Narrative:

I was the radar controller at sector 06 in washington center. Thunderstorms were all around my airspace to the north, northeast, east, and southeast. I was only talking to 3 aircraft at the time. 2 of them needing to climb, and 1 needing to descend. I was responsible for 5 pointouts that were in my airspace and deviating. I experienced a total loss of communication on frequency 134.15. I attempted the buec and had no luck on buec 2 or 3. The next buec available was #6 and the aircraft could apparently hear me but they were unreadable to me. I was advised by the supervisor to switch to 135.52. This frequency worked and I eventually got all of the aircraft to switch to this frequency. This problem has happened on a regular basis according to other controllers I have talked to. If this problem had occurred 10 mins earlier, it would have posed a serious threat to safety at my sector. Airspace in the mid- atlantic region is designed so that clrncs are usually given to aircraft as soon as they enter your airspace. Any delay in giving these climb/descend clrncs hampers the effective flow of traffic. A loss of frequencys that occurs almost every day is one problem that controllers would like to see taken care of. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after this incident facility maintenance worked on the frequency and the reporter has not experienced any outages since that time. Reporter stated buec is still a problem. Sometimes he can hear the aircraft but the aircraft cannot hear him and vice versa.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC RADIO FREQ 134 PT 15 FAILED. BUEC DID NOT WORK. ONGOING SITUATION.

Narrative: I WAS THE RADAR CTLR AT SECTOR 06 IN WASHINGTON CENTER. TSTMS WERE ALL AROUND MY AIRSPACE TO THE N, NE, E, AND SE. I WAS ONLY TALKING TO 3 ACFT AT THE TIME. 2 OF THEM NEEDING TO CLB, AND 1 NEEDING TO DSND. I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR 5 POINTOUTS THAT WERE IN MY AIRSPACE AND DEVIATING. I EXPERIENCED A TOTAL LOSS OF COM ON FREQ 134.15. I ATTEMPTED THE BUEC AND HAD NO LUCK ON BUEC 2 OR 3. THE NEXT BUEC AVAILABLE WAS #6 AND THE ACFT COULD APPARENTLY HEAR ME BUT THEY WERE UNREADABLE TO ME. I WAS ADVISED BY THE SUPVR TO SWITCH TO 135.52. THIS FREQ WORKED AND I EVENTUALLY GOT ALL OF THE ACFT TO SWITCH TO THIS FREQ. THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED ON A REGULAR BASIS ACCORDING TO OTHER CTLRS I HAVE TALKED TO. IF THIS PROBLEM HAD OCCURRED 10 MINS EARLIER, IT WOULD HAVE POSED A SERIOUS THREAT TO SAFETY AT MY SECTOR. AIRSPACE IN THE MID- ATLANTIC REGION IS DESIGNED SO THAT CLRNCS ARE USUALLY GIVEN TO ACFT AS SOON AS THEY ENTER YOUR AIRSPACE. ANY DELAY IN GIVING THESE CLB/DSND CLRNCS HAMPERS THE EFFECTIVE FLOW OF TFC. A LOSS OF FREQS THAT OCCURS ALMOST EVERY DAY IS ONE PROBLEM THAT CTLRS WOULD LIKE TO SEE TAKEN CARE OF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER THIS INCIDENT FACILITY MAINT WORKED ON THE FREQ AND THE RPTR HAS NOT EXPERIENCED ANY OUTAGES SINCE THAT TIME. RPTR STATED BUEC IS STILL A PROBLEM. SOMETIMES HE CAN HEAR THE ACFT BUT THE ACFT CANNOT HEAR HIM AND VICE VERSA.

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.