Narrative:

While flying for an air carrier, I was teaching an IOE student. We were trying to test our HF radio and received SELCAL check for class ii navigation on the climb out. I was the PF and since the IOE student had little HF radio experience, I elected to fly and let him work the radios. We tried our HF on primary and secondary and others. We were able to transmit and receive and had a positive SELCAL, but could not understand comrdo on HF. We were in VHF radio contact at all times with center, then comrdo. When around didle waypoint, we were handed off to comrdo and tried to again use our HF radio and with no avail, we told them we needed a turn to CAT I navigation and stay on VHF radios. He said 'ok, stand by.' we waited a few moments. He said we were cleared to orf for now. Then, when we turned to orf, he told us to contact center. We were in contact with company and they dispatched us to pbi first then changed to mco for a fuel stop and a radio. When we went back to center he was upset that we were in his airspace and that we were not going to orf. He then cleared us to ilm or diw. We told him we were in the turn. Radio work was not done well by the IOE student and I was trying to help him out. We have only 1 HF radio and must have 2 HF's to go over water in watrs airspace (rvsm) per operations specifications. I am sure this caused him to move airplanes for us. However, we were so close to the fir, if not in it, there is no way of telling how close you are without doing a fast mileage check. With all this going on, another pilot made a report to the FAA/ATC saying that we did not know what we were doing! Thus, this letter. No FAA or ATC reports were filed and no others till the other air carrier report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 FLC, AFTER LOSING 1 HF RADIO, RAISES THE WRATH OF ATC WHEN TURNING ON COURSE PREMATURELY FOR ORF, TRANSITIONING OFF OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC AMBER AIRWAYS THAT SVC FLTS TO SJU, PR.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING FOR AN ACR, I WAS TEACHING AN IOE STUDENT. WE WERE TRYING TO TEST OUR HF RADIO AND RECEIVED SELCAL CHK FOR CLASS II NAV ON THE CLBOUT. I WAS THE PF AND SINCE THE IOE STUDENT HAD LITTLE HF RADIO EXPERIENCE, I ELECTED TO FLY AND LET HIM WORK THE RADIOS. WE TRIED OUR HF ON PRIMARY AND SECONDARY AND OTHERS. WE WERE ABLE TO XMIT AND RECEIVE AND HAD A POSITIVE SELCAL, BUT COULD NOT UNDERSTAND COMRDO ON HF. WE WERE IN VHF RADIO CONTACT AT ALL TIMES WITH CTR, THEN COMRDO. WHEN AROUND DIDLE WAYPOINT, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO COMRDO AND TRIED TO AGAIN USE OUR HF RADIO AND WITH NO AVAIL, WE TOLD THEM WE NEEDED A TURN TO CAT I NAV AND STAY ON VHF RADIOS. HE SAID 'OK, STAND BY.' WE WAITED A FEW MOMENTS. HE SAID WE WERE CLRED TO ORF FOR NOW. THEN, WHEN WE TURNED TO ORF, HE TOLD US TO CONTACT CTR. WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH COMPANY AND THEY DISPATCHED US TO PBI FIRST THEN CHANGED TO MCO FOR A FUEL STOP AND A RADIO. WHEN WE WENT BACK TO CTR HE WAS UPSET THAT WE WERE IN HIS AIRSPACE AND THAT WE WERE NOT GOING TO ORF. HE THEN CLRED US TO ILM OR DIW. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE IN THE TURN. RADIO WORK WAS NOT DONE WELL BY THE IOE STUDENT AND I WAS TRYING TO HELP HIM OUT. WE HAVE ONLY 1 HF RADIO AND MUST HAVE 2 HF'S TO GO OVER WATER IN WATRS AIRSPACE (RVSM) PER OPS SPECS. I AM SURE THIS CAUSED HIM TO MOVE AIRPLANES FOR US. HOWEVER, WE WERE SO CLOSE TO THE FIR, IF NOT IN IT, THERE IS NO WAY OF TELLING HOW CLOSE YOU ARE WITHOUT DOING A FAST MILEAGE CHK. WITH ALL THIS GOING ON, ANOTHER PLT MADE A RPT TO THE FAA/ATC SAYING THAT WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT WE WERE DOING! THUS, THIS LETTER. NO FAA OR ATC RPTS WERE FILED AND NO OTHERS TILL THE OTHER ACR RPT.

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.