Narrative:

In 12/88 I was the first officer on flight from lga to stl. Shortly after passing ind VOR I had to leave my station for a physiological visit to the lav. This was a good time to go, before we were changed over to ZKC and began our descent into stl. I returned to my station within a few mins and again assumed my duties, expectantly waiting to be changed over to ZKC. After some time had passed I heard another flight accept a clearance from ZID, but I hadn't heard ZID's transmission. I tried contacting the center on 2 frequencys, but got no response. We knew that we were now in ZKC's area, and I was able to raise a ZKC controller on a frequency remembered by the captain. This controller gave us the correct frequency and that controller gave us a right 360 degree descending turn to get us to the arrival fix for stl at the appropriate altitude, as we were fairly close in by this time. We were VMC during this entire episode, and none of the 4 operating crew members saw any conflicting traffic, and we were very vigilant being aware we were not in the normal parameters for our descent. None of the crew heard any frequency change for us from ZID to ZKC, or another sector of ZID. I do not know why, or even when, we lost communications with ZID. We had an extra crew member, a F/east instrument monitoring the operation, and the crew was performing in a highly professional manner. Our radios operated normally as far as we could tell and we did not have a stuck microphone button. This type of lost communications is very common. I have heard at least one on practically every flight. It is very insidious, especially in cruise, and is only recognized by a relay through another aircraft, a call from commercial radio, or a sudden realization as in my case, usually out of radio range by then. Getting back on the right frequency through commercial radio or a FSS, or guessing which of 16-24 frequencys listed on our aeronautical charts is too time consuming. Center frequencys should be on our charts like they are in europe so crews can pick a frequency near their position to re-establish communications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST COM WITH ARTCC NEAR THE HANDOFF POINT.

Narrative: IN 12/88 I WAS THE F/O ON FLT FROM LGA TO STL. SHORTLY AFTER PASSING IND VOR I HAD TO LEAVE MY STATION FOR A PHYSIOLOGICAL VISIT TO THE LAV. THIS WAS A GOOD TIME TO GO, BEFORE WE WERE CHANGED OVER TO ZKC AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT INTO STL. I RETURNED TO MY STATION WITHIN A FEW MINS AND AGAIN ASSUMED MY DUTIES, EXPECTANTLY WAITING TO BE CHANGED OVER TO ZKC. AFTER SOME TIME HAD PASSED I HEARD ANOTHER FLT ACCEPT A CLRNC FROM ZID, BUT I HADN'T HEARD ZID'S XMISSION. I TRIED CONTACTING THE CENTER ON 2 FREQS, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. WE KNEW THAT WE WERE NOW IN ZKC'S AREA, AND I WAS ABLE TO RAISE A ZKC CTLR ON A FREQ REMEMBERED BY THE CAPT. THIS CTLR GAVE US THE CORRECT FREQ AND THAT CTLR GAVE US A RIGHT 360 DEG DSNDING TURN TO GET US TO THE ARR FIX FOR STL AT THE APPROPRIATE ALT, AS WE WERE FAIRLY CLOSE IN BY THIS TIME. WE WERE VMC DURING THIS ENTIRE EPISODE, AND NONE OF THE 4 OPERATING CREW MEMBERS SAW ANY CONFLICTING TFC, AND WE WERE VERY VIGILANT BEING AWARE WE WERE NOT IN THE NORMAL PARAMETERS FOR OUR DSCNT. NONE OF THE CREW HEARD ANY FREQ CHANGE FOR US FROM ZID TO ZKC, OR ANOTHER SECTOR OF ZID. I DO NOT KNOW WHY, OR EVEN WHEN, WE LOST COMS WITH ZID. WE HAD AN EXTRA CREW MEMBER, A F/E INSTR MONITORING THE OPERATION, AND THE CREW WAS PERFORMING IN A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. OUR RADIOS OPERATED NORMALLY AS FAR AS WE COULD TELL AND WE DID NOT HAVE A STUCK MIC BUTTON. THIS TYPE OF LOST COMS IS VERY COMMON. I HAVE HEARD AT LEAST ONE ON PRACTICALLY EVERY FLT. IT IS VERY INSIDIOUS, ESPECIALLY IN CRUISE, AND IS ONLY RECOGNIZED BY A RELAY THROUGH ANOTHER ACFT, A CALL FROM COMMERCIAL RADIO, OR A SUDDEN REALIZATION AS IN MY CASE, USUALLY OUT OF RADIO RANGE BY THEN. GETTING BACK ON THE RIGHT FREQ THROUGH COMMERCIAL RADIO OR A FSS, OR GUESSING WHICH OF 16-24 FREQS LISTED ON OUR AERONAUTICAL CHARTS IS TOO TIME CONSUMING. CENTER FREQS SHOULD BE ON OUR CHARTS LIKE THEY ARE IN EUROPE SO CREWS CAN PICK A FREQ NEAR THEIR POS TO RE-ESTABLISH COMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.