Radio communication lost.

Attributes
ACN	293764
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mbs
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 16000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	293764
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After departure from dtw, climbing through about 12000 ft we turned on the wing anti-ice and discovered a problem. At the time I was flying. We went throught the communication procedure, and turned off the anti-ice system (we were now clear of clouds). I gave the copilot the airplane and had him monitor center also, while I talked to dispatch and maintenance control. Before I went off frequency to talk to maintenance and dispatch we asked for and received a vector heading from center while we tried to rectify the ice problem. While I was off frequency and copilot lost radio reception with center. After the icing problem was rectified I came back on frequency with center and we realized we had been out of radio contact with center for about 5 min. We wrote up the copilot's jackbox when we got on the ground. At low volume setting on jackbox radio reception was cut off. Our route was dtw- mbs. However we had to return to dtw due to fog in mbs. I cannot think of anything we could have done differently to prevent this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO COM LOST.

Narrative: AFTER DEP FROM DTW, CLBING THROUGH ABOUT 12000 FT WE TURNED ON THE WING ANTI-ICE AND DISCOVERED A PROB. AT THE TIME I WAS FLYING. WE WENT THROUGHT THE COM PROC, AND TURNED OFF THE ANTI-ICE SYS (WE WERE NOW CLR OF CLOUDS). I GAVE THE COPLT THE AIRPLANE AND HAD HIM MONITOR CTR ALSO, WHILE I TALKED TO DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. BEFORE I WENT OFF FREQ TO TALK TO MAINT AND DISPATCH WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A VECTOR HDG FROM CTR WHILE WE TRIED TO RECTIFY THE ICE PROB. WHILE I WAS OFF FREQ AND COPLT LOST RADIO RECEPTION WITH CTR. AFTER THE ICING PROB WAS RECTIFIED I CAME BACK ON FREQ WITH CTR AND WE REALIZED WE HAD BEEN OUT OF RADIO CONTACT WITH CTR FOR ABOUT 5 MIN. WE WROTE UP THE COPLT'S JACKBOX WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. AT LOW VOLUME SETTING ON JACKBOX RADIO RECEPTION WAS CUT OFF. OUR RTE WAS DTW- MBS. HOWEVER WE HAD TO RETURN TO DTW DUE TO FOG IN MBS. I CANNOT THINK OF ANYTHING WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO PREVENT THIS.

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.