Narrative:

Airline flight cancun, mexico to hou. Tried to contact ZHU for position report over miley intersection, required reporting point. Could not reach center, so after several attempts made position report in the blind. Did not make contact with ZHU until 20 mi south of barow intersection, 163 mi north miley. Did not attempt to contact center through arinc (130.7) to pass position report due to excessive navigation workload. A766 tx-mexico is marginal for navaids. The G/south and czm beacons are unreliable most of the time (INS or omega really required to fly their route). Meride VOR DME is often also unreliable and causes you to make an unnecessary correction. There is no radar nor radio coverage between baron and miley intersection. Therefore, unless your aircraft is equipped with INS or omega, dr using flight plan winds and headings is the primary navigation. Position reports are required to be made on arinc for passage to center. The situation only gets worse when deviations are required for WX! ZHU is now reporting all missed radio calls and navigation errors greater than 20 NM. They are doing this to try and get upgraded radar and radio coverage. However, the missed radio calls and navigation errors are reported to the FAA enforcement department. The pilots can't win. I do not fly aircraft with omega/INS and must dr across the gulf of mexico, fighting thunderstorms and trying to make reports via arinc. And if I fail to make the correct decision about navigation (more like guess) and arinc fails to pass my report, then I can get violated. All because of inadequate radio and navigation equipment of our government!!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FAILED TO MAKE A REQUIRED POSITION REPORT ON AIRWAY ROUTE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO.

Narrative: AIRLINE FLT CANCUN, MEXICO TO HOU. TRIED TO CONTACT ZHU FOR POS RPT OVER MILEY INTXN, REQUIRED RPTING POINT. COULD NOT REACH CENTER, SO AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS MADE POS RPT IN THE BLIND. DID NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH ZHU UNTIL 20 MI S OF BAROW INTXN, 163 MI N MILEY. DID NOT ATTEMPT TO CONTACT CENTER THROUGH ARINC (130.7) TO PASS POS RPT DUE TO EXCESSIVE NAV WORKLOAD. A766 TX-MEXICO IS MARGINAL FOR NAVAIDS. THE G/S AND CZM BEACONS ARE UNRELIABLE MOST OF THE TIME (INS OR OMEGA REALLY REQUIRED TO FLY THEIR RTE). MERIDE VOR DME IS OFTEN ALSO UNRELIABLE AND CAUSES YOU TO MAKE AN UNNECESSARY CORRECTION. THERE IS NO RADAR NOR RADIO COVERAGE BTWN BARON AND MILEY INTXN. THEREFORE, UNLESS YOUR ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH INS OR OMEGA, DR USING FLT PLAN WINDS AND HDGS IS THE PRIMARY NAV. POS RPTS ARE REQUIRED TO BE MADE ON ARINC FOR PASSAGE TO CENTER. THE SITUATION ONLY GETS WORSE WHEN DEVIATIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR WX! ZHU IS NOW RPTING ALL MISSED RADIO CALLS AND NAV ERRORS GREATER THAN 20 NM. THEY ARE DOING THIS TO TRY AND GET UPGRADED RADAR AND RADIO COVERAGE. HOWEVER, THE MISSED RADIO CALLS AND NAV ERRORS ARE RPTED TO THE FAA ENFORCEMENT DEPT. THE PLTS CAN'T WIN. I DO NOT FLY ACFT WITH OMEGA/INS AND MUST DR ACROSS THE GULF OF MEXICO, FIGHTING TSTMS AND TRYING TO MAKE RPTS VIA ARINC. AND IF I FAIL TO MAKE THE CORRECT DECISION ABOUT NAV (MORE LIKE GUESS) AND ARINC FAILS TO PASS MY RPT, THEN I CAN GET VIOLATED. ALL BECAUSE OF INADEQUATE RADIO AND NAV EQUIP OF OUR GOVERNMENT!!

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.