B777 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 300; Flight Crew Total 20000; Flight Crew Type 13000
Communication Breakdown; Distraction
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Aircraft; Procedure
Queried Edmonton ATC several times about when/how to obtain oceanic clearance. Finally gave us HF frequency. About that time my crew meal came up; I began to eat and the relief pilot called Gander radio; advised we were CPDLC and requested a SELCAL check; but it did not register with me that he did not specifically request an oceanic clearance. Shortly; after crossing the FIR boundary; we received SELCAL and were given an oceanic clearance. Poor HF made the process very difficult but finally heard 'readback correct.'
What followed throughout the remaining time span contained within this report was a virtual constant struggle to obtain and maintain a clearly understandable HF communication with Iceland. Static; in/out fad; and weak signals were dominant. With the Oceanic Clearance; and multiple HF SELCALS from Iceland; numerous attempts on primary; secondary; and other frequencies printed on the Navigation charts were attempted. The secondary frequency of 11279 was totally unusable; and 8879; 8891; 4675; 5649; and 5616 were also utilized to no avail. After much difficulty an Oceanic Clearance was received and read back on HF 8864.During this HF fiasco; both CPDLC and ADS either dropped offline or were intermittent. At no point in this process was a route flown other than what the clearance that was understood by this crew.
Flight deck confusion and intermittent communications with ATC resulted in a B777 entering oceanic airspace without a clearance.