Narrative:

Flight from taipei to anchorage. The flight left taipei en route to anchorage, shortly after takeoff the flight engineer was unable to make the company departure message because the 2 HF radios were unable to transmit on any of the frequencys below 10000 KHZ. At that time of the day tokyo radio was using the lower frequency 2932 and 5628 KHZ for oceanic position reports. After the captain was made aware of the situation she became very nervous and was completely unaware of what to do. The captain then said that we will just continue on to anchorage without the use of HF radios. She (the captain) had not wanted to dump fuel and return, or delay arriving in anchorage. When the captain asked the crew what she should do, she first turned to the flight engineer, who is not a pilot. He responded that he did not know. She then said, 'I could lose my license over this.' I was left with the impression that she was not or that it ever entered into her mind to return or not go to anchorage even without radios. It was some time later that she asked me what I thought. I stated to her, 'we have plenty of gas,' (over 8 hours) and that could we continue to our coast out point and if we were unable to establish and maintain communications with tokyo radio, that we would have to turn around and have the 2 HF radios fixed before we could continue to anchorage. Shortly after that, she (the captain) said we are going to anchorage, and maybe someone could relay our oceanic reports. Oth air carrier Y relayed our first oceanic report and the next report was to honolulu on 10048 KHZ that we were able to make and maintain from then on. Human factors: the captain lacked crew coordination skills. She didn't take any input from the crew, even when she expressed that she did not know what to do.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB CARGO ACFT ON EXTENDED OVERWATER NIGHT OP EXPERIENCES A RADIO COM PROB WITH THE LOWER FREQ BANDS ON ITS LOW FREQ RADIOS.

Narrative: FLT FROM TAIPEI TO ANCHORAGE. THE FLT LEFT TAIPEI ENRTE TO ANCHORAGE, SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE FE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE COMPANY DEP MESSAGE BECAUSE THE 2 HF RADIOS WERE UNABLE TO XMIT ON ANY OF THE FREQS BELOW 10000 KHZ. AT THAT TIME OF THE DAY TOKYO RADIO WAS USING THE LOWER FREQ 2932 AND 5628 KHZ FOR OCEANIC POS RPTS. AFTER THE CAPT WAS MADE AWARE OF THE SIT SHE BECAME VERY NERVOUS AND WAS COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF WHAT TO DO. THE CAPT THEN SAID THAT WE WILL JUST CONTINUE ON TO ANCHORAGE WITHOUT THE USE OF HF RADIOS. SHE (THE CAPT) HAD NOT WANTED TO DUMP FUEL AND RETURN, OR DELAY ARRIVING IN ANCHORAGE. WHEN THE CAPT ASKED THE CREW WHAT SHE SHOULD DO, SHE FIRST TURNED TO THE FE, WHO IS NOT A PLT. HE RESPONDED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW. SHE THEN SAID, 'I COULD LOSE MY LICENSE OVER THIS.' I WAS LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT SHE WAS NOT OR THAT IT EVER ENTERED INTO HER MIND TO RETURN OR NOT GO TO ANCHORAGE EVEN WITHOUT RADIOS. IT WAS SOME TIME LATER THAT SHE ASKED ME WHAT I THOUGHT. I STATED TO HER, 'WE HAVE PLENTY OF GAS,' (OVER 8 HRS) AND THAT COULD WE CONTINUE TO OUR COAST OUT POINT AND IF WE WERE UNABLE TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN COMS WITH TOKYO RADIO, THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND HAVE THE 2 HF RADIOS FIXED BEFORE WE COULD CONTINUE TO ANCHORAGE. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, SHE (THE CAPT) SAID WE ARE GOING TO ANCHORAGE, AND MAYBE SOMEONE COULD RELAY OUR OCEANIC RPTS. OTH ACR Y RELAYED OUR FIRST OCEANIC RPT AND THE NEXT RPT WAS TO HONOLULU ON 10048 KHZ THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE AND MAINTAIN FROM THEN ON. HUMAN FACTORS: THE CAPT LACKED CREW COORD SKILLS. SHE DIDN'T TAKE ANY INPUT FROM THE CREW, EVEN WHEN SHE EXPRESSED THAT SHE DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

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.