Widebody transport given deferral to fly without operating r-hand hh radio. Overwater flight.

Attributes
ACN	308122
Time
Date	199506
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	308122
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Prior to dispatch of a flight, the flight crew reported the r-hand HF radio would not tune. The crew also reported that their prime communication mode would be satcom. After dispatch further investigation revealed that this was not exactly true in accordance with the MEL and flight manual. Flight is a sfo-hnl flight, a sfo mechanic contacted me for authority/authorized to defer this item. Using the information supplied to me at the time I authority/authorized the deferral. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the error was discovered when the aircraft was half way to hnl. This was too late to do anything but have a mechanical irregularity writeup and have it fixed in hnl. The FAA checked into the incident and no action taken. Reporter says the satcom should be the communication in use since it is much more useful and accurate for communication than HF. The MEL he feels is really outdated.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB GIVEN DEFERRAL TO FLY WITHOUT OPERATING R-HAND HH RADIO. OVERWATER FLT.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DISPATCH OF A FLT, THE FLC RPTED THE R-HAND HF RADIO WOULD NOT TUNE. THE CREW ALSO RPTED THAT THEIR PRIME COM MODE WOULD BE SATCOM. AFTER DISPATCH FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THIS WAS NOT EXACTLY TRUE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL AND FLT MANUAL. FLT IS A SFO-HNL FLT, A SFO MECH CONTACTED ME FOR AUTH TO DEFER THIS ITEM. USING THE INFO SUPPLIED TO ME AT THE TIME I AUTH THE DEFERRAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE ERROR WAS DISCOVERED WHEN THE ACFT WAS HALF WAY TO HNL. THIS WAS TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING BUT HAVE A MECHANICAL IRREGULARITY WRITEUP AND HAVE IT FIXED IN HNL. THE FAA CHKED INTO THE INCIDENT AND NO ACTION TAKEN. RPTR SAYS THE SATCOM SHOULD BE THE COM IN USE SINCE IT IS MUCH MORE USEFUL AND ACCURATE FOR COM THAN HF. THE MEL HE FEELS IS REALLY OUTDATED.

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.