Narrative:

I was working the vikky position in the islip sector at the ny TRACON. This position sequences traffic en route to lga, hpn, and dxr airports. I was training a developmental controller. Traffic was busy and its complexity was rather great at the time. Lga sector controllers were not accepting handoffs on vikky traffic, we therefore had to 'spin' 3 aircraft landing hpn, and had to hold one aircraft, air carrier X, on the lga 075 radial. Cga Y was issued a vector away from the bdr VOR at 5000 to achieve spacing behind the 2 other aircraft being spun for handoff to lga sector. Air carrier X was also at 5000 on vectors to stay clear of the spinning hpn traffic. Just as this complex situation developed, some of the aircraft reported that our frequency was 'breaking up', others just asked for 'say again'. The developmental controller's voice raised in an attempt to sound more forceful on the frequency, but that did not help. We had experienced an almost total radio failure on frequency 133.55. I say 'almost' because I took the position from my trnee, virtually yelled into the headset boom to issue immediate turns to both cga Y and air carrier Y, and somebody on the frequency heard what was occurring and tried to relay my instructions to the 2 aircraft involved. When I suspected a radio or jack problem was developing, I quickly switched jacks, tried to use backup transmitter and receiver, then tried a handset, but to no avail. I then attempted contact with cga Y and air carrier X using 121.5. All of this happened within seconds. Cga Y was indicating approximately 230K ground speed. When I first turned cga Y southbound, it was sufficiently clear of air carrier X to allow a turn back to the bdr 289 radial. Cga Y and air carrier X passed within 1 mi of each other at the same altitude. Both aircraft eventually made their assigned turns. I immediately reported this incident to my supervisor who had assisted me at the time of the radio failure. There is absolutely no doubt that radio failure caused this loss of separation. In discussion with XXXX he said that a similar loss of radios on 133.55 had occurred earlier in the week and that at that time he had notified his superiors 133.55 was unreliable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO PROBLEMS PREVENTED THE ISSUANCE OF CTL INSTRUCTIONS TO KEEP FROM LOOSING SEPARATION BETWEEN 2 ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE VIKKY POSITION IN THE ISLIP SECTOR AT THE NY TRACON. THIS POSITION SEQUENCES TFC ENRTE TO LGA, HPN, AND DXR ARPTS. I WAS TRAINING A DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR. TFC WAS BUSY AND ITS COMPLEXITY WAS RATHER GREAT AT THE TIME. LGA SECTOR CTLRS WERE NOT ACCEPTING HANDOFFS ON VIKKY TFC, WE THEREFORE HAD TO 'SPIN' 3 ACFT LNDG HPN, AND HAD TO HOLD ONE ACFT, ACR X, ON THE LGA 075 RADIAL. CGA Y WAS ISSUED A VECTOR AWAY FROM THE BDR VOR AT 5000 TO ACHIEVE SPACING BEHIND THE 2 OTHER ACFT BEING SPUN FOR HANDOFF TO LGA SECTOR. ACR X WAS ALSO AT 5000 ON VECTORS TO STAY CLEAR OF THE SPINNING HPN TFC. JUST AS THIS COMPLEX SITUATION DEVELOPED, SOME OF THE ACFT REPORTED THAT OUR FREQ WAS 'BREAKING UP', OTHERS JUST ASKED FOR 'SAY AGAIN'. THE DEVELOPMENTAL CTLR'S VOICE RAISED IN AN ATTEMPT TO SOUND MORE FORCEFUL ON THE FREQ, BUT THAT DID NOT HELP. WE HAD EXPERIENCED AN ALMOST TOTAL RADIO FAILURE ON FREQ 133.55. I SAY 'ALMOST' BECAUSE I TOOK THE POSITION FROM MY TRNEE, VIRTUALLY YELLED INTO THE HEADSET BOOM TO ISSUE IMMEDIATE TURNS TO BOTH CGA Y AND ACR Y, AND SOMEBODY ON THE FREQ HEARD WHAT WAS OCCURRING AND TRIED TO RELAY MY INSTRUCTIONS TO THE 2 ACFT INVOLVED. WHEN I SUSPECTED A RADIO OR JACK PROBLEM WAS DEVELOPING, I QUICKLY SWITCHED JACKS, TRIED TO USE BACKUP TRANSMITTER AND RECEIVER, THEN TRIED A HANDSET, BUT TO NO AVAIL. I THEN ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH CGA Y AND ACR X USING 121.5. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED WITHIN SECONDS. CGA Y WAS INDICATING APPROX 230K GND SPEED. WHEN I FIRST TURNED CGA Y SBND, IT WAS SUFFICIENTLY CLEAR OF ACR X TO ALLOW A TURN BACK TO THE BDR 289 RADIAL. CGA Y AND ACR X PASSED WITHIN 1 MI OF EACH OTHER AT THE SAME ALT. BOTH ACFT EVENTUALLY MADE THEIR ASSIGNED TURNS. I IMMEDIATELY REPORTED THIS INCIDENT TO MY SUPVR WHO HAD ASSISTED ME AT THE TIME OF THE RADIO FAILURE. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT THAT RADIO FAILURE CAUSED THIS LOSS OF SEPARATION. IN DISCUSSION WITH XXXX HE SAID THAT A SIMILAR LOSS OF RADIOS ON 133.55 HAD OCCURRED EARLIER IN THE WEEK AND THAT AT THAT TIME HE HAD NOTIFIED HIS SUPERIORS 133.55 WAS UNRELIABLE.

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.