Narrative:

Prior to takeoff we were advised were cleared to maintain 4000' and expect to climb to 17000'. We were cleared for takeoff from runway 1L at dulles. After takeoff dulles tower told us to contact dulles departure control. I changed the #1 VHF to 125.05, called and did not get an answer. I rechanneled the radio and called dulles departure, reporting we were climbing to 4000'. Dulles departure acknowledged. We leveled at 4000'. Then dulles departure called and cleared us to 17000'. We acknowledged and climbed to 17000'. There was a lot of traffic on the frequency. Our initial clearance was to maintain runway heading radar vectors to paleo, V44 panze. I called dulles departure and reported our altitude at 17000'. It took several tries to get a response (the frequency was very busy also). A controller answered us but did not identify his facility and instructed us to return to our previous frequency. Puzzled, I rechanneled the #1 VHF to 125.05, called dulles departure and reported we were on runway heading at 17000'. The controller said he had not previously been in contact with us, gave us a new clearance and wanted to know who we had been communicating with. (In other words, 'where you guys been?'.) I briefly explained and said I was as puzzled as he was. We continued the flight to jfk west/O further incident. After landing I called the dulles area manager on the phone and discussed the problem. The next day, 5/wed/89, in the same aircraft near vhp at 31000', ZID gave us a frequency change to the next sector. After selecting the new frequency we could hear an ATIS broadcast on the #1 VHF. Center did not respond when we called. We returned to the previous frequency and verified the newly assigned frequency. Reselection of the assigned frequency worked. We discovered that a slight pressure on the frequency change knobs would bring in the ATIS broadcast or cut out our reception (rechanneling the transceiver). We wrote up the #1 control head. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter at this time cannot recall with absolute certainty that departure control as initially contact on 125.05 said, 'dulles departure.' they were in the process of leveling off at 4000' as they 'received' a clearance to 17000'. Pilot cannot recall receiving a verification of their readback of clearance received and did not report out of 4000' to clearing agency. (Review of radar readout shows a constant climb through 4000'.) flight must have climbed to 17000' for about 3-4 mins on the assigned runway heading. Frequency was very busy and pilot had that gut feeling that a turn to first fix was long overdue. States that frequency congestion was a factor in obtaining turn by the time the frequency problem was resolved they were too far north to do anything but get a new assigned heading and route to destination. Reporter has received a letter from the FAA and has been asked to respond.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ON DEP FROM IAD HAS APPARENT INTERMITTENT TRANSCEIVER PROBLEM AND BASED ON APPARENT CONTACT WITH DEP CLIMBS FROM 4000' TO 17000'. WRONG OR UNKNOWN AGENCY HAD BEEN SELECTED.

Narrative: PRIOR TO TKOF WE WERE ADVISED WERE CLRED TO MAINTAIN 4000' AND EXPECT TO CLB TO 17000'. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF FROM RWY 1L AT DULLES. AFTER TKOF DULLES TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DULLES DEP CTL. I CHANGED THE #1 VHF TO 125.05, CALLED AND DID NOT GET AN ANSWER. I RECHANNELED THE RADIO AND CALLED DULLES DEP, RPTING WE WERE CLBING TO 4000'. DULLES DEP ACKNOWLEDGED. WE LEVELED AT 4000'. THEN DULLES DEP CALLED AND CLRED US TO 17000'. WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND CLBED TO 17000'. THERE WAS A LOT OF TFC ON THE FREQ. OUR INITIAL CLRNC WAS TO MAINTAIN RWY HDG RADAR VECTORS TO PALEO, V44 PANZE. I CALLED DULLES DEP AND RPTED OUR ALT AT 17000'. IT TOOK SEVERAL TRIES TO GET A RESPONSE (THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY ALSO). A CTLR ANSWERED US BUT DID NOT IDENT HIS FAC AND INSTRUCTED US TO RETURN TO OUR PREVIOUS FREQ. PUZZLED, I RECHANNELED THE #1 VHF TO 125.05, CALLED DULLES DEP AND RPTED WE WERE ON RWY HDG AT 17000'. THE CTLR SAID HE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN IN CONTACT WITH US, GAVE US A NEW CLRNC AND WANTED TO KNOW WHO WE HAD BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH. (IN OTHER WORDS, 'WHERE YOU GUYS BEEN?'.) I BRIEFLY EXPLAINED AND SAID I WAS AS PUZZLED AS HE WAS. WE CONTINUED THE FLT TO JFK W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE DULLES AREA MGR ON THE PHONE AND DISCUSSED THE PROB. THE NEXT DAY, 5/WED/89, IN THE SAME ACFT NEAR VHP AT 31000', ZID GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO THE NEXT SECTOR. AFTER SELECTING THE NEW FREQ WE COULD HEAR AN ATIS BROADCAST ON THE #1 VHF. CENTER DID NOT RESPOND WHEN WE CALLED. WE RETURNED TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ AND VERIFIED THE NEWLY ASSIGNED FREQ. RESELECTION OF THE ASSIGNED FREQ WORKED. WE DISCOVERED THAT A SLIGHT PRESSURE ON THE FREQ CHANGE KNOBS WOULD BRING IN THE ATIS BROADCAST OR CUT OUT OUR RECEPTION (RECHANNELING THE TRANSCEIVER). WE WROTE UP THE #1 CONTROL HEAD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR AT THIS TIME CANNOT RECALL WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY THAT DEP CTL AS INITIALLY CONTACT ON 125.05 SAID, 'DULLES DEP.' THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF LEVELING OFF AT 4000' AS THEY 'RECEIVED' A CLRNC TO 17000'. PLT CANNOT RECALL RECEIVING A VERIFICATION OF THEIR READBACK OF CLRNC RECEIVED AND DID NOT RPT OUT OF 4000' TO CLRING AGENCY. (REVIEW OF RADAR READOUT SHOWS A CONSTANT CLB THROUGH 4000'.) FLT MUST HAVE CLBED TO 17000' FOR ABOUT 3-4 MINS ON THE ASSIGNED RWY HDG. FREQ WAS VERY BUSY AND PLT HAD THAT GUT FEELING THAT A TURN TO FIRST FIX WAS LONG OVERDUE. STATES THAT FREQ CONGESTION WAS A FACTOR IN OBTAINING TURN BY THE TIME THE FREQ PROB WAS RESOLVED THEY WERE TOO FAR N TO DO ANYTHING BUT GET A NEW ASSIGNED HDG AND ROUTE TO DEST. RPTR HAS RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE FAA AND HAS BEEN ASKED TO RESPOND.

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.