Flight crew of heavy transport cargo lost both HSI instruments, warning flag, elected to proceed to ...

Attributes
ACN	165731
Time
Date	199012
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : shv airport : okc
State Reference	LA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 41000 msl bound upper : 41000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme tower : orf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 204 flight time total : 4245 flight time type : 862
ASRS Report	165731
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After takeoff from efd, a normal climb to cruise altitude of FL410 was completed. Sometime after passing lufkin VOR en route to shreveport VOR, both the captain and first officer got navigation warning flags in each HSI. A vector to lit (next fix en route) was requested from ATC while the problem was being troubleshooted. After troubleshooting was finished, to no avail, company dispatch was notified to request VFR alternates and a new dispatch release to our new destination. A clearance was requested and received from ATC for our new destination, elp. After being established on the new heading for a short period of time, the winds were determined to be stronger than expected. ATC was informed that we would be marginal on fuel for elp and closer airport was needed. ATC suggested we use oklahoma city, ok, whose WX had just been revised and was showing a ceiling above our nonprecision minimums. We were given vectors to okc and after shooting a non precision radar approach, an uneventful landing was made. The problem was located at a t-junction of the cable from the antenna to the receivers for the VHF navigation radios. I do not know what could be done by flight crew or maintenance to prevent this from happening again. Note: ceilings at destination (sdf) and alternate were fine for ILS approachs, but were barely useful for non precision approachs. This was true for every alternate airport we had fuel to get to, after an approach and miss at our destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF HVT CARGO LOST BOTH HSI INSTRUMENTS, WARNING FLAG, ELECTED TO PROCEED TO AN ALTERNATE WITH VFR WX TO AVOID HAVING TO MAKE AN NDB APCH TO MINIMUMS AT THEIR SCHEDULED DESTINATION.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF FROM EFD, A NORMAL CLB TO CRUISE ALT OF FL410 WAS COMPLETED. SOMETIME AFTER PASSING LUFKIN VOR ENRTE TO SHREVEPORT VOR, BOTH THE CAPT AND F/O GOT NAV WARNING FLAGS IN EACH HSI. A VECTOR TO LIT (NEXT FIX ENRTE) WAS REQUESTED FROM ATC WHILE THE PROB WAS BEING TROUBLESHOOTED. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING WAS FINISHED, TO NO AVAIL, COMPANY DISPATCH WAS NOTIFIED TO REQUEST VFR ALTERNATES AND A NEW DISPATCH RELEASE TO OUR NEW DEST. A CLRNC WAS REQUESTED AND RECEIVED FROM ATC FOR OUR NEW DEST, ELP. AFTER BEING ESTABLISHED ON THE NEW HDG FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME, THE WINDS WERE DETERMINED TO BE STRONGER THAN EXPECTED. ATC WAS INFORMED THAT WE WOULD BE MARGINAL ON FUEL FOR ELP AND CLOSER ARPT WAS NEEDED. ATC SUGGESTED WE USE OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, WHOSE WX HAD JUST BEEN REVISED AND WAS SHOWING A CEILING ABOVE OUR NONPRECISION MINIMUMS. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO OKC AND AFTER SHOOTING A NON PRECISION RADAR APCH, AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG WAS MADE. THE PROB WAS LOCATED AT A T-JUNCTION OF THE CABLE FROM THE ANTENNA TO THE RECEIVERS FOR THE VHF NAV RADIOS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT COULD BE DONE BY FLT CREW OR MAINT TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. NOTE: CEILINGS AT DEST (SDF) AND ALTERNATE WERE FINE FOR ILS APCHS, BUT WERE BARELY USEFUL FOR NON PRECISION APCHS. THIS WAS TRUE FOR EVERY ALTERNATE ARPT WE HAD FUEL TO GET TO, AFTER AN APCH AND MISS AT OUR DEST.

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.

Flight crew of heavy transport cargo lost both HSI instruments, warning flag, elected to proceed to an alternate with VFR WX to avoid having to make an NDB approach to minimums at their scheduled destination.