Narrative:

While operating at remote ice station gisp (72 37 13 north 38 29 56 west) airport was unable to takeoff from the ice. Aircraft was downloaded to lessen takeoff weight and another takeoff was attempted. The time needed for offload and numerous attempts to takeoff burned down usable fuel to 14000 pounds at takeoff. This fuel load is normally sufficient for the intended flight, provided aircraft can be climbed to FL280 or higher. This is where the best fuel economy occurs for the given gross weight and normal temperatures associated with these altitudes at this latitude. Once airborne the aircraft attempted contact with iceland radio to obtain clearance to FL280. HF radios were found to be inoperative in transmit function but could receive. UHF radio communication was established with sister mlt approximately 70 NM ahead of event aircraft. Requests for higher altitudes were passed through them to iceland radio. It was difficult communicating the urgency of obtaining clearance to FL280 for the event aircraft through this string of agencies. Extreme delays were being encountered obtaining clearance to FL280. Compounding the problem was the fact that our sister ship was already at FL280, and although they offered to both climb to FL300 or descend to FL260 in order to facilitate our climb to FL280, reykjavik oceanic would not permit them to do so while at the same time refusing us clearance above FL240. As time was critical and the amount of time needed to be at FL280 versus FL240, I climbed the aircraft to FL280 while continuing to negotiate clearance to do so with reykjavik oceanic through the double relay of our sister ship and iceland radio. The gravity of the needed altitude was finally communicated to reykjavik oceanic (1 hour and 15 mins after the initial request) and they finally cleared us to FL270. At that time I descended to FL270 and completed the flight without further incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF MLT CLBS ABOVE ASSIGNED ALT DUE TO FUEL CONCERNS ON OCEANIC FLT.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING AT REMOTE ICE STATION GISP (72 37 13 N 38 29 56 W) ARPT WAS UNABLE TO TKOF FROM THE ICE. ACFT WAS DOWNLOADED TO LESSEN TKOF WT AND ANOTHER TKOF WAS ATTEMPTED. THE TIME NEEDED FOR OFFLOAD AND NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO TKOF BURNED DOWN USABLE FUEL TO 14000 LBS AT TKOF. THIS FUEL LOAD IS NORMALLY SUFFICIENT FOR THE INTENDED FLT, PROVIDED ACFT CAN BE CLBED TO FL280 OR HIGHER. THIS IS WHERE THE BEST FUEL ECONOMY OCCURS FOR THE GIVEN GROSS WT AND NORMAL TEMPS ASSOCIATED WITH THESE ALTS AT THIS LATITUDE. ONCE AIRBORNE THE ACFT ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ICELAND RADIO TO OBTAIN CLRNC TO FL280. HF RADIOS WERE FOUND TO BE INOP IN XMIT FUNCTION BUT COULD RECEIVE. UHF RADIO COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH SISTER MLT APPROX 70 NM AHEAD OF EVENT ACFT. REQUESTS FOR HIGHER ALTS WERE PASSED THROUGH THEM TO ICELAND RADIO. IT WAS DIFFICULT COMMUNICATING THE URGENCY OF OBTAINING CLRNC TO FL280 FOR THE EVENT ACFT THROUGH THIS STRING OF AGENCIES. EXTREME DELAYS WERE BEING ENCOUNTERED OBTAINING CLRNC TO FL280. COMPOUNDING THE PROB WAS THE FACT THAT OUR SISTER SHIP WAS ALREADY AT FL280, AND ALTHOUGH THEY OFFERED TO BOTH CLB TO FL300 OR DSND TO FL260 IN ORDER TO FACILITATE OUR CLB TO FL280, REYKJAVIK OCEANIC WOULD NOT PERMIT THEM TO DO SO WHILE AT THE SAME TIME REFUSING US CLRNC ABOVE FL240. AS TIME WAS CRITICAL AND THE AMOUNT OF TIME NEEDED TO BE AT FL280 VERSUS FL240, I CLBED THE ACFT TO FL280 WHILE CONTINUING TO NEGOTIATE CLRNC TO DO SO WITH REYKJAVIK OCEANIC THROUGH THE DOUBLE RELAY OF OUR SISTER SHIP AND ICELAND RADIO. THE GRAVITY OF THE NEEDED ALT WAS FINALLY COMMUNICATED TO REYKJAVIK OCEANIC (1 HR AND 15 MINS AFTER THE INITIAL REQUEST) AND THEY FINALLY CLRED US TO FL270. AT THAT TIME I DSNDED TO FL270 AND COMPLETED THE FLT WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT.

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.