Narrative:

On climb out from sdq, switched from tower frequency to las americas departure control. I was cleared to continue climb to FL250, direct to mella intersection. Contacted ZSU on #2 VHF 10 mins prior to crossing mella. Since radio traffic was light, I continued to monitor both radio frequencys while first officer monitored #1 radio, las americas. Just prior to mella, sju told us to contact las americas. The las americas departure controller told us we were flying in dominican republic airspace without being in radio contact. He also stated all air carrier X crews do the same, and he was going to write a letter. Since no xmissions were received by us, I suspect a dead spot in radio coverage on G633 west of mella intersection. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: a letter was sent from las americas ARTCC to the reporter's air carrier stating the problem. Investigation showed that there is new radar at las americas and the procedures are 'screwed up'. Sdq departure failed to give the reporter a handoff to las americas, and the whole proceeding was dropped. Apparently there is no problem with radio reception in the area. The reporter states that occasionally there is a language problem, english and spanish spoken at the same time, but this was not a factor here.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR A300 CREW WAS CHASTISED FOR NOT BEING ON THE MDCS FREQ.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM SDQ, SWITCHED FROM TWR FREQ TO LAS AMERICAS DEP CTL. I WAS CLRED TO CONTINUE CLB TO FL250, DIRECT TO MELLA INTXN. CONTACTED ZSU ON #2 VHF 10 MINS PRIOR TO XING MELLA. SINCE RADIO TFC WAS LIGHT, I CONTINUED TO MONITOR BOTH RADIO FREQS WHILE FO MONITORED #1 RADIO, LAS AMERICAS. JUST PRIOR TO MELLA, SJU TOLD US TO CONTACT LAS AMERICAS. THE LAS AMERICAS DEP CTLR TOLD US WE WERE FLYING IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AIRSPACE WITHOUT BEING IN RADIO CONTACT. HE ALSO STATED ALL ACR X CREWS DO THE SAME, AND HE WAS GOING TO WRITE A LETTER. SINCE NO XMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED BY US, I SUSPECT A DEAD SPOT IN RADIO COVERAGE ON G633 W OF MELLA INTXN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: A LETTER WAS SENT FROM LAS AMERICAS ARTCC TO THE RPTR'S ACR STATING THE PROBLEM. INVESTIGATION SHOWED THAT THERE IS NEW RADAR AT LAS AMERICAS AND THE PROCEDURES ARE 'SCREWED UP'. SDQ DEP FAILED TO GIVE THE RPTR A HANDOFF TO LAS AMERICAS, AND THE WHOLE PROCEEDING WAS DROPPED. APPARENTLY THERE IS NO PROBLEM WITH RADIO RECEPTION IN THE AREA. THE RPTR STATES THAT OCCASIONALLY THERE IS A LANGUAGE PROBLEM, ENGLISH AND SPANISH SPOKEN AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THIS WAS NOT A FACTOR HERE.

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.