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The flight crew of a cargo DC8 temporarily lost communications soon after takeoff during SID departure resulting in ATC inability to issue vectors. The reporter was squawking lost communication on their transponder. Intermittent communications were soon established.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 402430 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199805 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bwi |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bwi |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-8 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | departure other departure sid : sid enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 4000 |
| ASRS Report | 402430 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Shortly after takeoff we lost the ability to transmit on any of our radios. We squawked 7600 to notify ATC and continued on our assigned heading and altitude. We were given vectors, 'if we heard ATC.' we could receive and complied with the instructions. After several mins we were able to transmit intermittently. The controller angrily reported he was trying to contact us for 28 mi. Since we squawked 7600, and complied with his verbal instructions, I felt it should have been clear to him what the problem was. We were within mins of climbing to FL310, which was our 'expect' altitude 10 mins after departure. Perhaps a better SID for wbound departures out of bwi, with a specific routing would be in order. A SID based on radar vectors is worthless in a lost communication environment.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: THE FLC OF A CARGO DC8 TEMPORARILY LOST COMS SOON AFTER TKOF DURING SID DEP RESULTING IN ATC INABILITY TO ISSUE VECTORS. THE RPTR WAS SQUAWKING LOST COM ON THEIR XPONDER. INTERMITTENT COMS WERE SOON ESTABLISHED.
Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF WE LOST THE ABILITY TO XMIT ON ANY OF OUR RADIOS. WE SQUAWKED 7600 TO NOTIFY ATC AND CONTINUED ON OUR ASSIGNED HEADING AND ALT. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS, 'IF WE HEARD ATC.' WE COULD RECEIVE AND COMPLIED WITH THE INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER SEVERAL MINS WE WERE ABLE TO XMIT INTERMITTENTLY. THE CTLR ANGRILY RPTED HE WAS TRYING TO CONTACT US FOR 28 MI. SINCE WE SQUAWKED 7600, AND COMPLIED WITH HIS VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS, I FELT IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CLR TO HIM WHAT THE PROB WAS. WE WERE WITHIN MINS OF CLBING TO FL310, WHICH WAS OUR 'EXPECT' ALT 10 MINS AFTER DEP. PERHAPS A BETTER SID FOR WBOUND DEPS OUT OF BWI, WITH A SPECIFIC ROUTING WOULD BE IN ORDER. A SID BASED ON RADAR VECTORS IS WORTHLESS IN A LOST COM ENVIRONMENT.
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.