Narrative:

While in cruise along J6 near hvq we were communicating with indy center on our #1 communication. At some point we lost contact with center. By the time this was discovered we were somewhere in either washington or new york center airspace. We tried contacting center on the last assigned frequency with no reply. I began checking the commercial high route chart to find an appropriate frequency. The first officer called a local FSS and advised them of our situation. They looked up a frequency for us to contact ny center. We tried that frequency but without success. We contacted the FSS again and they gave us another frequency. We made contact with new york center who then had us stand by while they tried to identify us. They came back with another frequency, this time for boston center. We contacted boston center and was finally on the correct frequency. We were assigned a heading and given lower. By this time we were 70 mi from our destination. When we had lost contact we tried contacting center on the #2 communication without success as well. Apparently, our #1 communication on the last assigned indy center frequency was weak and we flew out of range. By the time we realized this and tried #2 communication we were still out range even though #2 could receive better. Since the appropriate center frequency's are no longer printed on the commercial charts in the main body, it was difficult and time consuming to find a proper frequency. They are all listed on the panel but with 36 frequency's to choose from it was of little use. We flew all the way through washington center airspace before we were able to make contact with ARTCC. Putting the frequency's back on the map would have been a great help. Also monitoring the assigned frequency on both communication's would have helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LJ35 CREW LOST CONTACT WITH CTR.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE ALONG J6 NEAR HVQ WE WERE COMMUNICATING WITH INDY CENTER ON OUR #1 COM. AT SOME POINT WE LOST CONTACT WITH CTR. BY THE TIME THIS WAS DISCOVERED WE WERE SOMEWHERE IN EITHER WASHINGTON OR NEW YORK CTR AIRSPACE. WE TRIED CONTACTING CTR ON THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ WITH NO REPLY. I BEGAN CHECKING THE COMMERCIAL HIGH ROUTE CHART TO FIND AN APPROPRIATE FREQ. THE FO CALLED A LOCAL FSS AND ADVISED THEM OF OUR SIT. THEY LOOKED UP A FREQ FOR US TO CONTACT NY CTR. WE TRIED THAT FREQ BUT WITHOUT SUCCESS. WE CONTACTED THE FSS AGAIN AND THEY GAVE US ANOTHER FREQ. WE MADE CONTACT WITH NEW YORK CTR WHO THEN HAD US STAND BY WHILE THEY TRIED TO IDENTIFY US. THEY CAME BACK WITH ANOTHER FREQ, THIS TIME FOR BOSTON CTR. WE CONTACTED BOSTON CTR AND WAS FINALLY ON THE CORRECT FREQ. WE WERE ASSIGNED A HDG AND GIVEN LOWER. BY THIS TIME WE WERE 70 MI FROM OUR DESTINATION. WHEN WE HAD LOST CONTACT WE TRIED CONTACTING CTR ON THE #2 COM WITHOUT SUCCESS AS WELL. APPARENTLY, OUR #1 COM ON THE LAST ASSIGNED INDY CTR FREQ WAS WEAK AND WE FLEW OUT OF RANGE. BY THE TIME WE REALIZED THIS AND TRIED #2 COM WE WERE STILL OUT RANGE EVEN THOUGH #2 COULD RECEIVE BETTER. SINCE THE APPROPRIATE CTR FREQ'S ARE NO LONGER PRINTED ON THE COMMERCIAL CHARTS IN THE MAIN BODY, IT WAS DIFFICULT AND TIME CONSUMING TO FIND A PROPER FREQ. THEY ARE ALL LISTED ON THE PANEL BUT WITH 36 FREQ'S TO CHOOSE FROM IT WAS OF LITTLE USE. WE FLEW ALL THE WAY THROUGH WASHINGTON CTR AIRSPACE BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ARTCC. PUTTING THE FREQ'S BACK ON THE MAP WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT HELP. ALSO MONITORING THE ASSIGNED FREQ ON BOTH COM'S WOULD HAVE HELPED.

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.