Narrative:

ATC facility: gander center. Just flew xa ord-lhr and xb back. Our latest change to north atlantic commercial chart communication pages dated sep/xa/99 states that for the B777 ads is now in operation on the nats and that no or few HF position reports need be given on the nats as they are now sent automatically (at waypoint passage) to gander/shanwick and they in turn forward them to the controling agency and the company. Well, you guessed it. Not only is it not 'turned on' they don't know where we got the information that it was turned on. We informed both gander center and gander radio (as per the printed procedure) that we were data link on initial contact and pressed on across the north atlantic assuming that all was well and not reporting our 50 mi west position. About 45 mi west we were SELCAL'ed by gander wanting our 50W position report -- the rest is history. I called dispatch on satcom and they said they had never heard of the term 'ads' but would check into it. I asked them to append a J-8 to the north atlantic flight plans stating that the communication pages were incorrect and they said they would. Well, you guessed it. No J-8. Does anybody know what is going on concerning this subject? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter indicated in the callback conversation that B777 does in fact have ads. The dispatch specialist in charge of their ads program indicated that the system is up and running over the atlantic on a test basis. The test period has been going on for at least a yr but there are errors. The test period will go on until there are at least 2 months of error free reporting. The reporter indicated that the recent change to their commercial chart printed operations manual was in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT RPTS THAT COMPANY MANUALS ARE INCORRECT IN RPTING ACTIVATION OF AUTO DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE (ADS) ON THE NORTH ATLANTIC TRACKS BEFORE IT IS ACTUALLY IN USE.

Narrative: ATC FACILITY: GANDER CTR. JUST FLEW XA ORD-LHR AND XB BACK. OUR LATEST CHANGE TO NORTH ATLANTIC COMMERCIAL CHART COM PAGES DATED SEP/XA/99 STATES THAT FOR THE B777 ADS IS NOW IN OP ON THE NATS AND THAT NO OR FEW HF POS RPTS NEED BE GIVEN ON THE NATS AS THEY ARE NOW SENT AUTOMATICALLY (AT WAYPOINT PASSAGE) TO GANDER/SHANWICK AND THEY IN TURN FORWARD THEM TO THE CTLING AGENCY AND THE COMPANY. WELL, YOU GUESSED IT. NOT ONLY IS IT NOT 'TURNED ON' THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GOT THE INFO THAT IT WAS TURNED ON. WE INFORMED BOTH GANDER CTR AND GANDER RADIO (AS PER THE PRINTED PROC) THAT WE WERE DATA LINK ON INITIAL CONTACT AND PRESSED ON ACROSS THE NORTH ATLANTIC ASSUMING THAT ALL WAS WELL AND NOT RPTING OUR 50 MI W POS. ABOUT 45 MI W WE WERE SELCAL'ED BY GANDER WANTING OUR 50W POS RPT -- THE REST IS HISTORY. I CALLED DISPATCH ON SATCOM AND THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THE TERM 'ADS' BUT WOULD CHK INTO IT. I ASKED THEM TO APPEND A J-8 TO THE NORTH ATLANTIC FLT PLANS STATING THAT THE COM PAGES WERE INCORRECT AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD. WELL, YOU GUESSED IT. NO J-8. DOES ANYBODY KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON CONCERNING THIS SUBJECT? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR INDICATED IN THE CALLBACK CONVERSATION THAT B777 DOES IN FACT HAVE ADS. THE DISPATCH SPECIALIST IN CHARGE OF THEIR ADS PROGRAM INDICATED THAT THE SYS IS UP AND RUNNING OVER THE ATLANTIC ON A TEST BASIS. THE TEST PERIOD HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST A YR BUT THERE ARE ERRORS. THE TEST PERIOD WILL GO ON UNTIL THERE ARE AT LEAST 2 MONTHS OF ERROR FREE RPTING. THE RPTR INDICATED THAT THE RECENT CHANGE TO THEIR COMMERCIAL CHART PRINTED OPS MANUAL WAS IN ERROR.

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.