During cruise, vicinity pie, flight crew discovers that for an indefinite period they were not in co...

Attributes
ACN	405650
Time
Date	199806
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pie
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 31000 msl bound upper : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 94 flight time total : 7700 flight time type : 1280
ASRS Report	405640
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flying in the vicinity of pie on our flight from ord to fll the captain suddenly said 'the radio is pretty quiet.' at that point we made several attempts to contact the last controller we were assigned to with no success. Using our en route chart we found a frequency (ZMA) and re-established communication. We never heard any handout instructions and did not read back any. We do not know how long we were out of reach.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING CRUISE, VICINITY PIE, FLC DISCOVERS THAT FOR AN INDEFINITE PERIOD THEY WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC.

Narrative: FLYING IN THE VICINITY OF PIE ON OUR FLT FROM ORD TO FLL THE CAPT SUDDENLY SAID 'THE RADIO IS PRETTY QUIET.' AT THAT POINT WE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE LAST CTLR WE WERE ASSIGNED TO WITH NO SUCCESS. USING OUR ENRTE CHART WE FOUND A FREQ (ZMA) AND RE-ESTABLISHED COM. WE NEVER HEARD ANY HANDOUT INSTRUCTIONS AND DID NOT READ BACK ANY. WE DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG WE WERE OUT OF REACH.

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.

During cruise, vicinity pie, flight crew discovers that for an indefinite period they were not in contact with ATC.