Narrative:

Operating between rome and ny had flight planned a random track with oceanic portions planned over 49 degrees north and 08 degrees west, but received clearance from shanwick control a random track over 48 degrees north and 08 degrees west at FL350. Position at the time of receiving this clearance was just south of nantes. Clearance was monitored by all 3 cockpit crewmembers and read back by the F/east. We were maintaining FL310 as assigned, working brest control, and we requested direct from our present position to 48 degrees north, 08 degrees west, which was granted. Approaching 48 degrees north, 08 degrees west brest control advised us to contact shanwick but gave no specific frequency. We immediately called on frequency 129.7 to no avail so returned to brest control who then gave us VHF frequencys 129.7 and 132.8, plus HF frequencys 5616 and 8864. Unable to contact shanwick on either VHF frequency, contact was established on HF just as we were at 48 degrees north, 08 degrees west, so a complete position report was given. Shanwick acknowledged the position report but then questioned us as to altitude and stated that we were given clearance to maintain FL350--a clearance that the flight crew was not aware of. Clearance to climb immediately to FL350 was then issued and climb to FL350 was made. If a specific clearance had been issued to climb to and maintain FL350, this was missed by all 3 cockpit crewmembers. As an operating crewmember, I was of the understanding that there is altitude coordination between domestic (brest control, in this case) and oceanic control (shanwick), but apparently this does not exist. Additionally, had we been able to establish shanwick communications just as soon as we had been cleared to do by brest control, the altitude misunderstanding would have been resolved prior to reaching 48 degrees north, 08 degrees west. Supplemental information from acn 92628: contacted shanwick on HF giving them the required position report. Mins later we were called to confirm our flight level and questioned why we were not at FL350. We responded stating we were never cleared to FL350. They returned stating that our original clearance required our crossing into their airspace at FL350. None of the crew remembered that being a part of the original clearance and it was not read back as the clearance received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB ENTERED OCEANIC TRACK ON NORTH ATLANTIC AT WRONG ALT.

Narrative: OPERATING BTWN ROME AND NY HAD FLT PLANNED A RANDOM TRACK WITH OCEANIC PORTIONS PLANNED OVER 49 DEGS N AND 08 DEGS W, BUT RECEIVED CLRNC FROM SHANWICK CTL A RANDOM TRACK OVER 48 DEGS N AND 08 DEGS W AT FL350. POS AT THE TIME OF RECEIVING THIS CLRNC WAS JUST S OF NANTES. CLRNC WAS MONITORED BY ALL 3 COCKPIT CREWMEMBERS AND READ BACK BY THE F/E. WE WERE MAINTAINING FL310 AS ASSIGNED, WORKING BREST CTL, AND WE REQUESTED DIRECT FROM OUR PRESENT POS TO 48 DEGS N, 08 DEGS W, WHICH WAS GRANTED. APCHING 48 DEGS N, 08 DEGS W BREST CTL ADVISED US TO CONTACT SHANWICK BUT GAVE NO SPECIFIC FREQ. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED ON FREQ 129.7 TO NO AVAIL SO RETURNED TO BREST CTL WHO THEN GAVE US VHF FREQS 129.7 AND 132.8, PLUS HF FREQS 5616 AND 8864. UNABLE TO CONTACT SHANWICK ON EITHER VHF FREQ, CONTACT WAS ESTABLISHED ON HF JUST AS WE WERE AT 48 DEGS N, 08 DEGS W, SO A COMPLETE POS RPT WAS GIVEN. SHANWICK ACKNOWLEDGED THE POS RPT BUT THEN QUESTIONED US AS TO ALT AND STATED THAT WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO MAINTAIN FL350--A CLRNC THAT THE FLT CREW WAS NOT AWARE OF. CLRNC TO CLB IMMEDIATELY TO FL350 WAS THEN ISSUED AND CLB TO FL350 WAS MADE. IF A SPECIFIC CLRNC HAD BEEN ISSUED TO CLB TO AND MAINTAIN FL350, THIS WAS MISSED BY ALL 3 COCKPIT CREWMEMBERS. AS AN OPERATING CREWMEMBER, I WAS OF THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE IS ALT COORD BTWN DOMESTIC (BREST CTL, IN THIS CASE) AND OCEANIC CTL (SHANWICK), BUT APPARENTLY THIS DOES NOT EXIST. ADDITIONALLY, HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH SHANWICK COMS JUST AS SOON AS WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO DO BY BREST CTL, THE ALT MISUNDERSTANDING WOULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED PRIOR TO REACHING 48 DEGS N, 08 DEGS W. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 92628: CONTACTED SHANWICK ON HF GIVING THEM THE REQUIRED POS RPT. MINS LATER WE WERE CALLED TO CONFIRM OUR FLT LEVEL AND QUESTIONED WHY WE WERE NOT AT FL350. WE RESPONDED STATING WE WERE NEVER CLRED TO FL350. THEY RETURNED STATING THAT OUR ORIGINAL CLRNC REQUIRED OUR XING INTO THEIR AIRSPACE AT FL350. NONE OF THE CREW REMEMBERED THAT BEING A PART OF THE ORIGINAL CLRNC AND IT WAS NOT READ BACK AS THE CLRNC RECEIVED.

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