Narrative:

Inbound ord via jul-4 arrival, ZAU initiated handoff to chicago approach control. First officer performing PNF duties. First officer made several contact attempts with approach control which went unanswered due to frequency congestion. I attempted contact with my radio with no response. We were receiving all xmissions and had no indication of radio malfunction. Preceding aircraft were given a turn northeast for a right downwind runway 22R. Overhead ord VOR, I initiated a turn northeast and broadcast on frequency 121.5 for further clearance. ZAU advised frequency 128.45. We contacted chicago approach this frequency and were given vectors runway 27L for a normal landing. The chain of events leading to the loss of communication started with frequency congestion. The screw up is typical of O'hare arrs and it is not unusual to make an initial call to ATC and have the controller talk to several other aircraft, then acknowledge your call. We were not alarmed by the lack of initial response. As we approached the point where the preceding aircraft was given a vector heading, we became more aggressive in our calls, however in radar there seemed to be no reason to leave the frequency as we were hearing ATC and expecting a vector heading. Overhead ord VOR the screw up became critical because: 1) there is no transition or feeder route to the runway in use. 2) there is no published lost communication procedure. 3) to enter a holding pattern would turn us head on into the incoming flow of traffic. A turn in the direction of the preceding aircraft's vector was determined to be the safest course of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LGT TEMPORARILY LOST COM DURING A STAR AND USED THE EMER FREQ TO RISE APCH CTL AND GET COM RE- ESTABLISHED. THE FLT SUBSEQUENTLY CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO LNDG.

Narrative: INBOUND ORD VIA JUL-4 ARR, ZAU INITIATED HDOF TO CHICAGO APCH CTL. FO PERFORMING PNF DUTIES. FO MADE SEVERAL CONTACT ATTEMPTS WITH APCH CTL WHICH WENT UNANSWERED DUE TO FREQ CONGESTION. I ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH MY RADIO WITH NO RESPONSE. WE WERE RECEIVING ALL XMISSIONS AND HAD NO INDICATION OF RADIO MALFUNCTION. PRECEDING ACFT WERE GIVEN A TURN NE FOR A R DOWNWIND RWY 22R. OVERHEAD ORD VOR, I INITIATED A TURN NE AND BROADCAST ON FREQ 121.5 FOR FURTHER CLRNC. ZAU ADVISED FREQ 128.45. WE CONTACTED CHICAGO APCH THIS FREQ AND WERE GIVEN VECTORS RWY 27L FOR A NORMAL LNDG. THE CHAIN OF EVENTS LEADING TO THE LOSS OF COM STARTED WITH FREQ CONGESTION. THE SCREW UP IS TYPICAL OF O'HARE ARRS AND IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO MAKE AN INITIAL CALL TO ATC AND HAVE THE CTLR TALK TO SEVERAL OTHER ACFT, THEN ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR CALL. WE WERE NOT ALARMED BY THE LACK OF INITIAL RESPONSE. AS WE APCHED THE POINT WHERE THE PRECEDING ACFT WAS GIVEN A VECTOR HEADING, WE BECAME MORE AGGRESSIVE IN OUR CALLS, HOWEVER IN RADAR THERE SEEMED TO BE NO REASON TO LEAVE THE FREQ AS WE WERE HEARING ATC AND EXPECTING A VECTOR HEADING. OVERHEAD ORD VOR THE SCREW UP BECAME CRITICAL BECAUSE: 1) THERE IS NO TRANSITION OR FEEDER RTE TO THE RWY IN USE. 2) THERE IS NO PUBLISHED LOST COM PROC. 3) TO ENTER A HOLDING PATTERN WOULD TURN US HEAD ON INTO THE INCOMING FLOW OF TFC. A TURN IN THE DIRECTION OF THE PRECEDING ACFT'S VECTOR WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION.

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.