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Flight crew of a B737-300 thought that they were cleared to a higher altitude during climb, but stopped at previous altitude when they received no reply to their call for clarification. ARTCC controller advised that their common communication frequency was having intermittent problems.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 461840 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200002 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : maf.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | msl single value : 17000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zfw.artcc tracon : s46.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | climbout : vacating altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 17000 flight time type : 15000 |
| ASRS Report | 461840 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 462120 |
| Events | |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : com freq problem other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Facility |
| Primary Problem | ATC Facility |
Narrative:
Climbing out of maf we were given a frequency change to ZFW. ZFW gave us a clearance to 17000 ft and we acknowledged it. While climbing to 17000 ft, we received what we thought was a further clearance to FL240. When we asked to confirm FL240, ZFW never responded to several of our calls. We decided to level off at 17000 ft and switch back to our previous frequency -- maf departure. Midland departure gave us a new frequency and we called ZFW again. ZFW questioned our altitude and said we were never cleared to FL240. They were having radio problems on the first frequency and that might account for why we were having trouble communicating with them. We asked if there was a problem or if we needed to file any paperwork and she responded no, there was no traffic conflict that we knew of.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B737-300 THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE CLRED TO A HIGHER ALT DURING CLB, BUT STOPPED AT PREVIOUS ALT WHEN THEY RECEIVED NO REPLY TO THEIR CALL FOR CLARIFICATION. ARTCC CTLR ADVISED THAT THEIR COMMON COM FREQ WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT PROBS.
Narrative: CLBING OUT OF MAF WE WERE GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE TO ZFW. ZFW GAVE US A CLRNC TO 17000 FT AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED IT. WHILE CLBING TO 17000 FT, WE RECEIVED WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS A FURTHER CLRNC TO FL240. WHEN WE ASKED TO CONFIRM FL240, ZFW NEVER RESPONDED TO SEVERAL OF OUR CALLS. WE DECIDED TO LEVEL OFF AT 17000 FT AND SWITCH BACK TO OUR PREVIOUS FREQ -- MAF DEP. MIDLAND DEP GAVE US A NEW FREQ AND WE CALLED ZFW AGAIN. ZFW QUESTIONED OUR ALT AND SAID WE WERE NEVER CLRED TO FL240. THEY WERE HAVING RADIO PROBS ON THE FIRST FREQ AND THAT MIGHT ACCOUNT FOR WHY WE WERE HAVING TROUBLE COMMUNICATING WITH THEM. WE ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB OR IF WE NEEDED TO FILE ANY PAPERWORK AND SHE RESPONDED NO, THERE WAS NO TFC CONFLICT THAT WE KNEW OF.
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.