Narrative:

While flying from guam (mariana's) to honolulu flight was selcaled and given a message from company dispatch in houston. Honolulu commercial radio stated that we were to be redispatched from present position to return to guam. Apparently our flight had crewmembers for another aircraft on board and they were required to return to guam. We continued on course for the time required to confirm the needed crew was in fact on board then requested commercial radio to send our position. Commercial radio was asked to forward position and request return to guam to oakland oceanic and houston dispatch. After several present position reports to commercial radio we asked again if we were cleared present position to guam. The SELCAL came and we were cleared present position direct guam. We called commercial radio back and requested verification of our clearance because usually we would expect to be cleared to a fix then guam via some route. There seemed to be some question of our present position. We reversed course at Z from north 15 degree 20.6/east 160 degree 09.6 and reported same to commercial radio along with altitude and ETA guam. At Z commercial radio asked for an estimate 15 degree N-170 degree east. We responded that he had cleared us to guam direct. He said standby. Selcaled once again and cleared us present position direct hoppy direct guam. Before we turned back to guam, we felt that a clearance had been given properly. Oakland oceanic was informed of our reversal but we thought it was their clearance to turn around. If there was an error it is our hope that all parties have benefitted from the lesson.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OCEANIC FLT TOLD TO RETURN TO GUAM, REQUESTED CLRNC TO DO SO.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING FROM GUAM (MARIANA'S) TO HONOLULU FLT WAS SELCALED AND GIVEN A MESSAGE FROM COMPANY DISPATCH IN HOUSTON. HONOLULU COMMERCIAL RADIO STATED THAT WE WERE TO BE REDISPATCHED FROM PRESENT POS TO RETURN TO GUAM. APPARENTLY OUR FLT HAD CREWMEMBERS FOR ANOTHER ACFT ON BOARD AND THEY WERE REQUIRED TO RETURN TO GUAM. WE CONTINUED ON COURSE FOR THE TIME REQUIRED TO CONFIRM THE NEEDED CREW WAS IN FACT ON BOARD THEN REQUESTED COMMERCIAL RADIO TO SEND OUR POS. COMMERCIAL RADIO WAS ASKED TO FORWARD POS AND REQUEST RETURN TO GUAM TO OAKLAND OCEANIC AND HOUSTON DISPATCH. AFTER SEVERAL PRESENT POS RPTS TO COMMERCIAL RADIO WE ASKED AGAIN IF WE WERE CLRED PRESENT POS TO GUAM. THE SELCAL CAME AND WE WERE CLRED PRESENT POS DIRECT GUAM. WE CALLED COMMERCIAL RADIO BACK AND REQUESTED VERIFICATION OF OUR CLRNC BECAUSE USUALLY WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE CLRED TO A FIX THEN GUAM VIA SOME RTE. THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME QUESTION OF OUR PRESENT POS. WE REVERSED COURSE AT Z FROM N 15 DEG 20.6/E 160 DEG 09.6 AND RPTED SAME TO COMMERCIAL RADIO ALONG WITH ALT AND ETA GUAM. AT Z COMMERCIAL RADIO ASKED FOR AN ESTIMATE 15 DEG N-170 DEG E. WE RESPONDED THAT HE HAD CLRED US TO GUAM DIRECT. HE SAID STANDBY. SELCALED ONCE AGAIN AND CLRED US PRESENT POS DIRECT HOPPY DIRECT GUAM. BEFORE WE TURNED BACK TO GUAM, WE FELT THAT A CLRNC HAD BEEN GIVEN PROPERLY. OAKLAND OCEANIC WAS INFORMED OF OUR REVERSAL BUT WE THOUGHT IT WAS THEIR CLRNC TO TURN AROUND. IF THERE WAS AN ERROR IT IS OUR HOPE THAT ALL PARTIES HAVE BENEFITTED FROM THE LESSON.

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.