Narrative:

In the 2 days prior to this flight, I had several conversations with our local FSDO, and some others that were recommended by them, in an effort to get definitive information regarding the new rvsm boundaries. I had done another flight about 2 months prior from san juan to philadelphia before this new rvsm section was activated, so I knew my previous route would be unusable -- as it was obviously too far offshore. In looking for an alternate route, I found that G446 looked appropriate, but also noticed the rvsm transition area on the chart. Upon reading the pertinent NOTAM, it said that flight in rvsm transition areas was authority/authorized. This is where I mistakenly interpreted that G446 was in this transition area and, therefore, usable for our flight. Unfortunately, I learned en route that the section of G446 between jains and broom is actually 'in' rvsm airspace. Our aircraft is not rvsm certified, which meant we were in violation. After talking with controllers at new york oceanic, we learned that there was not any loss of separation. Our caribbean operations have increased dramatically in the past few months, so we have decided to develop a training module for all of our crews to make sure we are all well versed in this relatively new operating environment. Supplemental information from acn 532179: the crew and aircraft were operating as an air carrier. 2 days previous we were informed that we could be taking 1 passenger on an international flight to st marteen, netherland antilles. I was assigned as first officer for the flight. The captain was asked to investigate the new restrs involving the airspace we intended to use and the rvsm requirements (if rvsm was required). After looking into the matter, which included a call to our local FSDO, the captain was comfortable that our intended track would not involve rvsm airspace (which we are not equipped/qualified for). While en route over the atlantic, we were cleared by ATC to FL330. Shortly after leveling off at FL330, we were handed off to another controller who stated 'radar contact lost,' we were instructed to contact oceanic on the HF band, which we did. Oceanic stated that ZNY was inquiring as to whether we were rvsm equipped/qualified. We stated that we were not. We were instructed that possible pilot deviation had taken place and given a phone number to call. After arriving at our destination, the captain called ZNY and was advised that we were indeed in rvsm airspace which had gone into effect just weeks before. The captain was informed by ZNY that no loss of separation ever occurred. I see the causes of the event to be: 1) an ineffective information system concerning the implementation of rvsm in this particular airspace and changeovers in general. 2) the captain should have been better convinced that rvsm airspace rules were not required before filing a flight plan into questionable airspace. A rerouting or lower altitude would have prevented the event. The captain felt that all resources for information regarding rvsm airspace had been exhausted.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HS125 CREW OPERATED IN CARIBBEAN OCEANIC RVSM AIRSPACE WITH AN ACFT NOT EQUIPPED TO RVSM STANDARDS.

Narrative: IN THE 2 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS FLT, I HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR LCL FSDO, AND SOME OTHERS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED BY THEM, IN AN EFFORT TO GET DEFINITIVE INFO REGARDING THE NEW RVSM BOUNDARIES. I HAD DONE ANOTHER FLT ABOUT 2 MONTHS PRIOR FROM SAN JUAN TO PHILADELPHIA BEFORE THIS NEW RVSM SECTION WAS ACTIVATED, SO I KNEW MY PREVIOUS RTE WOULD BE UNUSABLE -- AS IT WAS OBVIOUSLY TOO FAR OFFSHORE. IN LOOKING FOR AN ALTERNATE RTE, I FOUND THAT G446 LOOKED APPROPRIATE, BUT ALSO NOTICED THE RVSM TRANSITION AREA ON THE CHART. UPON READING THE PERTINENT NOTAM, IT SAID THAT FLT IN RVSM TRANSITION AREAS WAS AUTH. THIS IS WHERE I MISTAKENLY INTERPED THAT G446 WAS IN THIS TRANSITION AREA AND, THEREFORE, USABLE FOR OUR FLT. UNFORTUNATELY, I LEARNED ENRTE THAT THE SECTION OF G446 BTWN JAINS AND BROOM IS ACTUALLY 'IN' RVSM AIRSPACE. OUR ACFT IS NOT RVSM CERTIFIED, WHICH MEANT WE WERE IN VIOLATION. AFTER TALKING WITH CTLRS AT NEW YORK OCEANIC, WE LEARNED THAT THERE WAS NOT ANY LOSS OF SEPARATION. OUR CARIBBEAN OPS HAVE INCREASED DRAMATICALLY IN THE PAST FEW MONTHS, SO WE HAVE DECIDED TO DEVELOP A TRAINING MODULE FOR ALL OF OUR CREWS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL WELL VERSED IN THIS RELATIVELY NEW OPERATING ENVIRONMENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 532179: THE CREW AND ACFT WERE OPERATING AS AN ACR. 2 DAYS PREVIOUS WE WERE INFORMED THAT WE COULD BE TAKING 1 PAX ON AN INTL FLT TO ST MARTEEN, NETHERLAND ANTILLES. I WAS ASSIGNED AS FO FOR THE FLT. THE CAPT WAS ASKED TO INVESTIGATE THE NEW RESTRS INVOLVING THE AIRSPACE WE INTENDED TO USE AND THE RVSM REQUIREMENTS (IF RVSM WAS REQUIRED). AFTER LOOKING INTO THE MATTER, WHICH INCLUDED A CALL TO OUR LCL FSDO, THE CAPT WAS COMFORTABLE THAT OUR INTENDED TRACK WOULD NOT INVOLVE RVSM AIRSPACE (WHICH WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED/QUALIFIED FOR). WHILE ENRTE OVER THE ATLANTIC, WE WERE CLRED BY ATC TO FL330. SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING OFF AT FL330, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR WHO STATED 'RADAR CONTACT LOST,' WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT OCEANIC ON THE HF BAND, WHICH WE DID. OCEANIC STATED THAT ZNY WAS INQUIRING AS TO WHETHER WE WERE RVSM EQUIPPED/QUALIFIED. WE STATED THAT WE WERE NOT. WE WERE INSTRUCTED THAT POSSIBLE PLTDEV HAD TAKEN PLACE AND GIVEN A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL. AFTER ARRIVING AT OUR DEST, THE CAPT CALLED ZNY AND WAS ADVISED THAT WE WERE INDEED IN RVSM AIRSPACE WHICH HAD GONE INTO EFFECT JUST WKS BEFORE. THE CAPT WAS INFORMED BY ZNY THAT NO LOSS OF SEPARATION EVER OCCURRED. I SEE THE CAUSES OF THE EVENT TO BE: 1) AN INEFFECTIVE INFO SYS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RVSM IN THIS PARTICULAR AIRSPACE AND CHANGEOVERS IN GENERAL. 2) THE CAPT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER CONVINCED THAT RVSM AIRSPACE RULES WERE NOT REQUIRED BEFORE FILING A FLT PLAN INTO QUESTIONABLE AIRSPACE. A REROUTING OR LOWER ALT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE EVENT. THE CAPT FELT THAT ALL RESOURCES FOR INFO REGARDING RVSM AIRSPACE HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED.

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.