Flight crew failed to contact departure controller during climb. The foreign ATC facility wrote to r...

Attributes
ACN	336391
Time
Date	199605
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sin
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sin
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-11
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute airway : sin
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	336391
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	336385
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was captain on flight XXX from sin-pen on may/sat/96. First officer flying, aircraft was MD11. Mechanical condition of aircraft was antiskid inoperative. At rotation #1 engine egt went to 692 degrees C for 10 seconds, maximum takeoff egt for 5 mins is 690 degrees C. Clearance issued was runway 20R, pontian departure, maintain 5000 ft. After egt exceeded 690 degrees C on rotation, I reduced the thrust on #1 engine to within limits. Tower told us to contact departure control. I switched frequency but do not recall establishing contact. First officer put aircraft on autoplt. I told him he had the aircraft and radios and maintain 5000 ft. We accomplished the after takeoff checklist and discussed the possibility of returning to land in singapore due to the fact we had 2 problems with aircraft. Ie, anti-skid and #1 engine overtemp. First officer continued to fly the published SID. I left control frequency and contacted company maintenance to see if they prefer me to continue to pen or return to sin. The answer came pack to continue. I then returned to control frequency and the first thing I heard was why we hadn't contacted departure control. The first officer replied to the controller that he had called them and no answer. We were still within 30 mi north of sin at this time. We wre given radar vector headings at this time and new climb altitudes. We changed over to singapore center and they issued new clearance to pen and they again asked why we had not contacted departure control. Again I replied that we had tried and couldn't reach them. They then asked for radio check. Radio check was good. Upon arriving back in USA I have had letters from company that singapore wanted explanation as to why we didn't establish contact and why we didn't follow lost communication procedures. We were flying the published and issued clearance and was busy with the concern of our 2 mechanical problems. I wasn't aware that we were not in contact with departure control and it took me just a couple of mins to talk to company maintenance and when I returned to the same frequency as the first officer, we were talking to sin control. I am sure that operating with 2-MAN crew and distracting mechanical problems was a contributing factor in the brief time it took to establish contact. I wasn't aware that the first officer was having problems contacting them.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC FAILED TO CONTACT DEP CTLR DURING CLB. THE FOREIGN ATC FACILITY WROTE TO RPTR'S ACR WANTING TO KNOW WHY THE FLC DID NOT CONTACT DEP CTLR. MINOR EQUIP PROB OSTENSIBLY DISTRACTED FLC FROM MAKING RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative: I WAS CAPT ON FLT XXX FROM SIN-PEN ON MAY/SAT/96. FO FLYING, ACFT WAS MD11. MECHANICAL CONDITION OF ACFT WAS ANTISKID INOP. AT ROTATION #1 ENG EGT WENT TO 692 DEGS C FOR 10 SECONDS, MAX TKOF EGT FOR 5 MINS IS 690 DEGS C. CLRNC ISSUED WAS RWY 20R, PONTIAN DEP, MAINTAIN 5000 FT. AFTER EGT EXCEEDED 690 DEGS C ON ROTATION, I REDUCED THE THRUST ON #1 ENG TO WITHIN LIMITS. TWR TOLD US TO CONTACT DEP CTL. I SWITCHED FREQ BUT DO NOT RECALL ESTABLISHING CONTACT. FO PUT ACFT ON AUTOPLT. I TOLD HIM HE HAD THE ACFT AND RADIOS AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE AFTER TKOF CHKLIST AND DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF RETURNING TO LAND IN SINGAPORE DUE TO THE FACT WE HAD 2 PROBS WITH ACFT. IE, ANTI-SKID AND #1 ENG OVERTEMP. FO CONTINUED TO FLY THE PUBLISHED SID. I LEFT CTL FREQ AND CONTACTED COMPANY MAINT TO SEE IF THEY PREFER ME TO CONTINUE TO PEN OR RETURN TO SIN. THE ANSWER CAME PACK TO CONTINUE. I THEN RETURNED TO CTL FREQ AND THE FIRST THING I HEARD WAS WHY WE HADN'T CONTACTED DEP CTL. THE FO REPLIED TO THE CTLR THAT HE HAD CALLED THEM AND NO ANSWER. WE WERE STILL WITHIN 30 MI N OF SIN AT THIS TIME. WE WRE GIVEN RADAR VECTOR HDGS AT THIS TIME AND NEW CLB ALTS. WE CHANGED OVER TO SINGAPORE CTR AND THEY ISSUED NEW CLRNC TO PEN AND THEY AGAIN ASKED WHY WE HAD NOT CONTACTED DEP CTL. AGAIN I REPLIED THAT WE HAD TRIED AND COULDN'T REACH THEM. THEY THEN ASKED FOR RADIO CHK. RADIO CHK WAS GOOD. UPON ARRIVING BACK IN USA I HAVE HAD LETTERS FROM COMPANY THAT SINGAPORE WANTED EXPLANATION AS TO WHY WE DIDN'T ESTABLISH CONTACT AND WHY WE DIDN'T FOLLOW LOST COM PROCS. WE WERE FLYING THE PUBLISHED AND ISSUED CLRNC AND WAS BUSY WITH THE CONCERN OF OUR 2 MECHANICAL PROBS. I WASN'T AWARE THAT WE WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH DEP CTL AND IT TOOK ME JUST A COUPLE OF MINS TO TALK TO COMPANY MAINT AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE SAME FREQ AS THE FO, WE WERE TALKING TO SIN CTL. I AM SURE THAT OPERATING WITH 2-MAN CREW AND DISTRACTING MECHANICAL PROBS WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IN THE BRIEF TIME IT TOOK TO ESTABLISH CONTACT. I WASN'T AWARE THAT THE FO WAS HAVING PROBS CONTACTING THEM.

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.

Flight crew failed to contact departure controller during climb. The foreign ATC facility wrote to reporter's air carrier wanting to know why the flight crew did not contact departure controller. Minor equipment problem ostensibly distracted flight crew from making radio contact.