B767 flight crew upon departure from nstu has difficulty with communicating with controller.

Attributes
ACN	696158
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : nstu.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : nsfa.tower tower : rfd.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	696158
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Problems communicating with faleolo began upon arrival to nstu. Unable to close flight plan via faleolo. Auckland was contacted on HF to relay flight plan closure. Apparently they never received the message. FAA in jumpseat could confirm this request. When we called for clearance on the ground in nstu on 126.9 faleolo asked which altitude we were requesting. We asked for FL330. His next broken transmission was understood by both pilots to be a clearance to climb to FL330. On departure; faleolo could not read us on 126.9 or 118.1 until 10000 ft. He then informed us that he did not clear us to climb to FL330. We then asked him for a clearance to climb to FL330. Faleolo then said he was going to file an airspace violation and asked for captain's name. I told him that we were VFR within 50 mi of the airport having difficulty getting a clearance which was within our operational procedures. He then cleared us to climb to FL330 and to contact auckland.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW UPON DEP FROM NSTU HAS DIFFICULTY WITH COMMUNICATING WITH CTLR.

Narrative: PROBS COMMUNICATING WITH FALEOLO BEGAN UPON ARRIVAL TO NSTU. UNABLE TO CLOSE FLT PLAN VIA FALEOLO. AUCKLAND WAS CONTACTED ON HF TO RELAY FLT PLAN CLOSURE. APPARENTLY THEY NEVER RECEIVED THE MESSAGE. FAA IN JUMPSEAT COULD CONFIRM THIS REQUEST. WHEN WE CALLED FOR CLRNC ON THE GND IN NSTU ON 126.9 FALEOLO ASKED WHICH ALT WE WERE REQUESTING. WE ASKED FOR FL330. HIS NEXT BROKEN XMISSION WAS UNDERSTOOD BY BOTH PLTS TO BE A CLRNC TO CLB TO FL330. ON DEP; FALEOLO COULD NOT READ US ON 126.9 OR 118.1 UNTIL 10000 FT. HE THEN INFORMED US THAT HE DID NOT CLR US TO CLB TO FL330. WE THEN ASKED HIM FOR A CLRNC TO CLB TO FL330. FALEOLO THEN SAID HE WAS GOING TO FILE AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION AND ASKED FOR CAPT'S NAME. I TOLD HIM THAT WE WERE VFR WITHIN 50 MI OF THE ARPT HAVING DIFFICULTY GETTING A CLRNC WHICH WAS WITHIN OUR OPERATIONAL PROCS. HE THEN CLRED US TO CLB TO FL330 AND TO CONTACT AUCKLAND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.