitude, but isn't it time for satcom? This expense must be measured against the potential for disaster from a critical miscom on a barely audible HF. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: we called hnl ARTCC when we got on the ground because one of the controllers we had talked to in the air seemed agitated. The supervisor we talked to on the ground said he would review the tapes. We have not heard from him. We still think we heard correctly and read back correctly, but ARTCC surely was confused.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF WDB ON PACIFIC FLT OSA TO HNL WAS GIVEN ALTERNATE ROUTE BY OSA. HNL CTL QUESTIONED THE ROUTE, APPARENTLY UNAWARE OF THE CHANGE FROM FLT PLAN. HNL RECLEARED THE FLT TO SILVA. LATER HNL QUESTIONED ROUTE TO SILVA, ADVISED FLT THEY WERE CLEARED TO THOMA. HF RECEPTION VERY POOR THAT NIGHT.

Narrative: OUR FLT OSA/HNL WE WERE GIVEN AN ALTERNATE ROUTE 'NORTH FTR' OUR ORIGINAL FLT PLAN BY OSA CLRNC AT THE GATE. ENRTE, AFTER CHANGE OVER TO HNL RADIO, HNL RADIO QUESTIONED OUR ROUTING. WE ADVISED THEM OF THE CHANGE MADE BY OSA CLRNC. THEY DID NOT SEEM TO BE AWARE OF THE CHANGE. LATER HNL CALLED US WITH A RECLRNC. THE CAPT AND I BOTH COPIED 'CLRED DIRECT 35N 180E, 28N 170W, SILVA, BOOKE 7 ARRIVAL, FL350'. WE READ THIS BACK AND THIS READBACK WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY HNL RADIO. LATER HNL CALLED AND TOLD US '10 MIN BEFORE SILVA, CONTACT HNL ON 119.9 SQUAWK 1500'. AT ABOUT 170W, HNL CALLED US AND QUESTIONED OUR PROCEEDING TO SILVA. THEY SAID WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO 'THOMA'. WE TOLD THEM THAT WE HAD COPIED AND READ BACK 'SILVA' AND THAT OUR READBACK HAD BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. WE DID NOT THINK AT THAT TIME TO REMIND THEM THAT WE HAD BEEN ADVISED TO CONTACT HNL CENTER 10 MIN PRIOR TO SILVA ON 119.9. WE ASKED TO WHICH POSITION THEY WOULD NOW LIKE US TO PROCEED. THEY SAID 'THOMA' SO WE PROCEEDED TO 'THOMA'. HF RECEPTION WAS VERY POOR THAT NIGHT WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR. UNDER THAT CONDITION THOMA AND SILVA ARE VERY SIMILAR IN SOUND. PERHAPS THE POSITIONS THOMA, SILVA, AND SHILA (ALL ENTRY POINTS W OF HNL) COULD BE RENAMED SO THERE WOULD BE LESS CHANCE OF MISREADING THEM UNDER CONDITIONS OF POOR HF RECEPTION. I KNOW IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE OF SOME MAGNITUDE, BUT ISN'T IT TIME FOR SATCOM? THIS EXPENSE MUST BE MEASURED AGAINST THE POTENTIAL FOR DISASTER FROM A CRITICAL MISCOM ON A BARELY AUDIBLE HF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: WE CALLED HNL ARTCC WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND BECAUSE ONE OF THE CTLRS WE HAD TALKED TO IN THE AIR SEEMED AGITATED. THE SUPVR WE TALKED TO ON THE GND SAID HE WOULD REVIEW THE TAPES. WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM HIM. WE STILL THINK WE HEARD CORRECTLY AND READ BACK CORRECTLY, BUT ARTCC SURELY WAS CONFUSED.

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.