An air carrier widebody transport failed to make an oceanic time crossing.

Attributes
ACN	278883
Time
Date	199408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : fot
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zoa tower : mdw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : other oceanic enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 1800
ASRS Report	278883
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	278886
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Approximately 250 NM west of 130W west, on eastbound flight nrt-sfo, commercial radio passed along a clearance from overwater ATC for our flight to speed up and cross 130W at XA20Z. First officer stated he would speed up and do his best to do so, believing that the clearance to speed up was issued as a mandatory one and the crossing time was merely a request, not a firm requirement. Captain was in cockpit bunk on break at time of issuance. When I returned from break, I was informed by first officer of clearance to speed up and he informed me of the 'requested' crossing clearance time of XA20Z. We were about 60 NM from 130W when I was informed, and noted that the best we could do at the time was XA22Z. The 'requested' crossing time should have triggered a question in my mind and I even stated that I'd never known of a clearance 'request' such as that. After passing 130W and reporting crossing at XA22Z, we were advised of a clearance deviation and asked to talk to the supervisor at ZOA after our arrival, which was done in the presence of a flight manager. On reflection, I should have known better and upon hearing the event should have notified ATC of our inability to comply with the clearance. Also, the response by my first officer 'we will do our best' should have been received by arinc as an inappropriate response and challenged right then.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB FAILED TO MAKE AN OCEANIC TIME XING.

Narrative: APPROX 250 NM W OF 130W W, ON EBOUND FLT NRT-SFO, COMMERCIAL RADIO PASSED ALONG A CLRNC FROM OVERWATER ATC FOR OUR FLT TO SPD UP AND CROSS 130W AT XA20Z. FO STATED HE WOULD SPD UP AND DO HIS BEST TO DO SO, BELIEVING THAT THE CLRNC TO SPD UP WAS ISSUED AS A MANDATORY ONE AND THE XING TIME WAS MERELY A REQUEST, NOT A FIRM REQUIREMENT. CAPT WAS IN COCKPIT BUNK ON BREAK AT TIME OF ISSUANCE. WHEN I RETURNED FROM BREAK, I WAS INFORMED BY FO OF CLRNC TO SPD UP AND HE INFORMED ME OF THE 'REQUESTED' XING CLRNC TIME OF XA20Z. WE WERE ABOUT 60 NM FROM 130W WHEN I WAS INFORMED, AND NOTED THAT THE BEST WE COULD DO AT THE TIME WAS XA22Z. THE 'REQUESTED' XING TIME SHOULD HAVE TRIGGERED A QUESTION IN MY MIND AND I EVEN STATED THAT I'D NEVER KNOWN OF A CLRNC 'REQUEST' SUCH AS THAT. AFTER PASSING 130W AND RPTING XING AT XA22Z, WE WERE ADVISED OF A CLRNC DEV AND ASKED TO TALK TO THE SUPVR AT ZOA AFTER OUR ARR, WHICH WAS DONE IN THE PRESENCE OF A FLT MGR. ON REFLECTION, I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER AND UPON HEARING THE EVENT SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR INABILITY TO COMPLY WITH THE CLRNC. ALSO, THE RESPONSE BY MY FO 'WE WILL DO OUR BEST' SHOULD HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY ARINC AS AN INAPPROPRIATE RESPONSE AND CHALLENGED RIGHT THEN.

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.