A B747-400 FLYING A PACIFIC RTE IN ZOA AIRSPACE BEGINS A CLB TO A HIGHER ALT WITHOUT CLRNC TO CLB. FLC (FO) HAS SOME CONFUSION OVER FANS AND DATA LINK (ACARS).

Narrative

I WAS THE PF (FO) ON A TRANSPACIFIC FLT FROM LAX TO OSAKA; JAPAN. WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH ZOA WITH ACARS DATA LINK VIA SATELLITE. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL310. WE REQUESTED A BLOCK ALT OF FL310-FL350. ZOA RESPONDED 'UNABLE DUE TO SAME DIRECTION TFC; BUT YOUR REQUEST REMAINS ON FILE.' APPROX 21 MINS LATER; ZOA SENDS US THE FOLLOWING: 'ATC CLRNC OAK 7; ATC ADVISES FLT XXX; FL350 (THREE-FIVE-ZERO) IS AVAILABLE; ADVISE IF REQUESTING FL350 (THREE-FIVE-ZERO).' SINCE THE CAPT WAS IN THE BATHROOM; I WAITED TILL HE GOT BACK BEFORE I RESPONDED TO ZOA. I TOLD THE CAPT THAT WE WERE BEING OFFERED FL350. I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE WANTED ME TO ACCEPT THEIR OFFER. HE SAID YES. I DID SO. HE DID NOT LOOK AT THE HARD COPY OF THE CLRNC BEFORE HAVING ME CLB THE ACFT. THE CLRNC WAS ACCEPTED BY US AT XX34; VIA DATA LINK. WE BEGAN A SLOW CLB (200 FPM) TO FL350. THE CAPT ASKED ME IF THEY WANT A RPT WHEN LEVEL. THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED THERE WAS A PROB. WE WERE AT FL330 AT XX14 WHEN WE REREAD THE CLRNC AND STARTED BACK DOWN TO FL310. WE WERE LEVEL AT FL310 AT XX45 AT POS N3759.0 W13942.4. WE ASKED ZOA IF WE WERE CLRED TO FL350 VIA DATA LINK. HE SELCALED US ON HIGH FREQ. HE ASKED US WHAT OUR ALT WAS. I TOLD HIM LEVEL AT FL310. HE OFFERED US FL350 IN A SUBSEQUENT ACARS CLRNC. WE CLBED TO FL350 WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: WE WERE EXPECTING A CLB CLRNC. THE CAPT DID NOT READ THE CLRNC UNTIL I FOUND THE PROB. THE ACARS DATA LINK PROCS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM FANS! ATC USED STRANGE PHRASEOLOGY! THAT IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! BOTH PLTS AND CTLRS NEED TO HAVE A REF FOR STANDARD CONTRACTIONS AND ABBREVIATIONS RELATED TO CLRNCS! MY PERSONAL FAILURE HERE WAS BEING COMPLACENT AND ANTICIPATING THE CLB CLRNC. LASTLY; I AM VERY UPSET OVER THE TRAPS SET BY USING DATA LINK AND FANS! WE NEED TO SOLVE THESE PROBS! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR AIRED HIS BIGGEST COMPLAINT ABOUT FANS AND DATA LINK (ACARS); WHICH IS THE PROCS ARE DIFFERENT; WHICH CAUSED HIM NOT TO BE CERTAIN WHAT THE MESSAGE FROM ZOA MEANT. HE WAITED FOR THE CAPT TO RETURN TO THE FLT DECK TO VERIFY WITH HIM THAT IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO CLB. HE TOLD THE CAPT THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD A CLB CLRNC. THE CAPT WHO WAS MENTALLY PREPARED TO CLB; TOLD THE RPTR TO BEGIN AN IMMEDIATE CLB. WHEN THE CAPT WAS BACK IN HIS SEAT; STRAPPED IN; HE TOOK TIME TO READ THE CLRNC. HE KNEW IMMEDIATELY THAT THE WRITTEN MESSAGE WAS NOT A CLRNC; BUT INSTEAD; WAS AN INQUIRY ASKING IF THE FLC WOULD LIKE A HIGHER ALT. RPTR WOULD LIKE STANDARDIZED PROCS FOR FANS AND DATA LINK (ACARS) TO PREVENT ANY CONFUSION OVER CLRNCS RECEIVED BY DATA LINK (ACARS). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 413152: FO ADVISED ME AS FOLLOWS: 'WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED FL350 BUT I HAVE NOT ACCEPTED IT; I WAS WAITING FOR YOU.' I THEN INSTRUCTED HIM TO ACCEPT FL350. CLB WAS STARTED WHILE I WAS STILL OUT OF MY SEAT. WHEN I SAT DOWN I ASKED IF THEY (ZOA) WANTED A RPT LEVEL. THE FO THEN LOOKED AT THE PRINTED CLRNC AND SAID; 'I DON'T THINK THIS IS A CLRNC.' HE IMMEDIATELY HANDED IT TO ME AND A QUICK REVIEW INDICATED IT WAS NOT A CLRNC. IT STATED FL350 IS AVAILABLE; ADVISE IF REQUIRING FL350. FO STATED AFTER EVENT THE ACARS SCREEN CONFUSED HIM BECAUSE OF THE ACCEPT/REJECT OPTIONS UNDER MESSAGE. HE THOUGHT HE HAD ACCEPTED FL350 BY SELECTING ACCEPT. WE WERE AT FL328 WHEN REALIZING ERROR AND IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO FL310. SENT MESSAGE TO ATC (CONFIRM CLRED TO FL350). COMMERCIAL RADIO THEN CALLED ASKING FLT LEVEL. WE RESPONDED FL310 WHICH WAS THEN ACCURATE AND REQUESTED FL350. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR HAD JUST RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK WHEN THE FO TOLD HIM THAT HE THOUGHT THEY HAD JUST RECEIVED CLRNC TO CLB HIGHER. THEY HAD A REQUEST IN TO ZOA FOR A HIGHER CRUISE ALT BECAUSE AN EARLIER REQUEST FOR HIGHER HAD BEEN DENIED. WHEN THE FO STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE HAD CLRNC TO CLB; THE CAPT RPTR IMMEDIATELY JUMPED TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CLRNC HAD BEEN RECEIVED. AFTER THE RPTR MADE IT TO HIS SEAT; STRAPPED IN; GOT CAUGHT UP WITH THE FLT PROGRESS; HE REVIEWED THE WRITTEN; PRINTED MESSAGE. HE KNEW IMMEDIATELY IT WAS AN INQUIRY ABOUT HIGHER ALT REQUEST AND NOT A PROPER CLRNC. THEY HAD CLBED 2000 FT FROM THEIR LAST CLRED ALT. CAPT MADE A QUICK REVERSAL FROM CLB TO DSCNT. EXCURSION FROM ALT LASTED FOR ABOUT 10 MINS. CAPT LIKES FANS AND THIS FORM OF DATA LINK (FANS) BUT; HE KNOWS THE PROCS ARE DIFFERENT AND INEXPERIENCED FLCS ARE FREQUENTLY CONFUSED OVER THE DIFFERENCES. IN THIS CASE; HE STATED THAT IF HE HAD SEEN THE PRINTED FORM OF THE MESSAGE; HE NEVER WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED IT A CLB CLRNC.