Emergency authority/authorized used on oceanic flight due engine malfunction.

Attributes
ACN	249834
Time
Date	199308
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eggx
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : eggx
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 63 flight time total : 11500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	249834
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

An engine malfunction required that the pilot's emergency authority/authorized be used to turn off course, descend to an appropriate altitude, and execute an overweight landing. The present oceanic control reliance on HF radios and verbal position reports for control of air traffic is cumbersome, slow, and dangerously unreliable. In this situation where immediate action was required, it took 5 to 10 mins for our emergency request for diversion clearance to be processed and delivered. I believe that every effort should be expended to expedite the implementation of VHF voice and data link communications via satellite for control of oceanic air traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER AUTH USED ON OCEANIC FLT DUE ENG MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: AN ENG MALFUNCTION REQUIRED THAT THE PLT'S EMER AUTH BE USED TO TURN OFF COURSE, DSND TO AN APPROPRIATE ALT, AND EXECUTE AN OVERWT LNDG. THE PRESENT OCEANIC CTL RELIANCE ON HF RADIOS AND VERBAL POS RPTS FOR CTL OF AIR TFC IS CUMBERSOME, SLOW, AND DANGEROUSLY UNRELIABLE. IN THIS SIT WHERE IMMEDIATE ACTION WAS REQUIRED, IT TOOK 5 TO 10 MINS FOR OUR EMER REQUEST FOR DIVERSION CLRNC TO BE PROCESSED AND DELIVERED. I BELIEVE THAT EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE EXPENDED TO EXPEDITE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VHF VOICE AND DATA LINK COMS VIA SATELLITE FOR CTL OF OCEANIC AIR TFC.

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.