ACR CREW FLIES OCEANIC FLT WITHOUT REQUIRED 2 HF RADIOS.

Narrative

DURING REVIEW OF THE FLT PAPERWORK FOR A ROUTINE (BUT 4 HRS BEHIND SCHEDULED DEP) OCEANIC FLT; THE FE CHKED ON OUTSTANDING MEL'S. ONE OF THE ITEMS WAS A '#2 ADF INOP' ACCORDING TO FE. UPON ARR AT ACFT; I NOTICED 'INOP' STICKER AFFIXED TO #2 ADF ON PEDESTAL. BECAUSE THIS WAS AN OCEANIC CLRNC AND THE FO WAS LOADING WAYPOINTS INTO THE INS'S; HE NOTICED THAT OUR ROUTING WAS DIFFERENT AND CALLED IT TO MY ATTN. I INITIATED A CALL TO DISPATCH ON VHF AND ASKED ABOUT THIS AND ALSO THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PLAN RTE BECAUSE IT WAS NOT OVER OUR NORMAL ROUTING. WHILE THESE AND OTHER DISTRS WERE TAKING PLACE; THE FO MENTIONED THAT HE HAD 'MADE A MISTAKE AND OUR #2 HF WAS THE RADIO NOT WORKING.' I FAILED TO MENTALLY NOTE THIS PROPERLY AND THE FE DID NOT EMPHASIZE THIS ITEM. NEITHER OF US CONSULTED WITH THE DDPG [DISPATCH] TO CHK LEGALITY. THE RTE WAS FLOWN AS FILED (OCEANIC) AND WE ARRIVED IN XYZ WITHOUT INCIDENT. ON THE RETURN FLT PLAN; THE FIRST THING I NOTICED WAS A COMMENT ON THE DISPATCH RELEASE STATING OUR RTE WAS FILED TO COMPLY WITH 1 HF INOP ROUTING OVER FULL VHF COVERAGE; ETC. IT WAS AT THIS POINT I REALIZED WE HAD ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED OVER AN OCEANIC RTE OF FLT WITH ONLY 1 OPERABLE HF RADIO. THERE ARE SEVERAL LESSONS TO BE LEARNED AND PROBS THAT OCCURRED. 1) DISPATCH RELEASE SAID NOTHING ABOUT SPECIAL ROUTING ON THE FIRST LEG AND FILED US IN NORMAL OCEANIC AIRSPACE (MEL WAS ON RELEASE). 2) CAPT FAILED TO 'REGISTER' MENTALLY THE IMPORTANCE OF A HF BEING INOP. PREDISPOSED TO THINKING IT WAS AN SDF PROB. 3) 'INOP STICKER' WAS NOT (IT HAD SLIPPED) ON PROPER PIECE OF EQUIP. 4) FE FAILED TO 'EMPHASIZE' INOP RADIO AND DID NOT CHK MEL/DDPG. 5) COCKPIT DISTRS AND OTHER CONCERNS ABOUT ROUTING OVERSHADOWED THE UNDERLYING REAL PROB -- AN ILLEGAL DISPATCH WHICH WAS ACCEPTED BY THE CREW.