Narrative:

I was working sector 30 and was advised by the adjacent controller that air carrier X was heading towards my sector and that he was having radio problems and could only transmit and receive on 134.57 (and 121.5). Air carrier X departed ZZZ enroute to ZZZ1. The 134.57 frequency is not a frequency we can transmit or receive on. That meant we could only communicate indirectly with air carrier X; using other aircraft to relay to him on 134.57 or 121.5. Apparently the command center was aware of this problem; and the supervisor was coordinating with adjacent facilities. As we weren't busy at the time we objected in principle to the situation but had no real pressing need to talk to the aircraft as it transited ZMP airspace. However; not being in direct communications with an aircraft for extended periods of time; heading to a busy destination such as ZZZ1; creates an unsafe situation; as well as additional workload for the controllers. The aircraft should have been ordered to divert to another airport to fix the equipment malfunction before being allowed to proceed to a busy east coast airport such as ZZZ1.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZMP Controller voiced concern regarding the decision to permit an air carrier; limited to only one frequency; to transit multiple airspace environments and land at a busy east coast airport.

Narrative: I was working Sector 30 and was advised by the adjacent Controller that Air Carrier X was heading towards my sector and that he was having radio problems and could only transmit and receive on 134.57 (and 121.5). Air Carrier X departed ZZZ enroute to ZZZ1. The 134.57 frequency is not a frequency we can transmit or receive on. That meant we could only communicate indirectly with Air Carrier X; using other aircraft to relay to him on 134.57 or 121.5. Apparently the Command Center was aware of this problem; and the Supervisor was coordinating with adjacent facilities. As we weren't busy at the time we objected in principle to the situation but had no real pressing need to talk to the aircraft as it transited ZMP airspace. However; not being in direct communications with an aircraft for extended periods of time; heading to a busy destination such as ZZZ1; creates an unsafe situation; as well as additional workload for the controllers. The aircraft should have been ordered to divert to another airport to fix the equipment malfunction before being allowed to proceed to a busy east coast airport such as ZZZ1.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 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.