Narrative:

This problem is ongoing with air carrier's new widebody transport. Our north departure frequency is 120.0. The multi-million dollar aircraft is unable to communicate on 120.0 for some unknown reason. This situation has been promised to be fixed and has not been yet. In my particular situation, air carrier X departed msp bnd for bos via J106, a north departure. I was advised by the tower supervisor that air carrier X was unable to contact me on 120.0 after the aircraft was airborne. I searched for another frequency but none was available on such short notice. I instructed the tower supervisor to put air carrier X on south departure 124.7, my only alternative. So now you have south departure working air carrier X through north departure airspace during a very busy departure rush and a moderate arrival rush. This required me to have to do excessive coordination with the south departure controller. Both of us were very busy and the coordination was extremely burdensome and took me away from my primary duty of separating aircraft. As a result, a successive departure almost ran over air carrier X. At the last moment, I took evasive action with the second departure, narrowly avoiding an operational error. The coordination required was telling south departure about all of my aircraft they had to miss. This situation is totally unacceptable and should be remedied immediately before something more serious occurs. Air carrier X did not advise the tower of the problem until just before he was going to be switched to departure. Also, this problem does not exist in all widebody transport aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CTLR REPORTER CITES PROBLEM COMMUNICATING WITH WDB ACFT AFTER TKOF. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS TYPE ACFT.

Narrative: THIS PROB IS ONGOING WITH ACR'S NEW WDB. OUR N DEP FREQ IS 120.0. THE MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR ACFT IS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE ON 120.0 FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON. THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN PROMISED TO BE FIXED AND HAS NOT BEEN YET. IN MY PARTICULAR SITUATION, ACR X DEPARTED MSP BND FOR BOS VIA J106, A N DEP. I WAS ADVISED BY THE TWR SUPVR THAT ACR X WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ME ON 120.0 AFTER THE ACFT WAS AIRBORNE. I SEARCHED FOR ANOTHER FREQ BUT NONE WAS AVAILABLE ON SUCH SHORT NOTICE. I INSTRUCTED THE TWR SUPVR TO PUT ACR X ON S DEP 124.7, MY ONLY ALTERNATIVE. SO NOW YOU HAVE S DEP WORKING ACR X THROUGH N DEP AIRSPACE DURING A VERY BUSY DEP RUSH AND A MODERATE ARR RUSH. THIS REQUIRED ME TO HAVE TO DO EXCESSIVE COORD WITH THE S DEP CTLR. BOTH OF US WERE VERY BUSY AND THE COORD WAS EXTREMELY BURDENSOME AND TOOK ME AWAY FROM MY PRIMARY DUTY OF SEPARATING ACFT. AS A RESULT, A SUCCESSIVE DEP ALMOST RAN OVER ACR X. AT THE LAST MOMENT, I TOOK EVASIVE ACTION WITH THE SECOND DEP, NARROWLY AVOIDING AN OPERROR. THE COORD REQUIRED WAS TELLING S DEP ABOUT ALL OF MY ACFT THEY HAD TO MISS. THIS SITUATION IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE REMEDIED IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SOMETHING MORE SERIOUS OCCURS. ACR X DID NOT ADVISE THE TWR OF THE PROB UNTIL JUST BEFORE HE WAS GOING TO BE SWITCHED TO DEP. ALSO, THIS PROB DOES NOT EXIST IN ALL WDB ACFT.

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.