Narrative:

Flying from nmm to nbc as aircraft X, approximately 40 NM west of nbc, ZTL handed me off to ZJX. ZJX could not be raised and when switching back to ZTL, no one would answer either. Apparently NORDO, I began squawking 7600, maintaining FL240 and direct nbc (last assigned). I monitored guard in both radios and placed ZTL in one and ZJX in the other and made 2 more calls in the blind. Not hearing anything for 2-3 mins on guard, or ZJX, I made an additional call to ZJX, who finally answered and reassigned a squawk. Apparently ZJX lost track of how far east I had gotten and came up with the call 'turn left 270 degrees, maintain FL240' shortly followed by 'tight turn to 270 degrees, aircraft X.' I had completed approximately 90 degrees of turn when I was told 'aircraft X, right turn to 200 degrees, maintain FL240!' unsure of the reason for the urgency of the calls and perceiving the rate of turn to be the most urgent, I performed a 2-3 G right turn to 200 degrees. With this rate of turn, combined with being 270 kcas and FL240, I lost approximately 1000 ft in the turn. Another urgent call from center 'maintain 240.' I responded that I had lost 1000 ft and was expediting back to FL240.' to add more confusion to this situation, beaufort approach was calling me on guard and telling me to squawk identify and contact them. As I review this, I see 2 possible issues with this incident: 1) the 'tight turn' call may have been a 'right turn' call.' 2) the delay/lack of response to 7600 NORDO code. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: there was no problem with the radios on the aircraft. Reporter called center to see what the problem had been on their side and they indicated that there was nothing in their logs. The sound of urgency in the controller's calls was assumed to be caused by the reporter's aircraft approaching a warning area ahead. The reporter assumed that ATC was the controling agency of the warning area and there was no problem. Reporter said that he may have settled into a too relaxed cruise mode and when all this happened, he used the excess bank angle for the turn and did not add the power required to maintain speed and altitude.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MIL F18 PLT HAS COM PROB ON HDOF BTWN ZTL AND ZJX. ONCE CONTACT IS MADE, HE BECOMES DISORIENTED AND CONFUSED AS TO THE SIT, RESULTING IN AN ALTDEV.

Narrative: FLYING FROM NMM TO NBC AS ACFT X, APPROX 40 NM W OF NBC, ZTL HANDED ME OFF TO ZJX. ZJX COULD NOT BE RAISED AND WHEN SWITCHING BACK TO ZTL, NO ONE WOULD ANSWER EITHER. APPARENTLY NORDO, I BEGAN SQUAWKING 7600, MAINTAINING FL240 AND DIRECT NBC (LAST ASSIGNED). I MONITORED GUARD IN BOTH RADIOS AND PLACED ZTL IN ONE AND ZJX IN THE OTHER AND MADE 2 MORE CALLS IN THE BLIND. NOT HEARING ANYTHING FOR 2-3 MINS ON GUARD, OR ZJX, I MADE AN ADDITIONAL CALL TO ZJX, WHO FINALLY ANSWERED AND REASSIGNED A SQUAWK. APPARENTLY ZJX LOST TRACK OF HOW FAR E I HAD GOTTEN AND CAME UP WITH THE CALL 'TURN L 270 DEGS, MAINTAIN FL240' SHORTLY FOLLOWED BY 'TIGHT TURN TO 270 DEGS, ACFT X.' I HAD COMPLETED APPROX 90 DEGS OF TURN WHEN I WAS TOLD 'ACFT X, R TURN TO 200 DEGS, MAINTAIN FL240!' UNSURE OF THE REASON FOR THE URGENCY OF THE CALLS AND PERCEIVING THE RATE OF TURN TO BE THE MOST URGENT, I PERFORMED A 2-3 G R TURN TO 200 DEGS. WITH THIS RATE OF TURN, COMBINED WITH BEING 270 KCAS AND FL240, I LOST APPROX 1000 FT IN THE TURN. ANOTHER URGENT CALL FROM CTR 'MAINTAIN 240.' I RESPONDED THAT I HAD LOST 1000 FT AND WAS EXPEDITING BACK TO FL240.' TO ADD MORE CONFUSION TO THIS SIT, BEAUFORT APCH WAS CALLING ME ON GUARD AND TELLING ME TO SQUAWK IDENT AND CONTACT THEM. AS I REVIEW THIS, I SEE 2 POSSIBLE ISSUES WITH THIS INCIDENT: 1) THE 'TIGHT TURN' CALL MAY HAVE BEEN A 'R TURN' CALL.' 2) THE DELAY/LACK OF RESPONSE TO 7600 NORDO CODE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THERE WAS NO PROB WITH THE RADIOS ON THE ACFT. RPTR CALLED CTR TO SEE WHAT THE PROB HAD BEEN ON THEIR SIDE AND THEY INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN THEIR LOGS. THE SOUND OF URGENCY IN THE CTLR'S CALLS WAS ASSUMED TO BE CAUSED BY THE RPTR'S ACFT APCHING A WARNING AREA AHEAD. THE RPTR ASSUMED THAT ATC WAS THE CTLING AGENCY OF THE WARNING AREA AND THERE WAS NO PROB. RPTR SAID THAT HE MAY HAVE SETTLED INTO A TOO RELAXED CRUISE MODE AND WHEN ALL THIS HAPPENED, HE USED THE EXCESS BANK ANGLE FOR THE TURN AND DID NOT ADD THE PWR REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN SPD AND ALT.

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.