Narrative:

While passing through plch on the way to hnl from ppgo we were unable to contact commercial radio on the ground at plch with the HF radios to get our clearance to hnl. After trying unsuccessfully for about 1 hour, we contacted the people operating the radio shack at plch and asked his permission to use his HF or his telephone. He was unable to understand our request, and came to our aircraft with 4 others (fire truck crew). All appeared to be very, very intoxicated. When they brought us to the radio shack, the native who appeared to be in charge, started making demands, telling us we had what he wanted and we had to give it to him before he would let us use the communication equipment. We offered him money but he became more agitated, and told us to give him what he wanted (I have no idea what he wanted). I began to worry about the safety of the crew and the aircraft as negotiations were rapidly breaking down. We returned quickly to the aircraft and departed. Once airborne we could not make contact with hnl radio until we were out of 10000 ft to request our clearance from ZOA. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the island had too much interference on the HF radio. They were unable to reach ZHN to obtain their ARTCC clearance. The flight crew thought of asking the radio operators to relay a message and asked them to do so. The radio operators were belligerent and appeared intoxicated. The flight crew was asked to give the radio operators whatever the radio operators wanted. As negotiations broke down, the captain made the decision to leave the island for the safety of the flight crew. When airborne out of 10000 ft, ZHN gave the en route clearance to the flight crew. There never was any comment from ZHN regarding the obtaining of the clearance while flying and not on the ground. Reporter's company has since investigated the incident and set a standard of working and drinking when servicing air carrier with radio communications. Reporter feels there isn't much to do on the island except drink. As each day progresses, the inhabitants become more intoxicated. Reporter further feels that flying into the island after dark is unsafe as too many people are intoxicated.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 LANDS AT PLCH AND HAS TROUBLE OBTAINING CLRNC TO FLY FROM ARTCC. FLC ASKS RADIO OPERATORS AT PLCH TO LOAN THEM THEIR HF RADIO IN ORDER FOR FLC TO OBTAIN AN ENRTE CLRNC. GND RADIO OPERATORS ARE HOSTILE AND APPEAR DRUNK. CAPT MAKES DECISION TO GET OFF ISLAND FOR SAFETY OF FLC AND OBTAIN ARTCC CLRNC WHEN AIRBORNE OUT OF 10000 FT.

Narrative: WHILE PASSING THROUGH PLCH ON THE WAY TO HNL FROM PPGO WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT COMMERCIAL RADIO ON THE GND AT PLCH WITH THE HF RADIOS TO GET OUR CLRNC TO HNL. AFTER TRYING UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR ABOUT 1 HR, WE CONTACTED THE PEOPLE OPERATING THE RADIO SHACK AT PLCH AND ASKED HIS PERMISSION TO USE HIS HF OR HIS TELEPHONE. HE WAS UNABLE TO UNDERSTAND OUR REQUEST, AND CAME TO OUR ACFT WITH 4 OTHERS (FIRE TRUCK CREW). ALL APPEARED TO BE VERY, VERY INTOXICATED. WHEN THEY BROUGHT US TO THE RADIO SHACK, THE NATIVE WHO APPEARED TO BE IN CHARGE, STARTED MAKING DEMANDS, TELLING US WE HAD WHAT HE WANTED AND WE HAD TO GIVE IT TO HIM BEFORE HE WOULD LET US USE THE COM EQUIP. WE OFFERED HIM MONEY BUT HE BECAME MORE AGITATED, AND TOLD US TO GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTED (I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE WANTED). I BEGAN TO WORRY ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CREW AND THE ACFT AS NEGOTIATIONS WERE RAPIDLY BREAKING DOWN. WE RETURNED QUICKLY TO THE ACFT AND DEPARTED. ONCE AIRBORNE WE COULD NOT MAKE CONTACT WITH HNL RADIO UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF 10000 FT TO REQUEST OUR CLRNC FROM ZOA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE ISLAND HAD TOO MUCH INTERFERENCE ON THE HF RADIO. THEY WERE UNABLE TO REACH ZHN TO OBTAIN THEIR ARTCC CLRNC. THE FLC THOUGHT OF ASKING THE RADIO OPERATORS TO RELAY A MESSAGE AND ASKED THEM TO DO SO. THE RADIO OPERATORS WERE BELLIGERENT AND APPEARED INTOXICATED. THE FLC WAS ASKED TO GIVE THE RADIO OPERATORS WHATEVER THE RADIO OPERATORS WANTED. AS NEGOTIATIONS BROKE DOWN, THE CAPT MADE THE DECISION TO LEAVE THE ISLAND FOR THE SAFETY OF THE FLC. WHEN AIRBORNE OUT OF 10000 FT, ZHN GAVE THE ENRTE CLRNC TO THE FLC. THERE NEVER WAS ANY COMMENT FROM ZHN REGARDING THE OBTAINING OF THE CLRNC WHILE FLYING AND NOT ON THE GND. RPTR'S COMPANY HAS SINCE INVESTIGATED THE INCIDENT AND SET A STANDARD OF WORKING AND DRINKING WHEN SVCING ACR WITH RADIO COMS. RPTR FEELS THERE ISN'T MUCH TO DO ON THE ISLAND EXCEPT DRINK. AS EACH DAY PROGRESSES, THE INHABITANTS BECOME MORE INTOXICATED. RPTR FURTHER FEELS THAT FLYING INTO THE ISLAND AFTER DARK IS UNSAFE AS TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE INTOXICATED.

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.