Air carrier widebody transport lost communication in handoff to TRACON.

Attributes
ACN	113859
Time
Date	198906
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mex
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 9000 msl bound upper : 11000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mex
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 15500 flight time type : 275
ASRS Report	113859
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Handed off from mexico center to mex city approach, air carrier heavy and I checked in with approach on handoff and after several minutes notices no communication on frequency. Attempted to contact approach west/O results. Switched to tower who gave previous frequency. Returned to previous assigned by reselecting frequency. Successfully contacted approach control who was very irate at our lost communication situation. He gave us confusing and conflicting instructions, including heading 270 and descent to 9000 while turning us toward 11,900 terrain. Controller seemed very disturbed and continued to raise hell with us as we tried to comply with instructions and avoid being vectored into the ground. Dialect-language differences contributed to confusion generated in recontact and getting back into approach flow.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR WDB LOST COM IN HANDOFF TO TRACON.

Narrative: HANDED OFF FROM MEXICO CENTER TO MEX CITY APCH, ACR HEAVY AND I CHECKED IN WITH APCH ON HANDOFF AND AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES NOTICES NO COM ON FREQ. ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APCH W/O RESULTS. SWITCHED TO TWR WHO GAVE PREVIOUS FREQ. RETURNED TO PREVIOUS ASSIGNED BY RESELECTING FREQ. SUCCESSFULLY CONTACTED APCH CTL WHO WAS VERY IRATE AT OUR LOST COM SITUATION. HE GAVE US CONFUSING AND CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS, INCLUDING HDG 270 AND DSCNT TO 9000 WHILE TURNING US TOWARD 11,900 TERRAIN. CTLR SEEMED VERY DISTURBED AND CONTINUED TO RAISE HELL WITH US AS WE TRIED TO COMPLY WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND AVOID BEING VECTORED INTO THE GND. DIALECT-LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES CONTRIBUTED TO CONFUSION GENERATED IN RECONTACT AND GETTING BACK INTO APCH FLOW.

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.