Narrative:

Lost communication, subsequent TCASII RA. WX was clear and better than 10 SM. At 6000 ft MSL, 210 KIAS 25 mi west of cwk, lost communications with ZHU on frequency 132.4. Multiple attempts were made to re-establish communication with center. We heard another aircraft trying to raise center as well, and determined that they were having problems with their radios. At 5 mi west of cwk, switched to aus tower on 121.0. They immediately cleared us to land on runway 17R. As we made a right turn and began our descent, tower called out traffic low and to our right. We called traffic in sight. At about 5500 ft MSL, we received a temporary TCASII RA to climb. As we began to level, the TCASII went to monitor vertical speed. When clear of conflict, we proceeded to land without further incident. Once on the ground, we asked aus tower to call ZHU to verify that there had been no traffic conflicts. Tower later replied that ZHU reported no traffic conflicts and that the problem must be with our radio. We believe that our radio was working properly, as we had no other problems with it on any other frequency. We believe that the problem might be with ZHU's radio frequency, given the fact that we had to call them 4 or 5 times to establish initial radio contact. Also due to the fact that we heard other aircraft having difficulty trying to establish radio contact.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80. ZHU HAD RADIO FAILURE. TCASII RA WAS EXPERIENCED.

Narrative: LOST COM, SUBSEQUENT TCASII RA. WX WAS CLR AND BETTER THAN 10 SM. AT 6000 FT MSL, 210 KIAS 25 MI W OF CWK, LOST COMS WITH ZHU ON FREQ 132.4. MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RE-ESTABLISH COM WITH CTR. WE HEARD ANOTHER ACFT TRYING TO RAISE CTR AS WELL, AND DETERMINED THAT THEY WERE HAVING PROBS WITH THEIR RADIOS. AT 5 MI W OF CWK, SWITCHED TO AUS TWR ON 121.0. THEY IMMEDIATELY CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 17R. AS WE MADE A R TURN AND BEGAN OUR DSCNT, TWR CALLED OUT TFC LOW AND TO OUR R. WE CALLED TFC IN SIGHT. AT ABOUT 5500 FT MSL, WE RECEIVED A TEMPORARY TCASII RA TO CLB. AS WE BEGAN TO LEVEL, THE TCASII WENT TO MONITOR VERT SPD. WHEN CLR OF CONFLICT, WE PROCEEDED TO LAND WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ONCE ON THE GND, WE ASKED AUS TWR TO CALL ZHU TO VERIFY THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO TFC CONFLICTS. TWR LATER REPLIED THAT ZHU RPTED NO TFC CONFLICTS AND THAT THE PROB MUST BE WITH OUR RADIO. WE BELIEVE THAT OUR RADIO WAS WORKING PROPERLY, AS WE HAD NO OTHER PROBS WITH IT ON ANY OTHER FREQ. WE BELIEVE THAT THE PROB MIGHT BE WITH ZHU'S RADIO FREQ, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE HAD TO CALL THEM 4 OR 5 TIMES TO ESTABLISH INITIAL RADIO CONTACT. ALSO DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HEARD OTHER ACFT HAVING DIFFICULTY TRYING TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT.

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.