Narrative:

During review of the flight paperwork for a routine (but 4 hours behind scheduled departure) oceanic flight, the flight engineer checked on outstanding MEL's. One of the items was a '#2 ADF inoperative' according to flight engineer. Upon arrival at aircraft, I noticed 'inoperative' sticker affixed to #2 ADF on pedestal. Because this was an oceanic clearance and the first officer was loading waypoints into the INS's, he noticed that our routing was different and called it to my attention. I initiated a call to dispatch on VHF and asked about this and also the remainder of the flight plan route because it was not over our normal routing. While these and other distrs were taking place, the first officer mentioned that he had 'made a mistake and our #2 HF was the radio not working.' I failed to mentally note this properly and the flight engineer did not emphasize this item. Neither of us consulted with the ddpg [dispatch] to check legality. The route was flown as filed (oceanic) and we arrived in xyz without incident. On the return flight plan, the first thing I noticed was a comment on the dispatch release stating our route was filed to comply with 1 HF inoperative routing over full VHF coverage, etc. It was at this point I realized we had illegally dispatched over an oceanic route of flight with only 1 operable HF radio. There are several lessons to be learned and problems that occurred. 1) dispatch release said nothing about special routing on the first leg and filed us in normal oceanic airspace (MEL was on release). 2) captain failed to 'register' mentally the importance of a HF being inoperative. Predisposed to thinking it was an sdf problem. 3) 'inoperative sticker' was not (it had slipped) on proper piece of equipment. 4) flight engineer failed to 'emphasize' inoperative radio and did not check MEL/ddpg. 5) cockpit distrs and other concerns about routing overshadowed the underlying real problem -- an illegal dispatch which was accepted by the crew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CREW FLIES OCEANIC FLT WITHOUT REQUIRED 2 HF RADIOS.

Narrative: DURING REVIEW OF THE FLT PAPERWORK FOR A ROUTINE (BUT 4 HRS BEHIND SCHEDULED DEP) OCEANIC FLT, THE FE CHKED ON OUTSTANDING MEL'S. ONE OF THE ITEMS WAS A '#2 ADF INOP' ACCORDING TO FE. UPON ARR AT ACFT, I NOTICED 'INOP' STICKER AFFIXED TO #2 ADF ON PEDESTAL. BECAUSE THIS WAS AN OCEANIC CLRNC AND THE FO WAS LOADING WAYPOINTS INTO THE INS'S, HE NOTICED THAT OUR ROUTING WAS DIFFERENT AND CALLED IT TO MY ATTN. I INITIATED A CALL TO DISPATCH ON VHF AND ASKED ABOUT THIS AND ALSO THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PLAN RTE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT OVER OUR NORMAL ROUTING. WHILE THESE AND OTHER DISTRS WERE TAKING PLACE, THE FO MENTIONED THAT HE HAD 'MADE A MISTAKE AND OUR #2 HF WAS THE RADIO NOT WORKING.' I FAILED TO MENTALLY NOTE THIS PROPERLY AND THE FE DID NOT EMPHASIZE THIS ITEM. NEITHER OF US CONSULTED WITH THE DDPG [DISPATCH] TO CHK LEGALITY. THE RTE WAS FLOWN AS FILED (OCEANIC) AND WE ARRIVED IN XYZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE RETURN FLT PLAN, THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS A COMMENT ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE STATING OUR RTE WAS FILED TO COMPLY WITH 1 HF INOP ROUTING OVER FULL VHF COVERAGE, ETC. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I REALIZED WE HAD ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED OVER AN OCEANIC RTE OF FLT WITH ONLY 1 OPERABLE HF RADIO. THERE ARE SEVERAL LESSONS TO BE LEARNED AND PROBS THAT OCCURRED. 1) DISPATCH RELEASE SAID NOTHING ABOUT SPECIAL ROUTING ON THE FIRST LEG AND FILED US IN NORMAL OCEANIC AIRSPACE (MEL WAS ON RELEASE). 2) CAPT FAILED TO 'REGISTER' MENTALLY THE IMPORTANCE OF A HF BEING INOP. PREDISPOSED TO THINKING IT WAS AN SDF PROB. 3) 'INOP STICKER' WAS NOT (IT HAD SLIPPED) ON PROPER PIECE OF EQUIP. 4) FE FAILED TO 'EMPHASIZE' INOP RADIO AND DID NOT CHK MEL/DDPG. 5) COCKPIT DISTRS AND OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT ROUTING OVERSHADOWED THE UNDERLYING REAL PROB -- AN ILLEGAL DISPATCH WHICH WAS ACCEPTED BY THE CREW.

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.