Narrative:

On a regularly scheduled airline flight from fll to ewr, about 35 mins before ETA, I told the captain that the center seemed unusually quiet. Since we could hear other aircraft on the frequency, we assumed that the controller had merely forgotten to hand us off to the next sector. The captain, who was working the radios, consulted the high chart panel for ZDC, and unsuccessfully tried about a dozen or so frequencys. After 2O mins or so, another airline crew relayed to center and got a usable frequency for us. By the time we reestablished contact with act, we had nearly arrived at the initial approach fix. In compliance with far 91.127, we had remained at FL330. Center then routed us over the atlantic for our descent, approach and landing. By the time approach handed us off to ewr tower, it was clear that we did in fact have a radio problem--an intermittently open transmitter due, we guessed, to a glitch in the transceiver and not to a stuck microphone, bad jack or careless foot on the microphone. While a fed might argue that we should have squawked 7600', this thought didn't cross our minds because we were able to transmit and receive. I was the PF during this incident, and I became distracted enough by these events to allow my navigation to become a little sloppy. I estimate that we passed perhaps 5 or 6 mi east of eno, on the waard 3 arrival into ewr, and then overcorrected a little west before reaching rbv. The age-ole wisdom--always mind the store--is underscored once again...

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT LOST COM AS THEY APCHED THE EWR AREA.

Narrative: ON A REGULARLY SCHEDULED AIRLINE FLT FROM FLL TO EWR, ABOUT 35 MINS BEFORE ETA, I TOLD THE CAPT THAT THE CENTER SEEMED UNUSUALLY QUIET. SINCE WE COULD HEAR OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ, WE ASSUMED THAT THE CTLR HAD MERELY FORGOTTEN TO HAND US OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. THE CAPT, WHO WAS WORKING THE RADIOS, CONSULTED THE HIGH CHART PANEL FOR ZDC, AND UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIED ABOUT A DOZEN OR SO FREQS. AFTER 2O MINS OR SO, ANOTHER AIRLINE CREW RELAYED TO CENTER AND GOT A USABLE FREQ FOR US. BY THE TIME WE REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH ACT, WE HAD NEARLY ARRIVED AT THE INITIAL APCH FIX. IN COMPLIANCE WITH FAR 91.127, WE HAD REMAINED AT FL330. CENTER THEN ROUTED US OVER THE ATLANTIC FOR OUR DSNT, APCH AND LNDG. BY THE TIME APCH HANDED US OFF TO EWR TWR, IT WAS CLR THAT WE DID IN FACT HAVE A RADIO PROB--AN INTERMITTENTLY OPEN XMITTER DUE, WE GUESSED, TO A GLITCH IN THE TRANSCEIVER AND NOT TO A STUCK MIC, BAD JACK OR CARELESS FOOT ON THE MIC. WHILE A FED MIGHT ARGUE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE SQUAWKED 7600', THIS THOUGHT DIDN'T CROSS OUR MINDS BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO XMIT AND RECEIVE. I WAS THE PF DURING THIS INCIDENT, AND I BECAME DISTRACTED ENOUGH BY THESE EVENTS TO ALLOW MY NAV TO BECOME A LITTLE SLOPPY. I ESTIMATE THAT WE PASSED PERHAPS 5 OR 6 MI E OF ENO, ON THE WAARD 3 ARR INTO EWR, AND THEN OVERCORRECTED A LITTLE W BEFORE REACHING RBV. THE AGE-OLE WISDOM--ALWAYS MIND THE STORE--IS UNDERSCORED ONCE AGAIN...

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.