Narrative:

Vicinity of yqo en route ewr to dtw lost communication with ATC -- could hear ATC chatter and was awaiting further descent clearance. Unable to establish communication until over dtw at FL220. After 10 or more frequency changes and after establishing intermittent communication with center, was vectored to polar 1 arrival (a northwest arrival to dtw). Landing uneventful. Requested maintenance to check radios. Cleaned contacts and rechked both communications. Communications checked ok and continued to next stop uneventfully. Believe a combination of frequency congestion and radio problems left us 'high and dry' over our destination. Once we were on the arrival, a very short loss of communication with ATC made it impossible to actually fly the arrival and meet crossing restrs. The captain was experiencing difficulty obtaining ATIS and contacting company on #2 communication. I was flying and navigating alone and got very involved trying to contact ATC about further descent. When captain finally gave up on contacting company, I told him 'we got a problem.' within mins we arrived over the dtw VOR. It doesn't take much of an event to seriously tax the best efforts of a 2 man crew -- especially, in the last 30 mins of a flight. The B737-100 we were flying requires a radio to be tuned to the local commercial radio frequency. We were using that radio to obtain ATIS and talk to company. Company dispatch was attempting to SELCAL us, but to no avail. 'For want of a nail a shoe was lost,' etc. By the time we realized we were out of contact with ATC, we could not comply with FARS and fly our clearance FARS.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737-100 LOST COM DURING A STAR ARR RESULTING IN NOT FOLLOWING THE ALT DSCNT PROFILE DEPICTED. SUBSEQUENTLY, RE-ESTABLISHED COM OVER DEST ARPT AND WAS GIVEN ANOTHER ARR RTE WITH NO FURTHER COM PROBS.

Narrative: VICINITY OF YQO ENRTE EWR TO DTW LOST COM WITH ATC -- COULD HEAR ATC CHATTER AND WAS AWAITING FURTHER DSCNT CLRNC. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM UNTIL OVER DTW AT FL220. AFTER 10 OR MORE FREQ CHANGES AND AFTER ESTABLISHING INTERMITTENT COM WITH CTR, WAS VECTORED TO POLAR 1 ARR (A NW ARR TO DTW). LNDG UNEVENTFUL. REQUESTED MAINT TO CHK RADIOS. CLEANED CONTACTS AND RECHKED BOTH COMS. COMS CHKED OK AND CONTINUED TO NEXT STOP UNEVENTFULLY. BELIEVE A COMBINATION OF FREQ CONGESTION AND RADIO PROBS LEFT US 'HIGH AND DRY' OVER OUR DEST. ONCE WE WERE ON THE ARR, A VERY SHORT LOSS OF COM WITH ATC MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ACTUALLY FLY THE ARR AND MEET XING RESTRS. THE CAPT WAS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY OBTAINING ATIS AND CONTACTING COMPANY ON #2 COM. I WAS FLYING AND NAVING ALONE AND GOT VERY INVOLVED TRYING TO CONTACT ATC ABOUT FURTHER DSCNT. WHEN CAPT FINALLY GAVE UP ON CONTACTING COMPANY, I TOLD HIM 'WE GOT A PROB.' WITHIN MINS WE ARRIVED OVER THE DTW VOR. IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH OF AN EVENT TO SERIOUSLY TAX THE BEST EFFORTS OF A 2 MAN CREW -- ESPECIALLY, IN THE LAST 30 MINS OF A FLT. THE B737-100 WE WERE FLYING REQUIRES A RADIO TO BE TUNED TO THE LCL COMMERCIAL RADIO FREQ. WE WERE USING THAT RADIO TO OBTAIN ATIS AND TALK TO COMPANY. COMPANY DISPATCH WAS ATTEMPTING TO SELCAL US, BUT TO NO AVAIL. 'FOR WANT OF A NAIL A SHOE WAS LOST,' ETC. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED WE WERE OUT OF CONTACT WITH ATC, WE COULD NOT COMPLY WITH FARS AND FLY OUR CLRNC FARS.

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.