Temporary lost communication results in a heading and track deviation on final approach.

Attributes
ACN	146273
Time
Date	199005
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival other enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	146273
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 16720 flight time type : 3062
ASRS Report	146241
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : returned to intended course or assigned course flight crew : exited adverse environment
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Deviation Pilot Deviation other
Situations
ATC Facility	procedure or policy : unspecified

Narrative:

I, the first officer for xyz airlines, was flying the at the time and the captain was talking to regional approach. Our flight number was XYZ123. We were being vectored by approach for a visibility to runway 17L at dfw. The controller gave us a heading of 240 degree and told to descend to 3000' which we complied with. He next told us to slow to 190 KTS and asked if we had a company medium large transport in sight which was also landing on runway 17L. The captain said no. In the moments following the controller got busy vectoring other aircraft and left us on a 240 degree heading and 3000'. We could see the airport at this time but before the captain could get a word in to the controller we had passed through the centerline of runway 17L and were rapidly approaching the final approach course for runway 18L and right. The captain finally got a word into the controller that we had the other medium large transport in sight and could follow it to runway 17L. He then cleared us to follow it to runway 17L. I had to make a very sharp turn back to the southeast to follow it. Upon landing the radar supervisor wanted to talk to us and the captain called him on the phone. The supervisor claims the controller had tried to get in touch with us but couldn't. I know that is false because I was listening to the same controller talk to other aircraft and I did not hear him call our flight. The controller just got so busy that he left us on a 240 degree heading which resulted in us getting close to the runway 18L and right final approach course. Supplemental information from acn 146241. I called the number in the presence of the senior management F/east, I do not recall the man of who we spoke to at the radar room. We were told that ATC tried to call us, and finally reached us on the previous frequency, and that this problem is common only to the newer aircraft, such as the medium large transport or the twin engine widebody transport. Since we were never given a frequency change, I do not believe that this was the problem with this flight. I do believe that the controller became busy or preoccupied, and forgot about us out there.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY LOST COM RESULTS IN A HEADING AND TRACK DEVIATION ON FINAL APCH.

Narrative: I, THE F/O FOR XYZ AIRLINES, WAS FLYING THE AT THE TIME AND THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO REGIONAL APCH. OUR FLT NUMBER WAS XYZ123. WE WERE BEING VECTORED BY APCH FOR A VIS TO RWY 17L AT DFW. THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 240 DEG AND TOLD TO DSND TO 3000' WHICH WE COMPLIED WITH. HE NEXT TOLD US TO SLOW TO 190 KTS AND ASKED IF WE HAD A COMPANY MLG IN SIGHT WHICH WAS ALSO LNDG ON RWY 17L. THE CAPT SAID NO. IN THE MOMENTS FOLLOWING THE CTLR GOT BUSY VECTORING OTHER ACFT AND LEFT US ON A 240 DEG HDG AND 3000'. WE COULD SEE THE ARPT AT THIS TIME BUT BEFORE THE CAPT COULD GET A WORD IN TO THE CTLR WE HAD PASSED THROUGH THE CTRLINE OF RWY 17L AND WERE RAPIDLY APCHING THE FINAL APCH COURSE FOR RWY 18L AND R. THE CAPT FINALLY GOT A WORD INTO THE CTLR THAT WE HAD THE OTHER MLG IN SIGHT AND COULD FOLLOW IT TO RWY 17L. HE THEN CLRED US TO FOLLOW IT TO RWY 17L. I HAD TO MAKE A VERY SHARP TURN BACK TO THE SE TO FOLLOW IT. UPON LNDG THE RADAR SUPVR WANTED TO TALK TO US AND THE CAPT CALLED HIM ON THE PHONE. THE SUPVR CLAIMS THE CTLR HAD TRIED TO GET IN TOUCH WITH US BUT COULDN'T. I KNOW THAT IS FALSE BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING TO THE SAME CTLR TALK TO OTHER ACFT AND I DID NOT HEAR HIM CALL OUR FLT. THE CTLR JUST GOT SO BUSY THAT HE LEFT US ON A 240 DEG HDG WHICH RESULTED IN US GETTING CLOSE TO THE RWY 18L AND R FINAL APCH COURSE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 146241. I CALLED THE NUMBER IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SENIOR MGMNT F/E, I DO NOT RECALL THE MAN OF WHO WE SPOKE TO AT THE RADAR ROOM. WE WERE TOLD THAT ATC TRIED TO CALL US, AND FINALLY REACHED US ON THE PREVIOUS FREQ, AND THAT THIS PROB IS COMMON ONLY TO THE NEWER ACFT, SUCH AS THE MLG OR THE TWIN ENG WDB. SINCE WE WERE NEVER GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THIS WAS THE PROB WITH THIS FLT. I DO BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR BECAME BUSY OR PREOCCUPIED, AND FORGOT ABOUT US OUT THERE.

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.