Narrative:

Merida center instructed us to contact ZHU over nuley intersection each time when going north from mexico back across the gulf to houston. However, each and every time in the past when calling ZHU over nuley ZHU can never hear us. Such was the case on 5/X/91. I did in fact contact ZHU to give them our position, but they did not respond. Some 3-4 mins later, ZHU called me and asked me if I had been trying to reach them. I took it to mean that very moment because the frequency had been quiet. I said, 'no,' but, 'I tried over nuley.' I then gave him our position when I crossed nuley some mins earlier. Needles to say I am extremely surprised to find out ZHU called my chief pilot's office and said I failed to report over nuley. I have been flying this route for many yrs and I am very familiar with mandatory reporting points. This situation is guaranteed to happen 100% of the time because ZHU cannot receive us that far out. The FAA needs to put a radio station and VOR out on a rig to better control that airspace which is becoming very congested. Flying by ADF across the gulf is antiquated at best. Whenever there are thunderstorms over the route and major deviations occur it is practically impossible to navigation accurately back to the arwy when the severe WX is sitting on top of the radio beacon or WX between the aircraft and the beacon. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: analyst called facility and talked to specialist about history on these reporting points. Reporter stated that this has been an ongoing problem that was elevated recently due to an operational error. Facility is aware of the lack of radio and navaids along this route. Aircraft must use ADF or dr to navigation. The communication problem has recently been fixed when commercial radio, after meetings with the FAA, installed an transmitter and receiver on a rig in the gulf. It has been in operation about 2 weeks now and seems to be working ok. The facility has a survey sheet at the sector for controllers to list any problems or comments, but so far there have been none listed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT CANNOT CONTACT ZHU OVER NULEY INTERSECTION INBOUND TO GLS.

Narrative: MERIDA CENTER INSTRUCTED US TO CONTACT ZHU OVER NULEY INTXN EACH TIME WHEN GOING N FROM MEXICO BACK ACROSS THE GULF TO HOUSTON. HOWEVER, EACH AND EVERY TIME IN THE PAST WHEN CALLING ZHU OVER NULEY ZHU CAN NEVER HEAR US. SUCH WAS THE CASE ON 5/X/91. I DID IN FACT CONTACT ZHU TO GIVE THEM OUR POS, BUT THEY DID NOT RESPOND. SOME 3-4 MINS LATER, ZHU CALLED ME AND ASKED ME IF I HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH THEM. I TOOK IT TO MEAN THAT VERY MOMENT BECAUSE THE FREQ HAD BEEN QUIET. I SAID, 'NO,' BUT, 'I TRIED OVER NULEY.' I THEN GAVE HIM OUR POS WHEN I CROSSED NULEY SOME MINS EARLIER. NEEDLES TO SAY I AM EXTREMELY SURPRISED TO FIND OUT ZHU CALLED MY CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE AND SAID I FAILED TO RPT OVER NULEY. I HAVE BEEN FLYING THIS RTE FOR MANY YRS AND I AM VERY FAMILIAR WITH MANDATORY RPTING POINTS. THIS SITUATION IS GUARANTEED TO HAPPEN 100% OF THE TIME BECAUSE ZHU CANNOT RECEIVE US THAT FAR OUT. THE FAA NEEDS TO PUT A RADIO STATION AND VOR OUT ON A RIG TO BETTER CTL THAT AIRSPACE WHICH IS BECOMING VERY CONGESTED. FLYING BY ADF ACROSS THE GULF IS ANTIQUATED AT BEST. WHENEVER THERE ARE TSTMS OVER THE RTE AND MAJOR DEVIATIONS OCCUR IT IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO NAV ACCURATELY BACK TO THE ARWY WHEN THE SEVERE WX IS SITTING ON TOP OF THE RADIO BEACON OR WX BTWN THE ACFT AND THE BEACON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ANALYST CALLED FAC AND TALKED TO SPECIALIST ABOUT HISTORY ON THESE RPTING POINTS. RPTR STATED THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROB THAT WAS ELEVATED RECENTLY DUE TO AN OPERROR. FAC IS AWARE OF THE LACK OF RADIO AND NAVAIDS ALONG THIS RTE. ACFT MUST USE ADF OR DR TO NAV. THE COM PROB HAS RECENTLY BEEN FIXED WHEN COMMERCIAL RADIO, AFTER MEETINGS WITH THE FAA, INSTALLED AN XMITTER AND RECEIVER ON A RIG IN THE GULF. IT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION ABOUT 2 WKS NOW AND SEEMS TO BE WORKING OK. THE FAC HAS A SURVEY SHEET AT THE SECTOR FOR CTLRS TO LIST ANY PROBS OR COMMENTS, BUT SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NONE LISTED.

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.