Temporary loss of radio contact with controling ARTCC center controller.

Attributes
ACN	201868
Time
Date	199202
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	201868
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon arrival in the boston area center gave us a 030 degree heading for spacing into the boston area. The first officer told me he was going to call company for an in-range call. Eventually he reported back to me with our gate assignment. I could hear a controller talking to other aircraft so it appeared to me as though we had radio contact with ATC. Unfortunately, when the copilot attempted to contact company he inadvertently switched active ATC frequencys and we were back with new york ATC and didn't even know it. Eventually it became obvious that we had been on our assigned heading too long and I asked the first officer to confirm that center wanted us on a 030 degree heading. At that time we confirmed that we were on the wrong frequency. Once we had established contact the controller told us he had been looking for us with no luck. The reason this occurred is because the foreign large transport uses one radio management panel to control all radios and it is difficult to tell which radio you are changing frequencys on. It is a bad design. Also ATC should be informed that when they lose radio contact with a foreign large transport, there is a 99 percent probability they will be on the previous controller's frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT WITH CTLING ARTCC CTR CTLR.

Narrative: UPON ARR IN THE BOSTON AREA CTR GAVE US A 030 DEG HDG FOR SPACING INTO THE BOSTON AREA. THE FO TOLD ME HE WAS GOING TO CALL COMPANY FOR AN IN-RANGE CALL. EVENTUALLY HE RPTED BACK TO ME WITH OUR GATE ASSIGNMENT. I COULD HEAR A CTLR TALKING TO OTHER ACFT SO IT APPEARED TO ME AS THOUGH WE HAD RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC. UNFORTUNATELY, WHEN THE COPLT ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT COMPANY HE INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED ACTIVE ATC FREQS AND WE WERE BACK WITH NEW YORK ATC AND DIDN'T EVEN KNOW IT. EVENTUALLY IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT WE HAD BEEN ON OUR ASSIGNED HDG TOO LONG AND I ASKED THE FO TO CONFIRM THAT CTR WANTED US ON A 030 DEG HDG. AT THAT TIME WE CONFIRMED THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ. ONCE WE HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT THE CTLR TOLD US HE HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR US WITH NO LUCK. THE REASON THIS OCCURRED IS BECAUSE THE FOREIGN LGT USES ONE RADIO MGMNT PANEL TO CTL ALL RADIOS AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO TELL WHICH RADIO YOU ARE CHANGING FREQS ON. IT IS A BAD DESIGN. ALSO ATC SHOULD BE INFORMED THAT WHEN THEY LOSE RADIO CONTACT WITH A FOREIGN LGT, THERE IS A 99 PERCENT PROBABILITY THEY WILL BE ON THE PREVIOUS CTLR'S FREQ.

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.