<< >> NASA ASRS Report 129550, November 1989

Flight crew of small transport jet on descent into den momentarily lost radio communication with center.

Attributes
ACN	129550
Time
Date	198911
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 3den
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 16000 msl bound upper : 21000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : zdv
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	129550
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We were unable to hear center on 133.52 during an ATC requested expedite descent from FL210 down to 16,000, approaching byson. We knew byson was where we usually received a frequency change, called center, but no reply. Contributing factors: a high rate of descent and high workload for controller on frequency. It was busy. Went through several ATC frequencys until we found one that worked and followed our flight plan/clearance. Also called ATC on ground post-flight to confirm we were trying to communicate. ATC said that sometimes xmissions were lost because of their transmitter site at gunnison and one person working several frequencys on approach. Possible solutions: additional staff and funding for ATC, additional transmission sites and funding for ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF SMT JET ON DESCENT INTO DEN MOMENTARILY LOST RADIO COM WITH CENTER.

Narrative: WE WERE UNABLE TO HEAR CENTER ON 133.52 DURING AN ATC REQUESTED EXPEDITE DSCNT FROM FL210 DOWN TO 16,000, APCHING BYSON. WE KNEW BYSON WAS WHERE WE USUALLY RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE, CALLED CENTER, BUT NO REPLY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT AND HIGH WORKLOAD FOR CTLR ON FREQ. IT WAS BUSY. WENT THROUGH SEVERAL ATC FREQS UNTIL WE FOUND ONE THAT WORKED AND FOLLOWED OUR FLT PLAN/CLRNC. ALSO CALLED ATC ON GND POST-FLT TO CONFIRM WE WERE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE. ATC SAID THAT SOMETIMES XMISSIONS WERE LOST BECAUSE OF THEIR XMITTER SITE AT GUNNISON AND ONE PERSON WORKING SEVERAL FREQS ON APCH. POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS: ADDITIONAL STAFF AND FUNDING FOR ATC, ADDITIONAL XMISSION SITES AND FUNDING FOR ATC.

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.