B777 flight crew experiences communication difficulty with oceanic control on mia -- lhr route.

Attributes
ACN	595552
Time
Date	200310
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : oyster
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl single value : 37000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czqx.artcc artcc : czqm.artcc tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : relief pilot oversight : pic
ASRS Report	595552
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain
ASRS Report	595546
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airspace Structure Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Environmental Factor

Narrative:

Approaching oyster at FL370, we experienced difficulty maintaining VHF and HF communication with moncton and gander oceanic. No climb clearance was heard until approximately X005Z when we climbed as instructed to FL380. Again poor HF caused a 2-3 min delay in gander acknowledging our being level. We were never no communication just experiencing poor propagation and frequency congestion. Some 30 mins later, we received an inquiry from gander. This was impossible to complete with the communication conditions, and we called them on satcom. Repeated call calls were received from gander during this episode. We could hear them with poor to acceptable reception. They could not hear us. Supplemental information from acn 595546: upon returning from my rest break, the first officer and relief pilot said that they had a small communication problem with gander oceanic. When we crossed oyster onto track X, there was a lot of radio traffic and they were not able to talk to gander. They had received their oceanic clearance to cross oyster at FL370 with 'expect FL380.' they could not communication with gander until a few mins later when they then climbed to FL380. When I got back into the cockpit, the issue seemed resolved and no other actions were necessary.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES COM DIFFICULTY WITH OCEANIC CTL ON MIA -- LHR RTE.

Narrative: APCHING OYSTER AT FL370, WE EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING VHF AND HF COM WITH MONCTON AND GANDER OCEANIC. NO CLB CLRNC WAS HEARD UNTIL APPROX X005Z WHEN WE CLBED AS INSTRUCTED TO FL380. AGAIN POOR HF CAUSED A 2-3 MIN DELAY IN GANDER ACKNOWLEDGING OUR BEING LEVEL. WE WERE NEVER NO COM JUST EXPERIENCING POOR PROPAGATION AND FREQ CONGESTION. SOME 30 MINS LATER, WE RECEIVED AN INQUIRY FROM GANDER. THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLETE WITH THE COM CONDITIONS, AND WE CALLED THEM ON SATCOM. REPEATED CALL CALLS WERE RECEIVED FROM GANDER DURING THIS EPISODE. WE COULD HEAR THEM WITH POOR TO ACCEPTABLE RECEPTION. THEY COULD NOT HEAR US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 595546: UPON RETURNING FROM MY REST BREAK, THE FO AND RELIEF PLT SAID THAT THEY HAD A SMALL COM PROB WITH GANDER OCEANIC. WHEN WE CROSSED OYSTER ONTO TRACK X, THERE WAS A LOT OF RADIO TFC AND THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO TALK TO GANDER. THEY HAD RECEIVED THEIR OCEANIC CLRNC TO CROSS OYSTER AT FL370 WITH 'EXPECT FL380.' THEY COULD NOT COM WITH GANDER UNTIL A FEW MINS LATER WHEN THEY THEN CLBED TO FL380. WHEN I GOT BACK INTO THE COCKPIT, THE ISSUE SEEMED RESOLVED AND NO OTHER ACTIONS WERE NECESSARY.

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.