Narrative:

After being released to fly from egbb to ewr, upon requesting oceanic clearance onto north atlantic track 'C,' we requested FL360 for the north atlantic track crossing, although our flight plan was based upon FL310 for the crossing. Shanwick oceanic queried if we were rvsm (reduced vertical separation minima) approved. After the first officer and I briefly discussed the query, we replied affirmative. We researched training bulletins on rvsm and found nothing citing selective identify of approved rvsm B757's in company fleet. We flew the oceanic crossing at an rvsm altitude uneventfully. Upon flying the post-oceanic portion of the flight over canadian airspace, a deadheading company pilot came forward to visit. We asked him about the query. He told us that in fact only designated company B757's were approved for rvsm operations and that such aircraft are coded '/west' on the dispatch release. As our aircraft was not coded '/west' we inadvertently received and accepted an oceanic clearance within the rvsm altitude block in a non-rvsm approved aircraft. Operators must make every effort to ensure that crew members are provided with all operating restrs on their aircraft for all rtes, particularly on such heavily trafficked airspace as north atlantic tracks. Supplemental information from acn 375337: crew requested high altitude over north atlantic track route due to lighter takeoff weight than plan, and route of flight showed turbulence at planned altitude. Lack of knowledge of new program. Suggest better information from company, keeping crews current on program changes on north atlantic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B757 LEARNS AFTER THE FACT THAT THEIR PARTICULAR ACFT IS NOT CERTIFIED FOR RVSM AS THEY THOUGHT. THEY FLEW THE NORTH ATLANTIC TRACK RTE WITHOUT AWARENESS OF THE VIOLATION.

Narrative: AFTER BEING RELEASED TO FLY FROM EGBB TO EWR, UPON REQUESTING OCEANIC CLRNC ONTO NORTH ATLANTIC TRACK 'C,' WE REQUESTED FL360 FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC TRACK XING, ALTHOUGH OUR FLT PLAN WAS BASED UPON FL310 FOR THE XING. SHANWICK OCEANIC QUERIED IF WE WERE RVSM (REDUCED VERT SEPARATION MINIMA) APPROVED. AFTER THE FO AND I BRIEFLY DISCUSSED THE QUERY, WE REPLIED AFFIRMATIVE. WE RESEARCHED TRAINING BULLETINS ON RVSM AND FOUND NOTHING CITING SELECTIVE IDENT OF APPROVED RVSM B757'S IN COMPANY FLEET. WE FLEW THE OCEANIC XING AT AN RVSM ALT UNEVENTFULLY. UPON FLYING THE POST-OCEANIC PORTION OF THE FLT OVER CANADIAN AIRSPACE, A DEADHEADING COMPANY PLT CAME FORWARD TO VISIT. WE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE QUERY. HE TOLD US THAT IN FACT ONLY DESIGNATED COMPANY B757'S WERE APPROVED FOR RVSM OPS AND THAT SUCH ACFT ARE CODED '/W' ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE. AS OUR ACFT WAS NOT CODED '/W' WE INADVERTENTLY RECEIVED AND ACCEPTED AN OCEANIC CLRNC WITHIN THE RVSM ALT BLOCK IN A NON-RVSM APPROVED ACFT. OPERATORS MUST MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT CREW MEMBERS ARE PROVIDED WITH ALL OPERATING RESTRS ON THEIR ACFT FOR ALL RTES, PARTICULARLY ON SUCH HEAVILY TRAFFICKED AIRSPACE AS NORTH ATLANTIC TRACKS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 375337: CREW REQUESTED HIGH ALT OVER NORTH ATLANTIC TRACK RTE DUE TO LIGHTER TKOF WT THAN PLAN, AND RTE OF FLT SHOWED TURB AT PLANNED ALT. LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF NEW PROGRAM. SUGGEST BETTER INFO FROM COMPANY, KEEPING CREWS CURRENT ON PROGRAM CHANGES ON NORTH ATLANTIC.

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.