Narrative:

I was the captain of a trip which started at harrisburg, PA (mdt). Our original trip had us ending at rickenbacker, oh (lck). When we arrived at lck, we were told we had to cover another trip. The trip was to fly from lck to phl, then phl to sju. We received both sets of paperwork at lck. On the way to phl, we had a #2 engine filter bypass light. We ran the checklists and landed at phl uneventfully. Although there were many distractions on the ground at phl, we failed to thoroughly review our flight to sju. Our company flies to sju daily from mia, so I thought our flight plan would take us down the east coast. The takeoff and climb out were uneventful. Outbound to the atlantic ocean, ZNY asked us for our SELCAL code. I told them we were negative SELCAL. ZNY then gave us 2 HF frequencys. I looked around the cockpit for our HF and noticed there was none. (We have 30+ airplanes, most all with different equipment confines). I told ZNY we were negative HF. The crew and I started to become uncomfortable with our situation, so we started referring to our manuals for guidance. With 80% of my attention of flying, time and fuel checks, and position reports and 20% looking in the books, it wasn't until ATC cleared us present position direct mia that our feeling of illegally flying into class ii navigation airspace was confirmed. At that point, my concern was getting the aircraft on the ground safely. I immediately checked my fuel and determined we needed to head back to sju to land with a safe amount of fuel. I declared an emergency and turned back to sju. The descent and landing were uneventful. Contributing factors: 1) my background. I flew B52's in the military for 7 yrs and could fly anywhere in the world. The term class ii navigation isn't second nature. 2) receiving an illegal flight plan. 3) not thoroughly reviewing my flight plan. 4) confusing and vague company manuals on this issue. I made the following recommendations to our company management at a meeting following this incident: 1) list on flight plan 'class ii navigation required' -- same as we list special airport qualification. 2) list in our manuals the minimum required equipment for class ii navigation. 3) put in our manual (not on company operations specifications) 'company is not authority/authorized to conduct class ii navigation.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A CARGO B727-200 DECLARED AM EMER AND DIVERTED TO DEST RATHER THAN DIVERT AS INSTRUCTED BY ARTCC CTLR DUE TO LACK OF HF COM EQUIP REQUIRED IN CLASS II AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF A TRIP WHICH STARTED AT HARRISBURG, PA (MDT). OUR ORIGINAL TRIP HAD US ENDING AT RICKENBACKER, OH (LCK). WHEN WE ARRIVED AT LCK, WE WERE TOLD WE HAD TO COVER ANOTHER TRIP. THE TRIP WAS TO FLY FROM LCK TO PHL, THEN PHL TO SJU. WE RECEIVED BOTH SETS OF PAPERWORK AT LCK. ON THE WAY TO PHL, WE HAD A #2 ENG FILTER BYPASS LIGHT. WE RAN THE CHKLISTS AND LANDED AT PHL UNEVENTFULLY. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE MANY DISTRACTIONS ON THE GND AT PHL, WE FAILED TO THOROUGHLY REVIEW OUR FLT TO SJU. OUR COMPANY FLIES TO SJU DAILY FROM MIA, SO I THOUGHT OUR FLT PLAN WOULD TAKE US DOWN THE EAST COAST. THE TKOF AND CLBOUT WERE UNEVENTFUL. OUTBOUND TO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, ZNY ASKED US FOR OUR SELCAL CODE. I TOLD THEM WE WERE NEGATIVE SELCAL. ZNY THEN GAVE US 2 HF FREQS. I LOOKED AROUND THE COCKPIT FOR OUR HF AND NOTICED THERE WAS NONE. (WE HAVE 30+ AIRPLANES, MOST ALL WITH DIFFERENT EQUIP CONFINES). I TOLD ZNY WE WERE NEGATIVE HF. THE CREW AND I STARTED TO BECOME UNCOMFORTABLE WITH OUR SIT, SO WE STARTED REFERRING TO OUR MANUALS FOR GUIDANCE. WITH 80% OF MY ATTN OF FLYING, TIME AND FUEL CHKS, AND POS RPTS AND 20% LOOKING IN THE BOOKS, IT WASN'T UNTIL ATC CLRED US PRESENT POS DIRECT MIA THAT OUR FEELING OF ILLEGALLY FLYING INTO CLASS II NAV AIRSPACE WAS CONFIRMED. AT THAT POINT, MY CONCERN WAS GETTING THE ACFT ON THE GND SAFELY. I IMMEDIATELY CHKED MY FUEL AND DETERMINED WE NEEDED TO HEAD BACK TO SJU TO LAND WITH A SAFE AMOUNT OF FUEL. I DECLARED AN EMER AND TURNED BACK TO SJU. THE DSCNT AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) MY BACKGROUND. I FLEW B52'S IN THE MIL FOR 7 YRS AND COULD FLY ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. THE TERM CLASS II NAV ISN'T SECOND NATURE. 2) RECEIVING AN ILLEGAL FLT PLAN. 3) NOT THOROUGHLY REVIEWING MY FLT PLAN. 4) CONFUSING AND VAGUE COMPANY MANUALS ON THIS ISSUE. I MADE THE FOLLOWING RECOMMENDATIONS TO OUR COMPANY MGMNT AT A MEETING FOLLOWING THIS INCIDENT: 1) LIST ON FLT PLAN 'CLASS II NAV REQUIRED' -- SAME AS WE LIST SPECIAL ARPT QUALIFICATION. 2) LIST IN OUR MANUALS THE MINIMUM REQUIRED EQUIP FOR CLASS II NAV. 3) PUT IN OUR MANUAL (NOT ON COMPANY OPS SPECS) 'COMPANY IS NOT AUTH TO CONDUCT CLASS II NAV.'

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.