Narrative:

Approaching 152 degrees west, we received clearance through hnl commercial radio to maintain mach .85 or higher and cross 150 degrees west by a specific time. As we were already pushing maximum mach, we requested climb to FL390 from FL370 to alleviate the problem of the higher speed aircraft closing from the rear. Hnl commercial radio advised us they had a clearance for us, which the radio operator gave in 3 distinct parts: 'maintain FL370 past 140 degrees west. (Pause) climb and maintain FL390, report reaching. (Pause) cross 150 degree west at or before XA21.' after conferring with the captain and so, and all agreeing the clearance meant for us to climb to FL390 now, and descend later to cross 140 degree west at FL370, I read back the clearance including the words 'descend back to FL370 by 140 degree west.' the controller told us to standby. After a period she called us back and reread the clearance exactly as before. We questioned her at least 3 times then exactly what the clearance meant (using different verbiage from hers), and each time she would tell us to standby, then after a min or two, read us the original clearance again, and in the same manner. Concerned about the overtaking traffic, I finally asked her, 'are we cleared to FL390 now.' the commercial radio operator's response was 'you are cleared to FL390, report reaching.' we commenced climb and continued our discussion of this strange situation. We guessed the controller was probably on the phone to oakland finding out when we would be descending back to FL370. As the autoplt started pushing over, about FL385, I called level at FL390. The commercial radio operator told us to standby, and then to return to FL370 (which we did). Despite climbing and cruising at mach .86, we didn't make 150 degrees west until XA22Z because of winds. After landing and writing out the narrative, we realized (after writing out the clearance longhand) the clearance should have been: 'maintain FL390. (Pause) past 140 degrees west climb and maintain FL390, report reaching. (Pause) cross 150 degrees west at or before XA21Z.' contributing factors: the aircraft behind us was a newer model with a higher cruise speed on the same track, therefore our separation was bound to dwindle over time. A shifting jetstream is not always predictable. A great deal of pressure was being put on us (multiple selcalls regarding our speed) to speed up. Most importantly, the commercial radio operator did not understand the clearance she was issuing, and refused to (or could not) clarify. She did not use correct phraseology nor did she respond properly to our questions. HF communications were poor. There wasn't time for a phone patch to oceanic, which involves frequency shifts, etc. Corrective actions: commercial radio operators should be trained to understand the clrncs they are issuing. They should also call oceanic immediately to resolve questions. Change the wordage of clrncs to include 'until' and 'at that time.' direct HF communications like in atlantic. Why not use ACARS with burst HF messaging voice backup? Supplemental information from acn 316744: recommendations: include 'until' and 'then' in standard ATC phraseology. Ie, 'maintain FL370 until passing 140 degrees west and then climb to and maintain FL390, report level.' not 'maintain FL370 past 140 degree west' (pause) ' climb to FL390 -- report reaching.' high frequency radios are very poor compared to satellite communications. We have ACARS and can receive printed messages, avoiding poor communication conditions. Radio operators (commercial radio) should be knowledgeable enough about clrncs to clarify content or query ATC and respond accordingly. This situation was further aggravated by ATC trying to get us to continue to make up time (increase speed) close to a fix. We needed to gain 1 1/2 mins in a short period of time. This request was also included in the clearance. We all thought that we understood the clearance until we were told to descend back down to FL370 from FL390 (actually about FL385 as we never actually reached FL390). It wasn't until back at FL370 that we actually figured it out. First officer asked for and thought he had received clearance to FL390.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALTDEV. MISUNDERSTOOD CLRNC. TRANSOCEANIC CLRNC RELAYS LEAD TO MISCOM.

