Narrative:

Subject: B747-400 near miss, dec/fri/94. I was the captain of a B747-400 passenger flight from lax to osaka, japan. While cruising at FL370 on north pacific airway A590 a fire warning occurred on the #2 engine. Shutdown per emergency procedures was accomplished without problem. Our location was within the tokyo fir and at approximately 150E longitude. In-flight contingency procedures for the nopac track system were followed and the aircraft was turned right to establish a slow drift down 25 NM right of the airway centerline. We issued a TA on 121.5 VHF guard stating our position and intention to descend. We then called tokyo radio on HF radio and declared an emergency. We further requested clearance to narita airport in japan at FL330 as this was the nearest suitable airport and the optimum altitude for engine out performance. After about a 5 min wait tokyo radio called and asked if we could accept FL350 and stated our requested level of FL330 was unavailable due to conflicting traffic. We responded affirmatively and were told to standby for ATC clearance. After about 10 mins we were cleared A590 pabba direct ketar OTR10 cvc direct tokyo narita, a standard routing. We were cleared to maintain FL350. Our crew of 4 rated pilots all heard and confirmed the clearance and our readback. The flight was then maneuvered to regain A590 centerline per our revised clearance. Engine out cruise was established at FL350. As the flight was maneuvered near the airway centerline to re-establish automatic tracking a TCASII TA was heard followed quickly by an RA warning and a command to 'climb.' the aircraft pitch attitude was increased moderately and thrust was confirmed at maximum continuous on the 3 operating engines. The fxo observed the oncoming flight and stated 'I've got him, we're ok.' level flight was re-established and tokyo radio contacted and advised of a near miss and requested to confirm our clearance. After several mins our routing and altitude were confirmed at FL350. Tokyo made no response to our report of a traffic conflict. Remainder of the flight to narita was uneventful. The SOP procedures for the aircraft and the nopac track were accomplished satisfactorily and were adequate for the situation. The ATC service provided by tokyo oceanic control was deficient.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: OPERROR BTWN ACR X AND ACR Y.

Narrative: SUBJECT: B747-400 NEAR MISS, DEC/FRI/94. I WAS THE CAPT OF A B747-400 PAX FLT FROM LAX TO OSAKA, JAPAN. WHILE CRUISING AT FL370 ON NORTH PACIFIC AIRWAY A590 A FIRE WARNING OCCURRED ON THE #2 ENG. SHUTDOWN PER EMER PROCS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT PROB. OUR LOCATION WAS WITHIN THE TOKYO FIR AND AT APPROX 150E LONGITUDE. INFLT CONTINGENCY PROCS FOR THE NOPAC TRACK SYS WERE FOLLOWED AND THE ACFT WAS TURNED R TO ESTABLISH A SLOW DRIFT DOWN 25 NM R OF THE AIRWAY CTRLINE. WE ISSUED A TA ON 121.5 VHF GUARD STATING OUR POS AND INTENTION TO DSND. WE THEN CALLED TOKYO RADIO ON HF RADIO AND DECLARED AN EMER. WE FURTHER REQUESTED CLRNC TO NARITA ARPT IN JAPAN AT FL330 AS THIS WAS THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT AND THE OPTIMUM ALT FOR ENG OUT PERFORMANCE. AFTER ABOUT A 5 MIN WAIT TOKYO RADIO CALLED AND ASKED IF WE COULD ACCEPT FL350 AND STATED OUR REQUESTED LEVEL OF FL330 WAS UNAVAILABLE DUE TO CONFLICTING TFC. WE RESPONDED AFFIRMATIVELY AND WERE TOLD TO STANDBY FOR ATC CLRNC. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINS WE WERE CLRED A590 PABBA DIRECT KETAR OTR10 CVC DIRECT TOKYO NARITA, A STANDARD ROUTING. WE WERE CLRED TO MAINTAIN FL350. OUR CREW OF 4 RATED PLTS ALL HEARD AND CONFIRMED THE CLRNC AND OUR READBACK. THE FLT WAS THEN MANEUVERED TO REGAIN A590 CTRLINE PER OUR REVISED CLRNC. ENG OUT CRUISE WAS ESTABLISHED AT FL350. AS THE FLT WAS MANEUVERED NEAR THE AIRWAY CTRLINE TO RE-ESTABLISH AUTOMATIC TRACKING A TCASII TA WAS HEARD FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY AN RA WARNING AND A COMMAND TO 'CLB.' THE ACFT PITCH ATTITUDE WAS INCREASED MODERATELY AND THRUST WAS CONFIRMED AT MAX CONTINUOUS ON THE 3 OPERATING ENGS. THE FXO OBSERVED THE ONCOMING FLT AND STATED 'I'VE GOT HIM, WE'RE OK.' LEVEL FLT WAS RE-ESTABLISHED AND TOKYO RADIO CONTACTED AND ADVISED OF A NEAR MISS AND REQUESTED TO CONFIRM OUR CLRNC. AFTER SEVERAL MINS OUR ROUTING AND ALT WERE CONFIRMED AT FL350. TOKYO MADE NO RESPONSE TO OUR RPT OF A TFC CONFLICT. REMAINDER OF THE FLT TO NARITA WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE SOP PROCS FOR THE ACFT AND THE NOPAC TRACK WERE ACCOMPLISHED SATISFACTORILY AND WERE ADEQUATE FOR THE SIT. THE ATC SVC PROVIDED BY TOKYO OCEANIC CTL WAS DEFICIENT.

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.