Dispatch assignment of non HF equipped air carrier large transport leads to radio communication prob...

Attributes
ACN	176788
Time
Date	199104
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : chs
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma artcc : zny tracon : den
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : atlantic enroute airway : ar4
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 3400
ASRS Report	176788
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared to sju direct irq direct chs direct metta, AR4 smelt, G431 ddp direct tjsj (sju). This a flight control filed route. On reaching smelt, we were cleared to en route frequencys. This sounded strange, so had the first officer check what they meant. Reply was use HF frequencys. Our large transport's do not have HF frequencys at all. His reply was that ny arinc would be angry. We started busily checking publications and discovered that the route G431 to be filed must have 2 HF's. Performed a navigation accuracy check as we were committed, obtained reclrnc through ZMA on route with relay from other aircraft. Really no problem, other than we weren't supposed to be there. Neither the first officer nor I was aware of this note. I believe center should have picked up on it by the flight plan listing, 'no HF's.' I have made several trips to san juan. Nothing abnormal on this flight other than a more north route for WX. Somewhere, rather than buried in pages and pages of material, maybe on the san juan first page, there should be notes on from flight control, general remarks to cover such a flight. Normally, this flight on weekday is a widebody transport, which has HF radios and same flight #. When realizing what had happened, once again clrncs and radio contacts were maintained and radio contact reestablished at slap with ZMA. We also tried to get clearance down over gimini and gtk, but were told to stand by on 121.5. Never got it that way, but got (through relays) the original route that was filed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCH ASSIGNMENT OF NON HF EQUIPPED ACR LGT LEADS TO RADIO COM PROBLEM ON AN OVER WATER ROUTE. FLT PLAN FILED WOULD NOT INDICATE TO ATC THE TYPE COM EQUIPMENT ON BOARD, ONLY NAVIGATION CAPABILITIES.

Narrative: CLRED TO SJU DIRECT IRQ DIRECT CHS DIRECT METTA, AR4 SMELT, G431 DDP DIRECT TJSJ (SJU). THIS A FLT CTL FILED RTE. ON REACHING SMELT, WE WERE CLRED TO ENRTE FREQS. THIS SOUNDED STRANGE, SO HAD THE F/O CHK WHAT THEY MEANT. REPLY WAS USE HF FREQS. OUR LGT'S DO NOT HAVE HF FREQS AT ALL. HIS REPLY WAS THAT NY ARINC WOULD BE ANGRY. WE STARTED BUSILY CHKING PUBLICATIONS AND DISCOVERED THAT THE RTE G431 TO BE FILED MUST HAVE 2 HF'S. PERFORMED A NAV ACCURACY CHK AS WE WERE COMMITTED, OBTAINED RECLRNC THROUGH ZMA ON RTE WITH RELAY FROM OTHER ACFT. REALLY NO PROB, OTHER THAN WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE. NEITHER THE F/O NOR I WAS AWARE OF THIS NOTE. I BELIEVE CENTER SHOULD HAVE PICKED UP ON IT BY THE FLT PLAN LISTING, 'NO HF'S.' I HAVE MADE SEVERAL TRIPS TO SAN JUAN. NOTHING ABNORMAL ON THIS FLT OTHER THAN A MORE N RTE FOR WX. SOMEWHERE, RATHER THAN BURIED IN PAGES AND PAGES OF MATERIAL, MAYBE ON THE SAN JUAN FIRST PAGE, THERE SHOULD BE NOTES ON FROM FLT CTL, GENERAL REMARKS TO COVER SUCH A FLT. NORMALLY, THIS FLT ON WEEKDAY IS A WDB, WHICH HAS HF RADIOS AND SAME FLT #. WHEN REALIZING WHAT HAD HAPPENED, ONCE AGAIN CLRNCS AND RADIO CONTACTS WERE MAINTAINED AND RADIO CONTACT REESTABLISHED AT SLAP WITH ZMA. WE ALSO TRIED TO GET CLRNC DOWN OVER GIMINI AND GTK, BUT WERE TOLD TO STAND BY ON 121.5. NEVER GOT IT THAT WAY, BUT GOT (THROUGH RELAYS) THE ORIGINAL RTE THAT WAS FILED.

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.

Dispatch assignment of non HF equipped air carrier large transport leads to radio communication problem on an over water route. Flight plan filed would not indicate to ATC the type communication equipment on board, only navigation capabilities.