Narrative:

I goofed. I used poor judgement. WX was VMC. We were at FL310 and waiting for FL350. I was a bit anxious because we had a long way to go and facing low ceilings and poor visibility at our destination and possibly a line of WX en route. We were given only 600 pounds of contingency fuel because projected weight was pushing our maximum structural weight for takeoff. We also had an ATC reroute. I asked ZMA for an estimate for our climb. There was crossing traffic ahead at FL350. Center's response was a question. Are you rvsm qualified? I turned to the first officer and asked if he understood the question because I was having a little trouble understanding him. The first officer responded, 'he is asking if we are rvsm,' reduced vertical separation. Although I've read the information put out on it and it was discussed in class, I never ran into this, and I couldn't recall what to check. (My memory just does not retain details that well any more for very long.) I had flown with this first officer before and he always proved himself to be very knowledgeable and my memory has long not been what it was. I asked him if he knew if this airplane was qualified, thinking too that he would have noticed if the squares were around the static ports. I was thinking all the A320's and A319's were. He responded yes it is. There was no quick reference to check this and since the first officer had always been trustworthy, I took his word. I told the controller we were, believing we were indeed rvsm qualified. The controller gave us FL340 as a short interim for our climb to FL350. A few mins after reaching FL340, the first officer said, looking at the bulletin in the manual, 'I don't think we are strictly qualified for rvsm.' I sunk in my seat not believing what I heard. To my knowledge, we never passed less than required lateral separation of 5 mi. At about this time, center cleared us to climb to FL350. Several things led to this mistake. No matter what they are, it is still my responsibility. This tends to teach me that although we are a team, I must refrain from trusting my fos. But this conclusion also flies in the face of CRM. It would be very nice if an honest 'quick reference' to items such as this were available. Even afterwards, as 3 pilots studied the bulletin in the manual, it took us a while to definitely come to the conclusion for sure that we were wrong in the assumption we were rvsm qualified. I am very embarrassed for many reasons. I hope my embarrassment will help someone avoid it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT DECLARED THAT HIS ACFT WAS RVSM QUALIFIED WHEN FLYING IN ZMA'S AIRSPACE, WHEN IT WAS NOT SO EQUIPPED.

Narrative: I GOOFED. I USED POOR JUDGEMENT. WX WAS VMC. WE WERE AT FL310 AND WAITING FOR FL350. I WAS A BIT ANXIOUS BECAUSE WE HAD A LONG WAY TO GO AND FACING LOW CEILINGS AND POOR VISIBILITY AT OUR DEST AND POSSIBLY A LINE OF WX ENRTE. WE WERE GIVEN ONLY 600 LBS OF CONTINGENCY FUEL BECAUSE PROJECTED WT WAS PUSHING OUR MAX STRUCTURAL WT FOR TKOF. WE ALSO HAD AN ATC REROUTE. I ASKED ZMA FOR AN ESTIMATE FOR OUR CLB. THERE WAS XING TFC AHEAD AT FL350. CTR'S RESPONSE WAS A QUESTION. ARE YOU RVSM QUALIFIED? I TURNED TO THE FO AND ASKED IF HE UNDERSTOOD THE QUESTION BECAUSE I WAS HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING HIM. THE FO RESPONDED, 'HE IS ASKING IF WE ARE RVSM,' REDUCED VERT SEPARATION. ALTHOUGH I'VE READ THE INFO PUT OUT ON IT AND IT WAS DISCUSSED IN CLASS, I NEVER RAN INTO THIS, AND I COULDN'T RECALL WHAT TO CHK. (MY MEMORY JUST DOES NOT RETAIN DETAILS THAT WELL ANY MORE FOR VERY LONG.) I HAD FLOWN WITH THIS FO BEFORE AND HE ALWAYS PROVED HIMSELF TO BE VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND MY MEMORY HAS LONG NOT BEEN WHAT IT WAS. I ASKED HIM IF HE KNEW IF THIS AIRPLANE WAS QUALIFIED, THINKING TOO THAT HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED IF THE SQUARES WERE AROUND THE STATIC PORTS. I WAS THINKING ALL THE A320'S AND A319'S WERE. HE RESPONDED YES IT IS. THERE WAS NO QUICK REF TO CHK THIS AND SINCE THE FO HAD ALWAYS BEEN TRUSTWORTHY, I TOOK HIS WORD. I TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE, BELIEVING WE WERE INDEED RVSM QUALIFIED. THE CTLR GAVE US FL340 AS A SHORT INTERIM FOR OUR CLB TO FL350. A FEW MINS AFTER REACHING FL340, THE FO SAID, LOOKING AT THE BULLETIN IN THE MANUAL, 'I DON'T THINK WE ARE STRICTLY QUALIFIED FOR RVSM.' I SUNK IN MY SEAT NOT BELIEVING WHAT I HEARD. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE NEVER PASSED LESS THAN REQUIRED LATERAL SEPARATION OF 5 MI. AT ABOUT THIS TIME, CTR CLRED US TO CLB TO FL350. SEVERAL THINGS LED TO THIS MISTAKE. NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE, IT IS STILL MY RESPONSIBILITY. THIS TENDS TO TEACH ME THAT ALTHOUGH WE ARE A TEAM, I MUST REFRAIN FROM TRUSTING MY FOS. BUT THIS CONCLUSION ALSO FLIES IN THE FACE OF CRM. IT WOULD BE VERY NICE IF AN HONEST 'QUICK REF' TO ITEMS SUCH AS THIS WERE AVAILABLE. EVEN AFTERWARDS, AS 3 PLTS STUDIED THE BULLETIN IN THE MANUAL, IT TOOK US A WHILE TO DEFINITELY COME TO THE CONCLUSION FOR SURE THAT WE WERE WRONG IN THE ASSUMPTION WE WERE RVSM QUALIFIED. I AM VERY EMBARRASSED FOR MANY REASONS. I HOPE MY EMBARRASSMENT WILL HELP SOMEONE AVOID IT.

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.