ATC lost radios while air carrier widebody transport was on radar vectors for approach.

Attributes
ACN	118344
Time
Date	198905
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90 tracon : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	118344
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Something that has always bothered and troubled me are the vectors you always get over long island. It puts you between the little planes that are also trying to use this space. I would much prefer a holding pattern where one can also better plan alternate fuel and the little planes would know where we are. One other problem or great importance is the possibility of radio failure. On this particular day we were handed to ny by boston vectors approach runway 4R jfk, IFR conditions. We were given a heading change by ny as were about 5 other. Suddenly we noticed the radios had become very quiet. The fear of radio failure was the first thought. By further checking we found it was ny ATC that had the failure. 6 aircraft on vectors at 4000', no communication. At a holding point this would not prove too much of a problem. We switched back to boston and found they still had us on radar. They vectored us until final approach and switched us to tower frequency. My big question is, why all this vectoring? I found out that by vectoring aircraft, it is not an ATC delay but holding is! Is it worth the price of safety to not have an ATC delay?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC LOST RADIOS WHILE ACR WDB WAS ON RADAR VECTORS FOR APCH.

Narrative: SOMETHING THAT HAS ALWAYS BOTHERED AND TROUBLED ME ARE THE VECTORS YOU ALWAYS GET OVER LONG ISLAND. IT PUTS YOU BETWEEN THE LITTLE PLANES THAT ARE ALSO TRYING TO USE THIS SPACE. I WOULD MUCH PREFER A HOLDING PATTERN WHERE ONE CAN ALSO BETTER PLAN ALTERNATE FUEL AND THE LITTLE PLANES WOULD KNOW WHERE WE ARE. ONE OTHER PROBLEM OR GREAT IMPORTANCE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF RADIO FAILURE. ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY WE WERE HANDED TO NY BY BOSTON VECTORS APCH RWY 4R JFK, IFR CONDITIONS. WE WERE GIVEN A HDG CHANGE BY NY AS WERE ABOUT 5 OTHER. SUDDENLY WE NOTICED THE RADIOS HAD BECOME VERY QUIET. THE FEAR OF RADIO FAILURE WAS THE FIRST THOUGHT. BY FURTHER CHECKING WE FOUND IT WAS NY ATC THAT HAD THE FAILURE. 6 ACFT ON VECTORS AT 4000', NO COM. AT A HOLDING POINT THIS WOULD NOT PROVE TOO MUCH OF A PROBLEM. WE SWITCHED BACK TO BOSTON AND FOUND THEY STILL HAD US ON RADAR. THEY VECTORED US UNTIL FINAL APCH AND SWITCHED US TO TWR FREQ. MY BIG QUESTION IS, WHY ALL THIS VECTORING? I FOUND OUT THAT BY VECTORING ACFT, IT IS NOT AN ATC DELAY BUT HOLDING IS! IS IT WORTH THE PRICE OF SAFETY TO NOT HAVE AN ATC DELAY?

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.