Narrative:

Received a new clearance at about XA30Z, which would put us 2 degrees north of track ii. This was given to us so we could climb to FL370. I loaded the new track into the INS and we proceeded to the first waypoint. I then plotted the new track and found that it would cross track ii twice at FL370. This would occur after the second waypoint. I called hnl commercial radio and made contact after about 3 or 4 tries. Asked them to confirm with oakland waypoint #3. Received a new clearance, which was 4 degrees north of track ii. This second clearance would not cross track ii but was still wrong. Called hnl commercial radio and finally received a third clearance which was correct. They also said oak was sorry for the confusion. After this, hnl commercial radio called and asked about our position and time at the first waypoint, which I gave them. Conclusions: 1) very poor HF communication that night, 2) unable to resolve problems in a timely manner, 3) commercial radio operators are overloaded and do not understand ATC clrncs, and 4) need for more than 1 track from japan to hnl. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that he was near midway island when all this negotiating for a higher altitude and a route to accommodate higher altitude was going on. He stated the lack of communication was the problem. He does not know what communication facilities exist between the person he was talking to on HF and the ZOA. However, moving at altitude almost 10 mi per min made the erroneous routings alarming. Normally there are 2 tracks but in this case there was only one. The reporter said he has been flying the pacific for about 4 yrs now. He was apprehensive that there might be repercussions and did not want to say too much until he heard the tapes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE RPTR DURING AN ATTEMPT TO ACQUIRE A HIGHER ALT WAS ASSIGNED 2 ERRONEOUS RTES TO FLY BEFORE A VALID TRACK WAS ASSIGNED.

Narrative: RECEIVED A NEW CLRNC AT ABOUT XA30Z, WHICH WOULD PUT US 2 DEGS N OF TRACK II. THIS WAS GIVEN TO US SO WE COULD CLB TO FL370. I LOADED THE NEW TRACK INTO THE INS AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE FIRST WAYPOINT. I THEN PLOTTED THE NEW TRACK AND FOUND THAT IT WOULD CROSS TRACK II TWICE AT FL370. THIS WOULD OCCUR AFTER THE SECOND WAYPOINT. I CALLED HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO AND MADE CONTACT AFTER ABOUT 3 OR 4 TRIES. ASKED THEM TO CONFIRM WITH OAKLAND WAYPOINT #3. RECEIVED A NEW CLRNC, WHICH WAS 4 DEGS N OF TRACK II. THIS SECOND CLRNC WOULD NOT CROSS TRACK II BUT WAS STILL WRONG. CALLED HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO AND FINALLY RECEIVED A THIRD CLRNC WHICH WAS CORRECT. THEY ALSO SAID OAK WAS SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION. AFTER THIS, HNL COMMERCIAL RADIO CALLED AND ASKED ABOUT OUR POS AND TIME AT THE FIRST WAYPOINT, WHICH I GAVE THEM. CONCLUSIONS: 1) VERY POOR HF COM THAT NIGHT, 2) UNABLE TO RESOLVE PROBS IN A TIMELY MANNER, 3) COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS ARE OVERLOADED AND DO NOT UNDERSTAND ATC CLRNCS, AND 4) NEED FOR MORE THAN 1 TRACK FROM JAPAN TO HNL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS NEAR MIDWAY ISLAND WHEN ALL THIS NEGOTIATING FOR A HIGHER ALT AND A RTE TO ACCOMMODATE HIGHER ALT WAS GOING ON. HE STATED THE LACK OF COM WAS THE PROB. HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT COM FACILITIES EXIST BTWN THE PERSON HE WAS TALKING TO ON HF AND THE ZOA. HOWEVER, MOVING AT ALT ALMOST 10 MI PER MIN MADE THE ERRONEOUS ROUTINGS ALARMING. NORMALLY THERE ARE 2 TRACKS BUT IN THIS CASE THERE WAS ONLY ONE. THE RPTR SAID HE HAS BEEN FLYING THE PACIFIC FOR ABOUT 4 YRS NOW. HE WAS APPREHENSIVE THAT THERE MIGHT BE REPERCUSSIONS AND DID NOT WANT TO SAY TOO MUCH UNTIL HE HEARD THE TAPES.

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.