Narrative:

Deviation from clearance altitude. The besat coordinates are N59 45.0 E179 25.1. We were flying on G583 through russian airspace. We arrived at besat intersection. I then contacted petro ATC to make the required besat position report. Petro didn't want a report but instructed us to contact sfo commercial radio. It was difficult to understand petro's english but after a few repeats the correct frequency was obtained. Switching to sfo commercial radio; a full besat position report was made which included our altitude as having been at FL9100 meters over besat. Sfo then asked what FL9100 meters equated to in feet. As per the guidance in the en route russian procedures; I replied that FL9100 meters equated to FL290; although a straight forward conversion of 9100 meters comes out to be 29900 ft. I further added that we would be going to FL290 as per our understanding as to what to do when leaving russian airspace without a clearance. Lastly I asked them to relay a request to zan for a climb to FL330. Sfo acknowledged our request and instructed us to contact zan at 172W. We arrived at 172W and made contact with zan. Anc called us in radar contact and cleared us to climb at FL330. Several mins after reaching FL330; anc said they had a question for us. They asked us why we were at FL290 instead of FL9100 meters upon entering their airspace. I explained that we had descended to FL290 from FL9100 meters because we had complied with the guidance provided by all of the pubs as to what to do when leaving russian airspace without an altitude clearance. Anc came back and said that we were in error to have gone to FL290 without a clearance. They also said that there had been no conflict with other traffic and that no further action would be taken concerning this altitude deviation. After discussing what had happened between ourselves; we called anc back and discussed the matter further. They said that they had had this same problem with other aircraft flying in from russian airspace without a clearance and that we were not the first ones to have done what we had done and wound up at the wrong altitude without having been cleared to it by an ATC. Finally; a source of confusion for us in this matter was the fact that all of the guidance concerning flying through russian airspace only dealt with wbound traffic. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: after reporting the incident to the air carrier the crew has noted that there is now a company bulletin issued to clarify the problem as it applies to eastbound flts along with a change to follow in the flight operations manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LEAVING RUSSIAN AIRSPACE FOR ANC AIRSPACE AN ACR CREW MAKES AN ALT CHANGE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE DIFFERENCE BTWN METERS AND FEET WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEV FROM CLRNC ALT. THE BESAT COORDINATES ARE N59 45.0 E179 25.1. WE WERE FLYING ON G583 THROUGH RUSSIAN AIRSPACE. WE ARRIVED AT BESAT INTXN. I THEN CONTACTED PETRO ATC TO MAKE THE REQUIRED BESAT POS RPT. PETRO DIDN'T WANT A RPT BUT INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT SFO COMMERCIAL RADIO. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND PETRO'S ENGLISH BUT AFTER A FEW REPEATS THE CORRECT FREQ WAS OBTAINED. SWITCHING TO SFO COMMERCIAL RADIO; A FULL BESAT POS RPT WAS MADE WHICH INCLUDED OUR ALT AS HAVING BEEN AT FL9100 METERS OVER BESAT. SFO THEN ASKED WHAT FL9100 METERS EQUATED TO IN FEET. AS PER THE GUIDANCE IN THE ENRTE RUSSIAN PROCS; I REPLIED THAT FL9100 METERS EQUATED TO FL290; ALTHOUGH A STRAIGHT FORWARD CONVERSION OF 9100 METERS COMES OUT TO BE 29900 FT. I FURTHER ADDED THAT WE WOULD BE GOING TO FL290 AS PER OUR UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT TO DO WHEN LEAVING RUSSIAN AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. LASTLY I ASKED THEM TO RELAY A REQUEST TO ZAN FOR A CLB TO FL330. SFO ACKNOWLEDGED OUR REQUEST AND INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT ZAN AT 172W. WE ARRIVED AT 172W AND MADE CONTACT WITH ZAN. ANC CALLED US IN RADAR CONTACT AND CLRED US TO CLB AT FL330. SEVERAL MINS AFTER REACHING FL330; ANC SAID THEY HAD A QUESTION FOR US. THEY ASKED US WHY WE WERE AT FL290 INSTEAD OF FL9100 METERS UPON ENTERING THEIR AIRSPACE. I EXPLAINED THAT WE HAD DSNDED TO FL290 FROM FL9100 METERS BECAUSE WE HAD COMPLIED WITH THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED BY ALL OF THE PUBS AS TO WHAT TO DO WHEN LEAVING RUSSIAN AIRSPACE WITHOUT AN ALT CLRNC. ANC CAME BACK AND SAID THAT WE WERE IN ERROR TO HAVE GONE TO FL290 WITHOUT A CLRNC. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER TFC AND THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN CONCERNING THIS ALTDEV. AFTER DISCUSSING WHAT HAD HAPPENED BTWN OURSELVES; WE CALLED ANC BACK AND DISCUSSED THE MATTER FURTHER. THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD HAD THIS SAME PROB WITH OTHER ACFT FLYING IN FROM RUSSIAN AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC AND THAT WE WERE NOT THE FIRST ONES TO HAVE DONE WHAT WE HAD DONE AND WOUND UP AT THE WRONG ALT WITHOUT HAVING BEEN CLRED TO IT BY AN ATC. FINALLY; A SOURCE OF CONFUSION FOR US IN THIS MATTER WAS THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE GUIDANCE CONCERNING FLYING THROUGH RUSSIAN AIRSPACE ONLY DEALT WITH WBOUND TFC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER RPTING THE INCIDENT TO THE ACR THE CREW HAS NOTED THAT THERE IS NOW A COMPANY BULLETIN ISSUED TO CLARIFY THE PROB AS IT APPLIES TO EBOUND FLTS ALONG WITH A CHANGE TO FOLLOW IN THE FLT OPS MANUAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.