Narrative:

After passing the jamestown VOR on cleveland center 134.12 (VHF #1), we intercepted and flew the rka 2 arrival to bdl (bradley). Between rockdale and bradley, we realized center had not given us a descent and it was time to commence descent. We were unable to make contact on center frequency and concluded that we had not been handed off to boston center. We immediately established contact with boston center, 135.55 and began a smooth, steeper than normal turn and descent toward our destination at center's request and completed an uneventful ILS and landing to bradley. The FAA shift supervisor bradley approach, informed us that he contacted operations and asked them to contact commercial radio. He said 'they informed me they could not contact us until :10 out of bradley' and appeared to be ignorant or unaware of any 'SELCAL' procedures. The operations personnel on duty was a 7 yr veteran. The shift supervisor on duty at airline operations at bradley told us that they were well aware of established procedures within the network. The supervisor controller said there were 'absolutely' no traffic conflicts as they immediately declared us 'NORDO' and gave us all the necessary flight precautions required. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter did not think that the time frame that occurred was too long to be without radio communication with the center. Stated that nothing unusual was going on in aircraft cockpit. Further stated that the TRACON supervisor thought that the company employee he had talked to did not know anything about operations and therefore he did not pursue the issue any further.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT DECLARED AS NORDO TRAFFIC AND RADAR FOLLOWED UNTIL FLT CREW FINALLY CALLED CONTROLLING CENTER.

Narrative: AFTER PASSING THE JAMESTOWN VOR ON CLEVELAND CENTER 134.12 (VHF #1), WE INTERCEPTED AND FLEW THE RKA 2 ARR TO BDL (BRADLEY). BETWEEN ROCKDALE AND BRADLEY, WE REALIZED CENTER HAD NOT GIVEN US A DSCNT AND IT WAS TIME TO COMMENCE DSCNT. WE WERE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT ON CENTER FREQ AND CONCLUDED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN HANDED OFF TO BOSTON CENTER. WE IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH BOSTON CENTER, 135.55 AND BEGAN A SMOOTH, STEEPER THAN NORMAL TURN AND DSCNT TOWARD OUR DEST AT CENTER'S REQUEST AND COMPLETED AN UNEVENTFUL ILS AND LNDG TO BRADLEY. THE FAA SHIFT SUPVR BRADLEY APCH, INFORMED US THAT HE CONTACTED OPERATIONS AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT COMMERCIAL RADIO. HE SAID 'THEY INFORMED ME THEY COULD NOT CONTACT US UNTIL :10 OUT OF BRADLEY' AND APPEARED TO BE IGNORANT OR UNAWARE OF ANY 'SELCAL' PROCS. THE OPS PERSONNEL ON DUTY WAS A 7 YR VETERAN. THE SHIFT SUPVR ON DUTY AT AIRLINE OPS AT BRADLEY TOLD US THAT THEY WERE WELL AWARE OF ESTABLISHED PROCS WITHIN THE NETWORK. THE SUPVR CTLR SAID THERE WERE 'ABSOLUTELY' NO TFC CONFLICTS AS THEY IMMEDIATELY DECLARED US 'NORDO' AND GAVE US ALL THE NECESSARY FLT PRECAUTIONS REQUIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER DID NOT THINK THAT THE TIME FRAME THAT OCCURRED WAS TOO LONG TO BE WITHOUT RADIO COM WITH THE CENTER. STATED THAT NOTHING UNUSUAL WAS GOING ON IN ACFT COCKPIT. FURTHER STATED THAT THE TRACON SUPVR THOUGHT THAT THE COMPANY EMPLOYEE HE HAD TALKED TO DID NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT OPERATIONS AND THEREFORE HE DID NOT PURSUE THE ISSUE ANY FURTHER.

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.