Narrative:

While at final cruise altitude FL310, on course of filed flight plan, paris approach control said they were unable to contact us for an extended time period. We were hearing other xmissions from time-to-time, unconcerned since we were at our final cruise flight level and established on course -- xmissions to us were expected to be few. Workload was light with no distrs. Radios were working fine as we transmitted and received fine. When xmissions heard faded I realized we probably were not on proper frequency. Quickly re-established contact from a chart frequency. Flight continued with no other interruptions. We had not received or acknowledged any frequency changes so we were unaware of the concern. I do not know why they lost communication with us. Supplemental information from acn 466306: paris center was unable to contact our aircraft. We re-established radio contact south of caen, france, where paris and brest control meet. Paris center filed a complaint. I truly feel the controller near dijon forgot to give us a frequency change until we were out of his range. The captain checked in with our controller in the vicinity of dij. We continued to hear other aircraft transmitting on the frequency, as well as controller xmissions for quite some time. The captain had his speaker on at a volume that made it easy for me to hear all radio traffic. I also had my headset on. During the entire time in question, we had minimal conversation, no distrs, no flight attendants present on the flight deck, or calls on the interphone. The relief pilot was on break and not present for the entire transit over france. Our maps were out, I had the entire supplementary map of western france open on top of my flight kit. Some time later, the captain and I both picked up on the fact that a transmission by an air carrier was fading in and out, and the last controller reply had been broken. Right up until this time, we had continued to hear frequent radio traffic. The captain made a radio check and received no reply. I looked at my map and found a center frequency for our location, which was galbo intersection, on UN491, south of caen, france. The captain made 2 more attempts to contact center on the old frequency, with negative results. I told him I would call while he continued to look for other possible frequencys. I dialed in 134.830, and called center. There was an immediate reply, by a female controller, who asked for our location. She issued a frequency change to us, and made no other comment. I dialed in the frequency, but the captain made the call. The controller was a male, who immediately answered, 'air carrier X, you are radar contact, cleared direct to takas.' no other comments were made by any french controller. I cannot emphasize enough that we were maintaining a solid radio watch, with no distrs during the entire time in question, and heard considerable radio traffic right up to the first time that we heard the broken, faded transmission from the air carrier Y.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW FLEW OUT OF VHF COM COVERAGE IN FRENCH AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE AT FINAL CRUISE ALT FL310, ON COURSE OF FILED FLT PLAN, PARIS APCH CTL SAID THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT US FOR AN EXTENDED TIME PERIOD. WE WERE HEARING OTHER XMISSIONS FROM TIME-TO-TIME, UNCONCERNED SINCE WE WERE AT OUR FINAL CRUISE FLT LEVEL AND ESTABLISHED ON COURSE -- XMISSIONS TO US WERE EXPECTED TO BE FEW. WORKLOAD WAS LIGHT WITH NO DISTRS. RADIOS WERE WORKING FINE AS WE XMITTED AND RECEIVED FINE. WHEN XMISSIONS HEARD FADED I REALIZED WE PROBABLY WERE NOT ON PROPER FREQ. QUICKLY RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT FROM A CHART FREQ. FLT CONTINUED WITH NO OTHER INTERRUPTIONS. WE HAD NOT RECEIVED OR ACKNOWLEDGED ANY FREQ CHANGES SO WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE CONCERN. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THEY LOST COM WITH US. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 466306: PARIS CTR WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT OUR ACFT. WE RE-ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT S OF CAEN, FRANCE, WHERE PARIS AND BREST CTL MEET. PARIS CTR FILED A COMPLAINT. I TRULY FEEL THE CTLR NEAR DIJON FORGOT TO GIVE US A FREQ CHANGE UNTIL WE WERE OUT OF HIS RANGE. THE CAPT CHKED IN WITH OUR CTLR IN THE VICINITY OF DIJ. WE CONTINUED TO HEAR OTHER ACFT XMITTING ON THE FREQ, AS WELL AS CTLR XMISSIONS FOR QUITE SOME TIME. THE CAPT HAD HIS SPEAKER ON AT A VOLUME THAT MADE IT EASY FOR ME TO HEAR ALL RADIO TFC. I ALSO HAD MY HEADSET ON. DURING THE ENTIRE TIME IN QUESTION, WE HAD MINIMAL CONVERSATION, NO DISTRS, NO FLT ATTENDANTS PRESENT ON THE FLT DECK, OR CALLS ON THE INTERPHONE. THE RELIEF PLT WAS ON BREAK AND NOT PRESENT FOR THE ENTIRE TRANSIT OVER FRANCE. OUR MAPS WERE OUT, I HAD THE ENTIRE SUPPLEMENTARY MAP OF WESTERN FRANCE OPEN ON TOP OF MY FLT KIT. SOME TIME LATER, THE CAPT AND I BOTH PICKED UP ON THE FACT THAT A XMISSION BY AN ACR WAS FADING IN AND OUT, AND THE LAST CTLR REPLY HAD BEEN BROKEN. RIGHT UP UNTIL THIS TIME, WE HAD CONTINUED TO HEAR FREQUENT RADIO TFC. THE CAPT MADE A RADIO CHK AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I LOOKED AT MY MAP AND FOUND A CTR FREQ FOR OUR LOCATION, WHICH WAS GALBO INTXN, ON UN491, SOUTH OF CAEN, FRANCE. THE CAPT MADE 2 MORE ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT CTR ON THE OLD FREQ, WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. I TOLD HIM I WOULD CALL WHILE HE CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR OTHER POSSIBLE FREQS. I DIALED IN 134.830, AND CALLED CTR. THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE REPLY, BY A FEMALE CTLR, WHO ASKED FOR OUR LOCATION. SHE ISSUED A FREQ CHANGE TO US, AND MADE NO OTHER COMMENT. I DIALED IN THE FREQ, BUT THE CAPT MADE THE CALL. THE CTLR WAS A MALE, WHO IMMEDIATELY ANSWERED, 'ACR X, YOU ARE RADAR CONTACT, CLRED DIRECT TO TAKAS.' NO OTHER COMMENTS WERE MADE BY ANY FRENCH CTLR. I CANNOT EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT WE WERE MAINTAINING A SOLID RADIO WATCH, WITH NO DISTRS DURING THE ENTIRE TIME IN QUESTION, AND HEARD CONSIDERABLE RADIO TFC RIGHT UP TO THE FIRST TIME THAT WE HEARD THE BROKEN, FADED XMISSION FROM THE ACR Y.

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.