An small transport was heading towards a higher mia and could not be climbed due to radio problems.

Attributes
ACN	119483
Time
Date	198908
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bml
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6100 msl bound upper : 6100
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zbw
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller military : 3 controller non radar : 3 controller radar : 2
ASRS Report	119483
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

On aug/sat/89, sector 52 (combined sector) experienced a loss of all frequencys associated with the btv site. Additional sites were activated to no avail. Both sites were of no help. The frequencys were intermittent and extremely weak. Switching to other transmitter/receivers, still the problem existed. Switching to the buec backup radio found that they also did not work. Shortly after the initial frequency failure, small transport X was handed off to the sector. Noticing his altitude was going to be below our sectors mia along his future route of flight, a call was made to the aircraft. With the sector's primary frequency out of service, secondary sites too weak, and the backup system failure, the aircraft never received the transmission. The aircraft continued on course via a direct route from south of aug to mpv at 6100'. The mia the aircraft transitioned is 8300'. The aircraft never received a climb clearance. The aircraft, once realizing there was a problem, switched back to the previous frequency, but was 'out of range' of that frequency. ZBW is notorious for frequency failure, and weak and intermittent transmitters. The transmitters throughout the center have been 'upgraded' ?? And reduced to 10 watts of power. Since this so-called upgrade, frequency problems have been on the rise. The backup frequencys, when operating properly, seldom 'cover' an entire area of the sector they are providing communication capabilities for. This has become a chronic problem throughout the center, and needs to be rectified.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMT WAS HEADING TOWARDS A HIGHER MIA AND COULD NOT BE CLIMBED DUE TO RADIO PROBLEMS.

Narrative: ON AUG/SAT/89, SECTOR 52 (COMBINED SECTOR) EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ALL FREQS ASSOCIATED WITH THE BTV SITE. ADDITIONAL SITES WERE ACTIVATED TO NO AVAIL. BOTH SITES WERE OF NO HELP. THE FREQS WERE INTERMITTENT AND EXTREMELY WEAK. SWITCHING TO OTHER XMITTER/RECEIVERS, STILL THE PROBLEM EXISTED. SWITCHING TO THE BUEC BACKUP RADIO FOUND THAT THEY ALSO DID NOT WORK. SHORTLY AFTER THE INITIAL FREQ FAILURE, SMT X WAS HANDED OFF TO THE SECTOR. NOTICING HIS ALT WAS GOING TO BE BELOW OUR SECTORS MIA ALONG HIS FUTURE ROUTE OF FLT, A CALL WAS MADE TO THE ACFT. WITH THE SECTOR'S PRIMARY FREQ OUT OF SERVICE, SECONDARY SITES TOO WEAK, AND THE BACKUP SYSTEM FAILURE, THE ACFT NEVER RECEIVED THE XMISSION. THE ACFT CONTINUED ON COURSE VIA A DIRECT ROUTE FROM S OF AUG TO MPV AT 6100'. THE MIA THE ACFT TRANSITIONED IS 8300'. THE ACFT NEVER RECEIVED A CLIMB CLRNC. THE ACFT, ONCE REALIZING THERE WAS A PROBLEM, SWITCHED BACK TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ, BUT WAS 'OUT OF RANGE' OF THAT FREQ. ZBW IS NOTORIOUS FOR FREQ FAILURE, AND WEAK AND INTERMITTENT XMITTERS. THE XMITTERS THROUGHOUT THE CENTER HAVE BEEN 'UPGRADED' ?? AND REDUCED TO 10 WATTS OF POWER. SINCE THIS SO-CALLED UPGRADE, FREQ PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN ON THE RISE. THE BACKUP FREQS, WHEN OPERATING PROPERLY, SELDOM 'COVER' AN ENTIRE AREA OF THE SECTOR THEY ARE PROVIDING COM CAPABILITIES FOR. THIS HAS BECOME A CHRONIC PROBLEM THROUGHOUT THE CENTER, AND NEEDS TO BE RECTIFIED.

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.