Narrative:

Our flight was cleared to climb and maintain 7000 ft and our assigned heading was 140 degrees. From another transmission I knew that there was another aircraft inbound from the southeast (I think it was a dc-9, or maybe smaller). I had this aircraft in sight since I had departed bna. It looked like he was on a straight-in approach for runway 31. I didn't hear any more xmissions for a while but it is usually very quiet in bna at that time and I didn't think anything about it. Then the approaching jet, who I thought was going to pass well to our left side, turned left and cut in front of us and passed to our right side. I was very surprised by that since he got within probably 1-2 mi and departure control never told us about it or asked us to maintain visual separation. That upset me and I debated with myself if I was going to make a comment on the radio about it. I had my finger already on the push-to-talk switch but ended up saying nothing. Then after another 1-2 mins of silence, I heard approach calling a cessna to ask if he could try to contact our flight. We immediately answered and told him that we apparently had a radio failure for the past few mins. The departure controller made a joke about it and cleared us on course. So, I don't know if there was a conflict and if the controller had tried to assign us a different heading. But this shows clearly that a pilot should call the controller as soon as there is a doubtful situation developing that might need some clarification. If I would have made the call when I saw that aircraft turning to cross our flight path, I would have detected the radio failure in time to clear the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY RADIO FAILURE.

Narrative: OUR FLT WAS CLRED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 7000 FT AND OUR ASSIGNED HDG WAS 140 DEGS. FROM ANOTHER XMISSION I KNEW THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT INBOUND FROM THE SE (I THINK IT WAS A DC-9, OR MAYBE SMALLER). I HAD THIS ACFT IN SIGHT SINCE I HAD DEPARTED BNA. IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS ON A STRAIGHT-IN APCH FOR RWY 31. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY MORE XMISSIONS FOR A WHILE BUT IT IS USUALLY VERY QUIET IN BNA AT THAT TIME AND I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEN THE APCHING JET, WHO I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO PASS WELL TO OUR L SIDE, TURNED L AND CUT IN FRONT OF US AND PASSED TO OUR R SIDE. I WAS VERY SURPRISED BY THAT SINCE HE GOT WITHIN PROBABLY 1-2 MI AND DEP CTL NEVER TOLD US ABOUT IT OR ASKED US TO MAINTAIN VISUAL SEPARATION. THAT UPSET ME AND I DEBATED WITH MYSELF IF I WAS GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THE RADIO ABOUT IT. I HAD MY FINGER ALREADY ON THE PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH BUT ENDED UP SAYING NOTHING. THEN AFTER ANOTHER 1-2 MINS OF SILENCE, I HEARD APCH CALLING A CESSNA TO ASK IF HE COULD TRY TO CONTACT OUR FLT. WE IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED AND TOLD HIM THAT WE APPARENTLY HAD A RADIO FAILURE FOR THE PAST FEW MINS. THE DEP CTLR MADE A JOKE ABOUT IT AND CLRED US ON COURSE. SO, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A CONFLICT AND IF THE CTLR HAD TRIED TO ASSIGN US A DIFFERENT HDG. BUT THIS SHOWS CLRLY THAT A PLT SHOULD CALL THE CTLR AS SOON AS THERE IS A DOUBTFUL SIT DEVELOPING THAT MIGHT NEED SOME CLARIFICATION. IF I WOULD HAVE MADE THE CALL WHEN I SAW THAT ACFT TURNING TO CROSS OUR FLT PATH, I WOULD HAVE DETECTED THE RADIO FAILURE IN TIME TO CLR THE SIT.

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.