Originally Posted by
SEGATAKI
First of all the chances of you not being able to contact dispatch on a re-release are slim and none. Especially with the availability of SATNAV, HF phone patch, ACARS or ARINC via the bat phone or simply relaying through ATC.
This EXACT scenario happened to me about 2 years ago at UPS. Filed ANC-TPE in a 767 with an airport in southern Japan as the "released" point. Also, just for fun, had a check airman onboard giving us a line check.
When we entered Japanese airspace, about 2 hours prior to the re-dispatch point, I attempted to get the re-release via acars with no luck. (later found out that acars for ALL of Japan was down for about a 5 hour period.)
IRO attempted repeatedly to get a HF phone patch with multiple vendors, no luck. Japanese ATC stated they had no vhf phone patch capability. ATC "attempting" to contact UPS to pass a message, etc... All with no luck. Of course no Satcomm on the 767.
Bottom line, I hit the re-dispatch point with no re-release. Elected to hold on the airway at that fix and continue to try to contact company for about 15 more minutes, still no joy. Got clearance to proceed to "released" airport and about ten minutes toward that airport finally ATC relayed a message from the company with the redispatch authorization. Fortunately for the company I had the fuel and was able to get recleared to TPE.
The check airman onboard never said a thing about the situation, but later one of the domicile (ONT) FQS's tried telling me that it would have been ok for me to proceed on my own to my filed destination using my emergency authority as captain, as you seem to agree with.
I'm sure it would go over real well with ATC to declare an emergency and then proceed from Japan to Taiwan. I'm not putting my ticket on the line as you would with the "just move the boxes" mentality, but go ahead and knock yourself out.
The company is very lucky that we had the available gas not to have put the airplane down in Japan, at a field with no vendors, where we would have timed out. I also learned never to accept a release airport again that was selected ONLY because of the fuel savings, with no common sense applied as to available support. (KIX would have been only about 15 minutes further than the release airport).
I'd do the same next time. YMMV, but I'd like to watch your rug-dance with the FAA if you ever press on without a re-release.