Narrative:

Airlines flight en route to lax from atl located west of abq. Suspected loss of contact with ZAB because of the crew's inability to raise any contact on the assigned frequency. After repeated calls to ZAB on both VHF communication I and VHF communication ii, additional frequencys were tried. These included 121.5, the company frequency, and most frequencys published on the commercial high altitude chart for ZAB. There was no response on any call. At this point I, as PIC, suspected total radio failure. Having been out of contact with ARTCC for a lengthy period of time, I decided to let them know of our radio problem by means of the transponder. The code 7500 was set in inadvertently when the code 7600 was being tuned in. The crew was not aware of the error until it was brought to our attention moments later. We were able to contact phx approach control shortly thereafter and frequency 128.45 was given to us for ZAB. After contact center asked if we were the aircraft squawking 7500. We immediately went to standby and answered yes, but it was in error and we would like a normal squawk code and this was done; however, ZAB reported the erroneously squawked code to washington.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR MLG SUSPECTS ACFT RADIO MALFUNCTION, THEN USES AERIAL PIRACY CODE INSTEAD OF LOST COM CODE TO ADVISE ATC OF THE PROBLEM.

Narrative: AIRLINES FLT ENRTE TO LAX FROM ATL LOCATED W OF ABQ. SUSPECTED LOSS OF CONTACT WITH ZAB BECAUSE OF THE CREW'S INABILITY TO RAISE ANY CONTACT ON THE ASSIGNED FREQ. AFTER REPEATED CALLS TO ZAB ON BOTH VHF COM I AND VHF COM II, ADDITIONAL FREQS WERE TRIED. THESE INCLUDED 121.5, THE COMPANY FREQ, AND MOST FREQS PUBLISHED ON THE COMMERCIAL HIGH ALT CHART FOR ZAB. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE ON ANY CALL. AT THIS POINT I, AS PIC, SUSPECTED TOTAL RADIO FAILURE. HAVING BEEN OUT OF CONTACT WITH ARTCC FOR A LENGTHY PERIOD OF TIME, I DECIDED TO LET THEM KNOW OF OUR RADIO PROB BY MEANS OF THE XPONDER. THE CODE 7500 WAS SET IN INADVERTENTLY WHEN THE CODE 7600 WAS BEING TUNED IN. THE CREW WAS NOT AWARE OF THE ERROR UNTIL IT WAS BROUGHT TO OUR ATTN MOMENTS LATER. WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT PHX APCH CTL SHORTLY THEREAFTER AND FREQ 128.45 WAS GIVEN TO US FOR ZAB. AFTER CONTACT CENTER ASKED IF WE WERE THE ACFT SQUAWKING 7500. WE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO STANDBY AND ANSWERED YES, BUT IT WAS IN ERROR AND WE WOULD LIKE A NORMAL SQUAWK CODE AND THIS WAS DONE; HOWEVER, ZAB RPTED THE ERRONEOUSLY SQUAWKED CODE TO WASHINGTON.

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.