Air carrier flight crew reports accepting clearance along route requiring VOR that is OTS.

Attributes
ACN	791522
Time
Date	200806
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tncm.airport
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zsu.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	791522
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	791523
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Navigational Facility Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Flight plan review noted that pjm was OTS. Received clearance from sju consisting of radar vectors; route 2; stt; slugo; A638; pjm. Clearance was accepted in accordance with FM. Upon changeover from san juan center to st martin; st martin did not state radar contact or provide a heading to pjm. We asked st martin if we were in radar contact and for a heading to pjm. The st martin controller responded that he was not certified to use the radar; instructed us to start descent and to proceed direct to pjm (with the NAVAID OTS; no GPS; and no radar vectors...) we contacted dispatch for guidance and to discuss using the pjd compass locator to continue to sxm. Dispatch asked us which VOR was OTS; we reminded him that pjm was OTS and he stated that he was having trouble receiving us and sent the following message via ACARS: 'you will get radar vector from center. You will be good.' at this point we were well outside the service volume area of stt; unable to get a heading to pjm from st martin and dispatch was apparently unaware that san juan center would not be able to provide radar vectors all the way to pjm. Unable to get navigation assistance from st martin; we used a weak signal from pjd to track inbound; were cleared to descend below the cloud layer and established visual contact with st martin approximately 15 NM out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLT CREW REPORTS ACCEPTING CLEARANCE ALONG ROUTE REQUIRING VOR THAT IS OTS.

Narrative: FLT PLAN REVIEW NOTED THAT PJM WAS OTS. RECEIVED CLRNC FROM SJU CONSISTING OF RADAR VECTORS; RTE 2; STT; SLUGO; A638; PJM. CLRNC WAS ACCEPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FM. UPON CHANGEOVER FROM SAN JUAN CTR TO ST MARTIN; ST MARTIN DID NOT STATE RADAR CONTACT OR PROVIDE A HDG TO PJM. WE ASKED ST MARTIN IF WE WERE IN RADAR CONTACT AND FOR A HDG TO PJM. THE ST MARTIN CTLR RESPONDED THAT HE WAS NOT CERTIFIED TO USE THE RADAR; INSTRUCTED US TO START DSCNT AND TO PROCEED DIRECT TO PJM (WITH THE NAVAID OTS; NO GPS; AND NO RADAR VECTORS...) WE CONTACTED DISPATCH FOR GUIDANCE AND TO DISCUSS USING THE PJD COMPASS LOCATOR TO CONTINUE TO SXM. DISPATCH ASKED US WHICH VOR WAS OTS; WE REMINDED HIM THAT PJM WAS OTS AND HE STATED THAT HE WAS HAVING TROUBLE RECEIVING US AND SENT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE VIA ACARS: 'YOU WILL GET RADAR VECTOR FROM CTR. YOU WILL BE GOOD.' AT THIS POINT WE WERE WELL OUTSIDE THE SVC VOLUME AREA OF STT; UNABLE TO GET A HDG TO PJM FROM ST MARTIN AND DISPATCH WAS APPARENTLY UNAWARE THAT SAN JUAN CTR WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE RADAR VECTORS ALL THE WAY TO PJM. UNABLE TO GET NAV ASSISTANCE FROM ST MARTIN; WE USED A WEAK SIGNAL FROM PJD TO TRACK INBOUND; WERE CLRED TO DSND BELOW THE CLOUD LAYER AND ESTABLISHED VISUAL CONTACT WITH ST MARTIN APPROX 15 NM OUT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.