Narrative:

I was given an aircraft that had the ACARS placarded. It had been written up as intermittent. Circuit breakers were collared and ACARS was not usable. En route the WX is very bad, the hurricane has had an influence. We are unable to communicate with gua operations because the radio has a range of approximately 35 mi, as I am about to find out. First officer is flying, I am getting ATIS, changeover, checklists, etc. I try both frequencys listed for gua. Eventually I am forced to compute altimeter conversion for the field. The next time I get into the flying loop, we are at 11000 ft, between the mountains, single pilot with communication problems with controllers due to accents. The first officer is as I mentioned, single pilot and therefore I am doing no raw data position checking. On a good day, no ACARS would be marginal. On a bad day, it could be fatal. Radios need to be upgraded in gua. I don't think we should fly to south or central america without all the equipment that can insure the safest flying possible. The flying is challenging enough on good days.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHED WITH ACARS INOP. WX ENRTE BAD ACCOUNT HURRICANE IN AREA. UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH COMPANY FOR CURRENT ALTIMETER SETTING. WAS OUT OF LOOP CHKING BOOK FOR CONVERSION TO QNH. OUT OF LOOP FOR TOO LONG PERIOD. B757.

Narrative: I WAS GIVEN AN ACFT THAT HAD THE ACARS PLACARDED. IT HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP AS INTERMITTENT. CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE COLLARED AND ACARS WAS NOT USABLE. ENRTE THE WX IS VERY BAD, THE HURRICANE HAS HAD AN INFLUENCE. WE ARE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH GUA OPS BECAUSE THE RADIO HAS A RANGE OF APPROX 35 MI, AS I AM ABOUT TO FIND OUT. FO IS FLYING, I AM GETTING ATIS, CHANGEOVER, CHKLISTS, ETC. I TRY BOTH FREQS LISTED FOR GUA. EVENTUALLY I AM FORCED TO COMPUTE ALTIMETER CONVERSION FOR THE FIELD. THE NEXT TIME I GET INTO THE FLYING LOOP, WE ARE AT 11000 FT, BTWN THE MOUNTAINS, SINGLE PLT WITH COM PROBS WITH CTLRS DUE TO ACCENTS. THE FO IS AS I MENTIONED, SINGLE PLT AND THEREFORE I AM DOING NO RAW DATA POS CHKING. ON A GOOD DAY, NO ACARS WOULD BE MARGINAL. ON A BAD DAY, IT COULD BE FATAL. RADIOS NEED TO BE UPGRADED IN GUA. I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FLY TO SOUTH OR CENTRAL AMERICA WITHOUT ALL THE EQUIP THAT CAN INSURE THE SAFEST FLYING POSSIBLE. THE FLYING IS CHALLENGING ENOUGH ON GOOD DAYS.

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.