Narrative:

Descending from 8000 to 4000', following air carrier large transport on downwind for visibility approach to runway 35R dfw approach vector for spacing behind this large transport. I realized that the vector was way too long and I wasn't hearing approach control anymore. Asked the first officer to check with controller about vector with no response from controller. Suddenly controller came back on very irritated at us for not responding to his repeated calls. I told him we hadn't heard his calls (or anyone else's, for that matter). Controller said our vol must have been turned down. I told him that wasn't the case, and I wasn't sure why we had lost communication with him. Controller, still very irritated at us, then handed us over to tower and we landed. No conflict was created due to our lost communication (that I know of), which lasted maybe 25-30 seconds. I had no clue until the first officer told me that while withdrawing his hand from the CAWS button to silence a landing gear advisory aural (we were still 5000' in the air!), he had hit the frequency knob and taken us off frequency. After my remark about the vector and the silence, he discovered what had happened and returned us to the proper frequency. I was unaware of this during my exchange with the approach controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FINGER TROUBLE CAUSES LOST COM FOR ACR LGT BEING VECTORED FOR APCH AT DFW.

Narrative: DSNDING FROM 8000 TO 4000', FOLLOWING ACR LGT ON DOWNWIND FOR VIS APCH TO RWY 35R DFW APCH VECTOR FOR SPACING BEHIND THIS LGT. I REALIZED THAT THE VECTOR WAS WAY TOO LONG AND I WASN'T HEARING APCH CTL ANYMORE. ASKED THE F/O TO CHK WITH CTLR ABOUT VECTOR WITH NO RESPONSE FROM CTLR. SUDDENLY CTLR CAME BACK ON VERY IRRITATED AT US FOR NOT RESPONDING TO HIS REPEATED CALLS. I TOLD HIM WE HADN'T HEARD HIS CALLS (OR ANYONE ELSE'S, FOR THAT MATTER). CTLR SAID OUR VOL MUST HAVE BEEN TURNED DOWN. I TOLD HIM THAT WASN'T THE CASE, AND I WASN'T SURE WHY WE HAD LOST COM WITH HIM. CTLR, STILL VERY IRRITATED AT US, THEN HANDED US OVER TO TWR AND WE LANDED. NO CONFLICT WAS CREATED DUE TO OUR LOST COM (THAT I KNOW OF), WHICH LASTED MAYBE 25-30 SECS. I HAD NO CLUE UNTIL THE F/O TOLD ME THAT WHILE WITHDRAWING HIS HAND FROM THE CAWS BUTTON TO SILENCE A LNDG GEAR ADVISORY AURAL (WE WERE STILL 5000' IN THE AIR!), HE HAD HIT THE FREQ KNOB AND TAKEN US OFF FREQ. AFTER MY REMARK ABOUT THE VECTOR AND THE SILENCE, HE DISCOVERED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND RETURNED US TO THE PROPER FREQ. I WAS UNAWARE OF THIS DURING MY EXCHANGE WITH THE APCH CTLR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.