B747-400 CAPTAIN REPORTS NUMEROUS COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS ON POLAR ROUTES OVER CANADA AND RUSSIA.
Synopsis
B747-400 CAPTAIN REPORTS NUMEROUS COMMUNICATIONS PROBLEMS ON POLAR ROUTES OVER CANADA AND RUSSIA.
Narrative
UNABLE SFO HF LDOC ON POLAR RTE AND IN RUSSIA. UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH FLT MANUAL REQUIREMENT TO CALL SFO LDOC EACH 90 MINS. CALLED SFO ON SATCOM TO ENSURE WHAT HF FREQS TO USE. NONE WORK OVER POLE AND THIS FAR INLAND IN RUSSIA. COLLINS TELLS ME THAT THEIR HF IS NOT DESIGNED TO WORK UNDER SUCH TERRAIN CONDITIONS. LONG-TERM PROB AND NOW WE HAVE AN FAA INSPECTOR GIVING A LINE CHK INSISTING ON THE CREW FULFILLING THIS. FLT MANUAL REQUIREMENT THAT ON MANY RUSSIAN RTES DEFIES THE SCIENCE OF HF RADIO CAPABILITY. UNABLE HF GANDER; ALERT AND SFO LDOC AT OMEKA INTXN; N78W141. SATCOM ZAN TO FILE PIREP OF LOST COM AND RELAY POS RPT TO GANDER. FILE MRM FOR DEFECTIVE HD EQUIP. NOTIFY DISPATCH. SATCOM INOP VOICE AND DATA N75W113. NO ACARS OR ADS EDMONTON. FILE MRM FOR DEFECTIVE SATCOM AS THIS LOCATION IS NOT IN PUBLISHED SATCOM AIRSPACE SHADOW WHERE SATCOM IS UNUSABLE. NOTIFY DISPATCH WHEN ABLE. HF INOP N76W116 UNTIL N77W124. UNABLE GANDER; ALERT; SFO LDOC. FILED MRM. CONTINUING LONG-TERM PROB OF NORDO IN POLAR OPS. COULD SOMEONE PLEASE TRY TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION SO THAT THE CREW CAN COMPLY WITH THE LAW AND REMAIN IN COM AT ALL TIMES. IT SEEMS THE FAA IS OUT CHASING PLT LICENSES ON LINE CHKS REGARDING REMAINING IN COM CONTACT. CAN THE FLT OPS ADMINISTRATION PLEASE HELP US OBTAIN BETTER COM CAPABILITY? THANK YOU.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.