Narrative: APCHING 152 DEGS W, WE RECEIVED CLRNC THROUGH HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO TO MAINTAIN MACH .85 OR HIGHER AND CROSS 150 DEGS W BY A SPECIFIC TIME. AS WE WERE ALREADY PUSHING MAX MACH, WE REQUESTED CLB TO FL390 FROM FL370 TO ALLEVIATE THE PROB OF THE HIGHER SPD ACFT CLOSING FROM THE REAR. HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO ADVISED US THEY HAD A CLRNC FOR US, WHICH THE RADIO OPERATOR GAVE IN 3 DISTINCT PARTS: 'MAINTAIN FL370 PAST 140 DEGS W. (PAUSE) CLB AND MAINTAIN FL390, RPT REACHING. (PAUSE) CROSS 150 DEG W AT OR BEFORE XA21.' AFTER CONFERRING WITH THE CAPT AND SO, AND ALL AGREEING THE CLRNC MEANT FOR US TO CLB TO FL390 NOW, AND DSND LATER TO CROSS 140 DEG W AT FL370, I READ BACK THE CLRNC INCLUDING THE WORDS 'DSND BACK TO FL370 BY 140 DEG W.' THE CTLR TOLD US TO STANDBY. AFTER A PERIOD SHE CALLED US BACK AND REREAD THE CLRNC EXACTLY AS BEFORE. WE QUESTIONED HER AT LEAST 3 TIMES THEN EXACTLY WHAT THE CLRNC MEANT (USING DIFFERENT VERBIAGE FROM HERS), AND EACH TIME SHE WOULD TELL US TO STANDBY, THEN AFTER A MIN OR TWO, READ US THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AGAIN, AND IN THE SAME MANNER. CONCERNED ABOUT THE OVERTAKING TFC, I FINALLY ASKED HER, 'ARE WE CLRED TO FL390 NOW.' THE COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR'S RESPONSE WAS 'YOU ARE CLRED TO FL390, RPT REACHING.' WE COMMENCED CLB AND CONTINUED OUR DISCUSSION OF THIS STRANGE SIT. WE GUESSED THE CTLR WAS PROBABLY ON THE PHONE TO OAKLAND FINDING OUT WHEN WE WOULD BE DSNDING BACK TO FL370. AS THE AUTOPLT STARTED PUSHING OVER, ABOUT FL385, I CALLED LEVEL AT FL390. THE COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR TOLD US TO STANDBY, AND THEN TO RETURN TO FL370 (WHICH WE DID). DESPITE CLBING AND CRUISING AT MACH .86, WE DIDN'T MAKE 150 DEGS W UNTIL XA22Z BECAUSE OF WINDS. AFTER LNDG AND WRITING OUT THE NARRATIVE, WE REALIZED (AFTER WRITING OUT THE CLRNC LONGHAND) THE CLRNC SHOULD HAVE BEEN: 'MAINTAIN FL390. (PAUSE) PAST 140 DEGS W CLB AND MAINTAIN FL390, RPT REACHING. (PAUSE) CROSS 150 DEGS W AT OR BEFORE XA21Z.' CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE ACFT BEHIND US WAS A NEWER MODEL WITH A HIGHER CRUISE SPD ON THE SAME TRACK, THEREFORE OUR SEPARATION WAS BOUND TO DWINDLE OVER TIME. A SHIFTING JETSTREAM IS NOT ALWAYS PREDICTABLE. A GREAT DEAL OF PRESSURE WAS BEING PUT ON US (MULTIPLE SELCALLS REGARDING OUR SPD) TO SPD UP. MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATOR DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE CLRNC SHE WAS ISSUING, AND REFUSED TO (OR COULD NOT) CLARIFY. SHE DID NOT USE CORRECT PHRASEOLOGY NOR DID SHE RESPOND PROPERLY TO OUR QUESTIONS. HF COMS WERE POOR. THERE WASN'T TIME FOR A PHONE PATCH TO OCEANIC, WHICH INVOLVES FREQ SHIFTS, ETC. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS SHOULD BE TRAINED TO UNDERSTAND THE CLRNCS THEY ARE ISSUING. THEY SHOULD ALSO CALL OCEANIC IMMEDIATELY TO RESOLVE QUESTIONS. CHANGE THE WORDAGE OF CLRNCS TO INCLUDE 'UNTIL' AND 'AT THAT TIME.' DIRECT HF COMS LIKE IN ATLANTIC. WHY NOT USE ACARS WITH BURST HF MESSAGING VOICE BACKUP? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 316744: RECOMMENDATIONS: INCLUDE 'UNTIL' AND 'THEN' IN STANDARD ATC PHRASEOLOGY. IE, 'MAINTAIN FL370 UNTIL PASSING 140 DEGS W AND THEN CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL390, RPT LEVEL.' NOT 'MAINTAIN FL370 PAST 140 DEG W' (PAUSE) ' CLB TO FL390 -- RPT REACHING.' HIGH FREQ RADIOS ARE VERY POOR COMPARED TO SATELLITE COMS. WE HAVE ACARS AND CAN RECEIVE PRINTED MESSAGES, AVOIDING POOR COM CONDITIONS. RADIO OPERATORS (COMMERCIAL RADIO) SHOULD BE KNOWLEDGEABLE ENOUGH ABOUT CLRNCS TO CLARIFY CONTENT OR QUERY ATC AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY. THIS SIT WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY ATC TRYING TO GET US TO CONTINUE TO MAKE UP TIME (INCREASE SPD) CLOSE TO A FIX. WE NEEDED TO GAIN 1 1/2 MINS IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. THIS REQUEST WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE CLRNC. WE ALL THOUGHT THAT WE UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC UNTIL WE WERE TOLD TO DSND BACK DOWN TO FL370 FROM FL390 (ACTUALLY ABOUT FL385 AS WE NEVER ACTUALLY REACHED FL390). IT WASN'T UNTIL BACK AT FL370 THAT WE ACTUALLY FIGURED IT OUT. FO ASKED FOR AND THOUGHT HE HAD RECEIVED CLRNC TO FL390.

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.