Narrative:

While reviewing the paperwork for the flight, at operations in gru, I noticed that we were on an ETOPS flight plan. The flight plan had the entry and exit points of the ETOPS airspace, in distance and time, from takeoff, also the latitude and longitude for the points. The header of the flight plan did not identify the flight plan as ETOPS. Our ETOPS alternate were fll and sju. Since we all reviewed the paperwork together and no comments were made, I assumed that we were all ETOPS qualified. After leveloff, the relief pilot went on his schedule break and the PF and I remained at the controls. At the proper time, the relief pilot relieved me and I went on my break. Upon my return to the cockpit, the relief pilot mentioned that he was not ETOPS qualified. At this time, we were 65 NM south of grann, or 15 mins away from the ETOPS entry point. I directed the relief pilot to request from san juan center vectors and a new routing which will keep us within 60 mins from an airport for the remainder of the flight. San juan center gave us vectors, and a new route to fly with suitable airports along the way. At no time did we enter ETOPS airspace during the entire flight. There needs to be a process within the crew desk, which identifies which pilots are not ETOPS qualified. This is not the first time that this situation happened. South america most of the time is not an ETOPS area, however, at times with airports and or runways closing for repairs, it is not unusual to be dispatched on an ETOPS flight plan. The fom ignores this area, and is not specific enough in the requirements, as it is for europe and the pacific.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLT PLANNED FOR AN ETOPS RTE IS NOT STAFFED WITH AN ETOPS QUALIFIED FLT CREW.

Narrative: WHILE REVIEWING THE PAPERWORK FOR THE FLT, AT OPS IN GRU, I NOTICED THAT WE WERE ON AN ETOPS FLT PLAN. THE FLT PLAN HAD THE ENTRY AND EXIT POINTS OF THE ETOPS AIRSPACE, IN DISTANCE AND TIME, FROM TKOF, ALSO THE LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE FOR THE POINTS. THE HEADER OF THE FLT PLAN DID NOT IDENTIFY THE FLT PLAN AS ETOPS. OUR ETOPS ALTERNATE WERE FLL AND SJU. SINCE WE ALL REVIEWED THE PAPERWORK TOGETHER AND NO COMMENTS WERE MADE, I ASSUMED THAT WE WERE ALL ETOPS QUALIFIED. AFTER LEVELOFF, THE RELIEF PLT WENT ON HIS SCHEDULE BREAK AND THE PF AND I REMAINED AT THE CTLS. AT THE PROPER TIME, THE RELIEF PLT RELIEVED ME AND I WENT ON MY BREAK. UPON MY RETURN TO THE COCKPIT, THE RELIEF PLT MENTIONED THAT HE WAS NOT ETOPS QUALIFIED. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE 65 NM S OF GRANN, OR 15 MINS AWAY FROM THE ETOPS ENTRY POINT. I DIRECTED THE RELIEF PLT TO REQUEST FROM SAN JUAN CTR VECTORS AND A NEW ROUTING WHICH WILL KEEP US WITHIN 60 MINS FROM AN ARPT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. SAN JUAN CTR GAVE US VECTORS, AND A NEW RTE TO FLY WITH SUITABLE ARPTS ALONG THE WAY. AT NO TIME DID WE ENTER ETOPS AIRSPACE DURING THE ENTIRE FLT. THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROCESS WITHIN THE CREW DESK, WHICH IDENTIFIES WHICH PLTS ARE NOT ETOPS QUALIFIED. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS SIT HAPPENED. SOUTH AMERICA MOST OF THE TIME IS NOT AN ETOPS AREA, HOWEVER, AT TIMES WITH ARPTS AND OR RWYS CLOSING FOR REPAIRS, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO BE DISPATCHED ON AN ETOPS FLT PLAN. THE FOM IGNORES THIS AREA, AND IS NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH IN THE REQUIREMENTS, AS IT IS FOR EUROPE AND THE PACIFIC.

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.