Narrative:

Oceanic clearance request was sent via ACARS at XA08Z. We received the standard message to call on voice if no clearance was received on ACARS within 20 mins. Because of the proximity to 55N 010W, our oceanic point, we called shanwick for clearance by voice radio at XA25Z. Shanwick informed us that ACARS clearance delivery procedures were suspended and we should have known this fact since it was published in our company handbook. This page applied to all wbound departures from europe, but dispatch failed to put in on our release. Needless to say, shanwick was most upset since we were only 18 mins from our entry point. We almost ended up in holding at FL350 awaiting clearance. Fortunately, a higher altitude on our track was open and we were able to avoid a delay that might have forced us to land short for fuel on a revised release. Earlier this month on flight xx, on oct/xa/99, ord-cdg, we were performing our circle and tick check of the flight plan versus the FMC prior to oceanic entry over gander. When we selected the true heading position for the heading indicators, the flight plan and the FMC headings disagreed by about 22 degrees. Dispatch had apparently generated an international flight plan with magnetic headings for the nat track. Went into holding over gander until we contacted dispatch by satcom. They corrected the error and transmitted a revised flight plan to us by ACARS. If we had not been able to contact dispatch and uplink a corrected flight plan, the flight would have had to divert. I am beginning to lose confidence in our dispatch system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 CAPT DESCRIBED THAT, ON 2 OCCASIONS RECENTLY, WHILE FLYING ON AN ATLANTIC TRACK, HIS COMPANY'S DISPATCH DEPT FAILED TO PROVIDE PERTINENT INFO WHICH NEARLY RESULTED IN HOLDING.

Narrative: OCEANIC CLRNC REQUEST WAS SENT VIA ACARS AT XA08Z. WE RECEIVED THE STANDARD MESSAGE TO CALL ON VOICE IF NO CLRNC WAS RECEIVED ON ACARS WITHIN 20 MINS. BECAUSE OF THE PROX TO 55N 010W, OUR OCEANIC POINT, WE CALLED SHANWICK FOR CLRNC BY VOICE RADIO AT XA25Z. SHANWICK INFORMED US THAT ACARS CLRNC DELIVERY PROCS WERE SUSPENDED AND WE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS FACT SINCE IT WAS PUBLISHED IN OUR COMPANY HANDBOOK. THIS PAGE APPLIED TO ALL WBOUND DEPS FROM EUROPE, BUT DISPATCH FAILED TO PUT IN ON OUR RELEASE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, SHANWICK WAS MOST UPSET SINCE WE WERE ONLY 18 MINS FROM OUR ENTRY POINT. WE ALMOST ENDED UP IN HOLDING AT FL350 AWAITING CLRNC. FORTUNATELY, A HIGHER ALT ON OUR TRACK WAS OPEN AND WE WERE ABLE TO AVOID A DELAY THAT MIGHT HAVE FORCED US TO LAND SHORT FOR FUEL ON A REVISED RELEASE. EARLIER THIS MONTH ON FLT XX, ON OCT/XA/99, ORD-CDG, WE WERE PERFORMING OUR CIRCLE AND TICK CHK OF THE FLT PLAN VERSUS THE FMC PRIOR TO OCEANIC ENTRY OVER GANDER. WHEN WE SELECTED THE TRUE HDG POS FOR THE HDG INDICATORS, THE FLT PLAN AND THE FMC HDGS DISAGREED BY ABOUT 22 DEGS. DISPATCH HAD APPARENTLY GENERATED AN INTL FLT PLAN WITH MAGNETIC HDGS FOR THE NAT TRACK. WENT INTO HOLDING OVER GANDER UNTIL WE CONTACTED DISPATCH BY SATCOM. THEY CORRECTED THE ERROR AND XMITTED A REVISED FLT PLAN TO US BY ACARS. IF WE HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT DISPATCH AND UPLINK A CORRECTED FLT PLAN, THE FLT WOULD HAVE HAD TO DIVERT. I AM BEGINNING TO LOSE CONFIDENCE IN OUR DISPATCH SYS.

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.