Narrative:

During descent into dfw, ATC cleared us to 11000 ft. First officer was flying. I proceeded to do the descent and approach checks. Upon completion of checks, I asked first officer about ATC. He keyed his microphone and asked if ATC was still here. ATC came back loud and clear on the same frequency we had been monitoring and said that they had been trying to get ahold of us and accused us of jumping frequency. We had not changed frequency and, even though I ran checklist, I was still monitoring the radio and had not heard any type of xmissions. ATC gave us a phone number to call on the ground. They said they had to vector some planes out of our way during the loss of communications which was for just a few mins and he said they didn't have any stuck microphone indications. I don't know what caused the loss of communications. The first officer had made the last couple of communications and maybe his microphone switch was stuck enough to block our receiver but not the frequency. Also, the flight attendant told me of 3 flts she had been on where several computers were in use and they had caused problems in the cockpits. When they were asked to turn them off, the problems went away. I don't have any idea if this might have been a factor or not in this case, but I have heard of several incidents of this happening and it needs to be researched out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain always uses the handset to make PA's as he has made the mistake of making a PA over an ARTCC frequency. It is possible that the PA cut out the VHF. The reporter wrote up the radio and passed this information on to the next crew. He has not heard what maintenance found with the aircraft. The phone call on the ground was only to help ATC fill out their report regarding lost communication and having to divert aircraft around the reporter. The reporter has not heard any further word from the FAA. The reporter is concerned with communication problems in the dfw area when in the midst of the 'big pushes.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY LOST COM.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT INTO DFW, ATC CLRED US TO 11000 FT. FO WAS FLYING. I PROCEEDED TO DO THE DSCNT AND APCH CHKS. UPON COMPLETION OF CHKS, I ASKED FO ABOUT ATC. HE KEYED HIS MIKE AND ASKED IF ATC WAS STILL HERE. ATC CAME BACK LOUD AND CLR ON THE SAME FREQ WE HAD BEEN MONITORING AND SAID THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET AHOLD OF US AND ACCUSED US OF JUMPING FREQ. WE HAD NOT CHANGED FREQ AND, EVEN THOUGH I RAN CHKLIST, I WAS STILL MONITORING THE RADIO AND HAD NOT HEARD ANY TYPE OF XMISSIONS. ATC GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL ON THE GND. THEY SAID THEY HAD TO VECTOR SOME PLANES OUT OF OUR WAY DURING THE LOSS OF COMS WHICH WAS FOR JUST A FEW MINS AND HE SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY STUCK MIKE INDICATIONS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE LOSS OF COMS. THE FO HAD MADE THE LAST COUPLE OF COMS AND MAYBE HIS MIKE SWITCH WAS STUCK ENOUGH TO BLOCK OUR RECEIVER BUT NOT THE FREQ. ALSO, THE FLT ATTENDANT TOLD ME OF 3 FLTS SHE HAD BEEN ON WHERE SEVERAL COMPUTERS WERE IN USE AND THEY HAD CAUSED PROBS IN THE COCKPITS. WHEN THEY WERE ASKED TO TURN THEM OFF, THE PROBS WENT AWAY. I DON'T HAVE ANY IDEA IF THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A FACTOR OR NOT IN THIS CASE, BUT I HAVE HEARD OF SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING AND IT NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT ALWAYS USES THE HANDSET TO MAKE PA'S AS HE HAS MADE THE MISTAKE OF MAKING A PA OVER AN ARTCC FREQ. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PA CUT OUT THE VHF. THE RPTR WROTE UP THE RADIO AND PASSED THIS INFO ON TO THE NEXT CREW. HE HAS NOT HEARD WHAT MAINT FOUND WITH THE ACFT. THE PHONE CALL ON THE GND WAS ONLY TO HELP ATC FILL OUT THEIR RPT REGARDING LOST COM AND HAVING TO DIVERT ACFT AROUND THE RPTR. THE RPTR HAS NOT HEARD ANY FURTHER WORD FROM THE FAA. THE RPTR IS CONCERNED WITH COM PROBS IN THE DFW AREA WHEN IN THE MIDST OF THE 'BIG PUSHES.'

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.