Narrative:

Lax direct akl, routing random track near equator. Multiple deviations throughout area. At crew change relief crew monitoring hnl radio frequencys 5643/3647, cleared block altitude FL310-350. Relief crew called hnl radio to verify received position report. Hnl stated report should be given to tahiti. Attempted contact tahiti both 5643/3647 but tahiti only partially readable, tahiti reported us unreadable. We could receive portions of tahiti xmissions. Hnl radio attempted relay of position report unsuccessfully. However, when tahiti attempted to verify our altitude commented that air carrier Y northbound in block FL330-350. We needed further clearance for WX deviations up to 20 mi east and west of track. In vicinity O5S 150W established contact with tahiti who cleared us to deviate as requested and descend to FL310. Heard air carrier Y position reports indicated on different track northbound in block FL330-350 as previously indicated. Flight continued without incident. Comments (factors affecting quality human performance): 1) apparently hnl did not make clear to first crew that 5643/3647 frequencys to be 'monitored' were to be used to contact tahiti at fir. 2) tahiti appeared not to expect us sbound in block FL310- 350. 3) the secondary frequency given by hnl for tahiti (3647) is not a frequency used by tahiti but 5643 and 8867 are used by tahiti. In any event, attempts were made to contact tahiti on all 3 frequencys (5643, 3647, 8867). In the end, only 5643 was readable. 4) it would be useful if oceanic radio operators would specify the new agency to contact (hnl is not the only agency this has been experienced). While it might seem obvious, on certain occasions such as this situation described. The prior agency might be relaying messages due conditions of the moment, so a crew could expect either situation. 5) in the same vein, it seems that better coordination might be expected since tahiti seemed unaware of routing, and cleared block altitude as it entered tahiti's airspace. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this report was filed mainly for the immunity it provides from an FAA violation. There really is no problem with that, however, there was an FAA observer on board that monitored the situation who said there was no problem but the reporter does not have confidence that he won't change his mind. It can be very difficult at times to communicate with radio operators in the south pacific with the HF frequencys. This is the first time it has been difficult for the reporter during the 2 yrs he has been flying the same route. He was not sure his reports from the previous chkpoints were being forwarded to the next progress chkpoint by any other means such as teletype. He was assured they were and ZOA oceanic verified that teletype communications were available to the various radio operators. Although the radio HF frequencys were copied down, the secondary frequency was copied wrong. That frequency may well have been perfect for communicating but it was discovered after the flight landed. Reporter was counseled to do the following to assure communication: 1) go back to previous radio operator and give report. 2) check map for proper frequencys. 3) give progress report to any other radio operator that hears and tell him to forward it. 4) send progress report by satcom to dispatch center of airline and let them forward it. Supplemental information from acn 298303: a crew change occurred (in-flight) at same time as center change. The handoff from hnl was somewhat confusing. New contact with tahiti was made difficult by poor frequency propagation, and tahiti's poor radio reception. We had been assigned a FL310-350 block, but then when queried, tahiti broadcast an aircraft conflict with northbound flight at FL330-350. We were then assigned to descend for conflict to FL310. Tahiti did not seem to have a firm grasp of our relative position and communications were quite poor. Satcom was fully operational, but unusable outside of united states airspace. It would have solved all problems.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COM PROB BTWN ACFT AND GND STATION.

