Narrative:

A flight attendant was coming in and out of cockpit and captain was maintaining an on again/off again conversation with her. He was maintaining radio watch, and I was trying to do so also. It sounded as if center was conducting training at this position as I believe there were sometimes 2 separate voices on same frequency. Approaching our TOD point, I said to captain (who was talking to flight attendant) I'll call for lower now, at which point I was queried about our position. I stated holly 7 intersection northwest of vuz and was given frequency change to ZME. After pushing ACARS button for arrival information, I found a message from mem ramp tower to contact center on XXX.xx. I queried captain, he never answered why I hadn't heard ACARS alert or he had shown me message. I suspect he must have picked up message while I had pulled out an approach plate book and didn't hear ACARS alert. (Assuming also that ATC forgot about us, as I'm sure I didn't hear them give frequency change or subconsciously ignored it after noting it was picked up.) after which he forgot to call center, and didn't inform me of message. Bad cockpit resource management. Moral: even though we get hundreds of turbulence pilot reports on ACARS, dinging that alert bell for areas not applicable to our flight, and learn to selectively 'tune them out' when not necessary, always look them over. Never assume other pilot will always do what they say.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR FLC MISSES ATC FREQ CHANGE AND THEN OVERLOOKS AN ACARS MESSAGE.

Narrative: A FLT ATTENDANT WAS COMING IN AND OUT OF COCKPIT AND CAPT WAS MAINTAINING AN ON AGAIN/OFF AGAIN CONVERSATION WITH HER. HE WAS MAINTAINING RADIO WATCH, AND I WAS TRYING TO DO SO ALSO. IT SOUNDED AS IF CTR WAS CONDUCTING TRAINING AT THIS POS AS I BELIEVE THERE WERE SOMETIMES 2 SEPARATE VOICES ON SAME FREQ. APCHING OUR TOD POINT, I SAID TO CAPT (WHO WAS TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANT) I'LL CALL FOR LOWER NOW, AT WHICH POINT I WAS QUERIED ABOUT OUR POS. I STATED HOLLY 7 INTXN NW OF VUZ AND WAS GIVEN FREQ CHANGE TO ZME. AFTER PUSHING ACARS BUTTON FOR ARR INFO, I FOUND A MESSAGE FROM MEM RAMP TWR TO CONTACT CTR ON XXX.XX. I QUERIED CAPT, HE NEVER ANSWERED WHY I HADN'T HEARD ACARS ALERT OR HE HAD SHOWN ME MESSAGE. I SUSPECT HE MUST HAVE PICKED UP MESSAGE WHILE I HAD PULLED OUT AN APCH PLATE BOOK AND DIDN'T HEAR ACARS ALERT. (ASSUMING ALSO THAT ATC FORGOT ABOUT US, AS I'M SURE I DIDN'T HEAR THEM GIVE FREQ CHANGE OR SUBCONSCIOUSLY IGNORED IT AFTER NOTING IT WAS PICKED UP.) AFTER WHICH HE FORGOT TO CALL CTR, AND DIDN'T INFORM ME OF MESSAGE. BAD COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT. MORAL: EVEN THOUGH WE GET HUNDREDS OF TURB PLT RPTS ON ACARS, DINGING THAT ALERT BELL FOR AREAS NOT APPLICABLE TO OUR FLT, AND LEARN TO SELECTIVELY 'TUNE THEM OUT' WHEN NOT NECESSARY, ALWAYS LOOK THEM OVER. NEVER ASSUME OTHER PLT WILL ALWAYS DO WHAT THEY SAY.

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.