Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour after departing osaka; we received an updated alert from dispatch regarding the eruption of a volcano (klyuchevskoy) to the north of our course. The updated forecast for the ash cloud movement forecast the ash potentially closer to our projected route than the earlier forecast received during preflight briefing. Given the fact we would pass abeam the ash at night with no way to visually avoid; the captain requested dispatch to work up a new flight plan and check for the possibility of a more southerly course. Our desire was to make a slight southerly turn at the 160E fix. After quite some time; dispatch advised we would have to coordinate with oakland ourselves. The captain and dispatch discussed fuel burn and pet requirements; however I do not recall the specifics; other than dispatch felt fuel requirements would not be a problem since the route would take us more southerly and closer to hnl as well as sfo. Since we were still with tokyo radio; we attempted a reroute with them via cpdlc. They eventually advised via HF that we would have to wait until 165E and request with sfo arinc. In order to make the course change as small as possible with the least impact on fuel we wanted to turn. The captain attempted satcom communication with ZOA; which they never answered. He was able to make a request with sfo arinc on satcom for a more southerly reroute. Upon the cpdlc handoff to oak we received a southerly route per our request. At approximately this time; it was time for a crew change. After completing a crew brief and ensuring the new course was plotted; I left on break (captain and second first officer in cockpit). Upon return; I learned there had been further discussion with dispatch to coordinate and agree on the flight plan and pet fuel requirements. As we had departed with surplus fuel for the critical PET3; a slower cruise mach and more efficient altitude had been planned to enable reaching PET3 with required fuel. Ultimately; the reroute worked out well with no ash encounter. However it seemed odd to me that dispatch was unable to assist with the reroute earlier. Also surprising was the inability to reach ZOA directly via satcom. There was also mention by dispatch about us being on a 'low cost' route and that she would have to confer with another department in order to rerte. My primary concern at this point was the safe avoidance of the ash.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW RECEIVED UPDATE ON VOLCANIC ACTIVITY WHILE AT CRUISE IN OVER THE PACIFIC. REROUTE WAS REQUESTED FROM TOKYO RADIO; AND REROUTE WAS EVENTUALLY RECEIVED FROM KZOA.

Narrative: APPROX 1 HR AFTER DEPARTING OSAKA; WE RECEIVED AN UPDATED ALERT FROM DISPATCH REGARDING THE ERUPTION OF A VOLCANO (KLYUCHEVSKOY) TO THE N OF OUR COURSE. THE UPDATED FORECAST FOR THE ASH CLOUD MOVEMENT FORECAST THE ASH POTENTIALLY CLOSER TO OUR PROJECTED RTE THAN THE EARLIER FORECAST RECEIVED DURING PREFLT BRIEFING. GIVEN THE FACT WE WOULD PASS ABEAM THE ASH AT NIGHT WITH NO WAY TO VISUALLY AVOID; THE CAPT REQUESTED DISPATCH TO WORK UP A NEW FLT PLAN AND CHK FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF A MORE SOUTHERLY COURSE. OUR DESIRE WAS TO MAKE A SLIGHT SOUTHERLY TURN AT THE 160E FIX. AFTER QUITE SOME TIME; DISPATCH ADVISED WE WOULD HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH OAKLAND OURSELVES. THE CAPT AND DISPATCH DISCUSSED FUEL BURN AND PET REQUIREMENTS; HOWEVER I DO NOT RECALL THE SPECIFICS; OTHER THAN DISPATCH FELT FUEL REQUIREMENTS WOULD NOT BE A PROB SINCE THE RTE WOULD TAKE US MORE SOUTHERLY AND CLOSER TO HNL AS WELL AS SFO. SINCE WE WERE STILL WITH TOKYO RADIO; WE ATTEMPTED A REROUTE WITH THEM VIA CPDLC. THEY EVENTUALLY ADVISED VIA HF THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 165E AND REQUEST WITH SFO ARINC. IN ORDER TO MAKE THE COURSE CHANGE AS SMALL AS POSSIBLE WITH THE LEAST IMPACT ON FUEL WE WANTED TO TURN. THE CAPT ATTEMPTED SATCOM COM WITH ZOA; WHICH THEY NEVER ANSWERED. HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE A REQUEST WITH SFO ARINC ON SATCOM FOR A MORE SOUTHERLY REROUTE. UPON THE CPDLC HDOF TO OAK WE RECEIVED A SOUTHERLY RTE PER OUR REQUEST. AT APPROX THIS TIME; IT WAS TIME FOR A CREW CHANGE. AFTER COMPLETING A CREW BRIEF AND ENSURING THE NEW COURSE WAS PLOTTED; I LEFT ON BREAK (CAPT AND SECOND FO IN COCKPIT). UPON RETURN; I LEARNED THERE HAD BEEN FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH DISPATCH TO COORDINATE AND AGREE ON THE FLT PLAN AND PET FUEL REQUIREMENTS. AS WE HAD DEPARTED WITH SURPLUS FUEL FOR THE CRITICAL PET3; A SLOWER CRUISE MACH AND MORE EFFICIENT ALT HAD BEEN PLANNED TO ENABLE REACHING PET3 WITH REQUIRED FUEL. ULTIMATELY; THE REROUTE WORKED OUT WELL WITH NO ASH ENCOUNTER. HOWEVER IT SEEMED ODD TO ME THAT DISPATCH WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH THE REROUTE EARLIER. ALSO SURPRISING WAS THE INABILITY TO REACH ZOA DIRECTLY VIA SATCOM. THERE WAS ALSO MENTION BY DISPATCH ABOUT US BEING ON A 'LOW COST' RTE AND THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO CONFER WITH ANOTHER DEPT IN ORDER TO RERTE. MY PRIMARY CONCERN AT THIS POINT WAS THE SAFE AVOIDANCE OF THE ASH.

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.