Narrative: LAX DIRECT AKL, ROUTING RANDOM TRACK NEAR EQUATOR. MULTIPLE DEVS THROUGHOUT AREA. AT CREW CHANGE RELIEF CREW MONITORING HNL RADIO FREQS 5643/3647, CLRED BLOCK ALT FL310-350. RELIEF CREW CALLED HNL RADIO TO VERIFY RECEIVED POS RPT. HNL STATED RPT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO TAHITI. ATTEMPTED CONTACT TAHITI BOTH 5643/3647 BUT TAHITI ONLY PARTIALLY READABLE, TAHITI RPTED US UNREADABLE. WE COULD RECEIVE PORTIONS OF TAHITI XMISSIONS. HNL RADIO ATTEMPTED RELAY OF POS RPT UNSUCCESSFULLY. HOWEVER, WHEN TAHITI ATTEMPTED TO VERIFY OUR ALT COMMENTED THAT ACR Y NBOUND IN BLOCK FL330-350. WE NEEDED FURTHER CLRNC FOR WX DEVS UP TO 20 MI E AND W OF TRACK. IN VICINITY O5S 150W ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH TAHITI WHO CLRED US TO DEVIATE AS REQUESTED AND DSND TO FL310. HEARD ACR Y POS RPTS INDICATED ON DIFFERENT TRACK NBOUND IN BLOCK FL330-350 AS PREVIOUSLY INDICATED. FLT CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. COMMENTS (FACTORS AFFECTING QUALITY HUMAN PERFORMANCE): 1) APPARENTLY HNL DID NOT MAKE CLR TO FIRST CREW THAT 5643/3647 FREQS TO BE 'MONITORED' WERE TO BE USED TO CONTACT TAHITI AT FIR. 2) TAHITI APPEARED NOT TO EXPECT US SBOUND IN BLOCK FL310- 350. 3) THE SECONDARY FREQ GIVEN BY HNL FOR TAHITI (3647) IS NOT A FREQ USED BY TAHITI BUT 5643 AND 8867 ARE USED BY TAHITI. IN ANY EVENT, ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CONTACT TAHITI ON ALL 3 FREQS (5643, 3647, 8867). IN THE END, ONLY 5643 WAS READABLE. 4) IT WOULD BE USEFUL IF OCEANIC RADIO OPERATORS WOULD SPECIFY THE NEW AGENCY TO CONTACT (HNL IS NOT THE ONLY AGENCY THIS HAS BEEN EXPERIENCED). WHILE IT MIGHT SEEM OBVIOUS, ON CERTAIN OCCASIONS SUCH AS THIS SIT DESCRIBED. THE PRIOR AGENCY MIGHT BE RELAYING MESSAGES DUE CONDITIONS OF THE MOMENT, SO A CREW COULD EXPECT EITHER SIT. 5) IN THE SAME VEIN, IT SEEMS THAT BETTER COORD MIGHT BE EXPECTED SINCE TAHITI SEEMED UNAWARE OF ROUTING, AND CLRED BLOCK ALT AS IT ENTERED TAHITI'S AIRSPACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS RPT WAS FILED MAINLY FOR THE IMMUNITY IT PROVIDES FROM AN FAA VIOLATION. THERE REALLY IS NO PROB WITH THAT, HOWEVER, THERE WAS AN FAA OBSERVER ON BOARD THAT MONITORED THE SIT WHO SAID THERE WAS NO PROB BUT THE RPTR DOES NOT HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT HE WON'T CHANGE HIS MIND. IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT AT TIMES TO COMMUNICATE WITH RADIO OPERATORS IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC WITH THE HF FREQS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT FOR THE RPTR DURING THE 2 YRS HE HAS BEEN FLYING THE SAME RTE. HE WAS NOT SURE HIS RPTS FROM THE PREVIOUS CHKPOINTS WERE BEING FORWARDED TO THE NEXT PROGRESS CHKPOINT BY ANY OTHER MEANS SUCH AS TELETYPE. HE WAS ASSURED THEY WERE AND ZOA OCEANIC VERIFIED THAT TELETYPE COMS WERE AVAILABLE TO THE VARIOUS RADIO OPERATORS. ALTHOUGH THE RADIO HF FREQS WERE COPIED DOWN, THE SECONDARY FREQ WAS COPIED WRONG. THAT FREQ MAY WELL HAVE BEEN PERFECT FOR COMMUNICATING BUT IT WAS DISCOVERED AFTER THE FLT LANDED. RPTR WAS COUNSELED TO DO THE FOLLOWING TO ASSURE COM: 1) GO BACK TO PREVIOUS RADIO OPERATOR AND GIVE RPT. 2) CHK MAP FOR PROPER FREQS. 3) GIVE PROGRESS RPT TO ANY OTHER RADIO OPERATOR THAT HEARS AND TELL HIM TO FORWARD IT. 4) SEND PROGRESS RPT BY SATCOM TO DISPATCH CTR OF AIRLINE AND LET THEM FORWARD IT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 298303: A CREW CHANGE OCCURRED (INFLT) AT SAME TIME AS CTR CHANGE. THE HDOF FROM HNL WAS SOMEWHAT CONFUSING. NEW CONTACT WITH TAHITI WAS MADE DIFFICULT BY POOR FREQ PROPAGATION, AND TAHITI'S POOR RADIO RECEPTION. WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED A FL310-350 BLOCK, BUT THEN WHEN QUERIED, TAHITI BROADCAST AN ACFT CONFLICT WITH NBOUND FLT AT FL330-350. WE WERE THEN ASSIGNED TO DSND FOR CONFLICT TO FL310. TAHITI DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE A FIRM GRASP OF OUR RELATIVE POS AND COMS WERE QUITE POOR. SATCOM WAS FULLY OPERATIONAL, BUT UNUSABLE OUTSIDE OF UNITED STATES AIRSPACE. IT WOULD HAVE SOLVED ALL PROBS.

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.