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Flight crew of a B737-700 lost communications with ARTCC when they inadvertently lost the assigned radio frequency due to improperly switching to the use of a different radio. Another air carrier flight crew provided the proper frequency with which to reestablish communications.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 467140 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200003 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ewr.airport |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Route In Use | arrival star : fqm.fqm 1 |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zny.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 467140 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : radio com. freq. other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were on radar vectors off the fqm.FQM1 arrival into ewr. Center put us on a heading. Captain went off #1 radios to #2 radios to call in-range. Approximately 10 mins later when captain came back to take over #1 radios I said it sure seemed quiet. Then I heard our operations on the #1 radio head. When I looked down the #1 radio head was showing operations for the #2 radio. Captain and I immediately tried various center frequencys as shown on the hi/low altitude chart. We were unsuccessful on all frequencys. I continued flying the aircraft while he tried more frequencys. He then went up to 121.5 and an air carrier Y flight was able to get us a good frequency. We contacted center and resumed our flight with no other problems. WX was clear and we were not close to any other aircraft at any time as observed on the TCASII. The radio heads in our new generation aircraft are prone to this type of radio head changing (all radios can be controled from 1 head). I feel this is a or could be a big safety problem especially in bad WX or if someone inadvertently pushes the wrong button. (Radio selector heads very poorly designed.) I have seen this happen many times before.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF A B737-700 LOST COMS WITH ARTCC WHEN THEY INADVERTENTLY LOST THE ASSIGNED RADIO FREQ DUE TO IMPROPERLY SWITCHING TO THE USE OF A DIFFERENT RADIO. ANOTHER ACR FLC PROVIDED THE PROPER FREQ WITH WHICH TO REESTABLISH COMS.
Narrative: WE WERE ON RADAR VECTORS OFF THE FQM.FQM1 ARR INTO EWR. CTR PUT US ON A HEADING. CAPT WENT OFF #1 RADIOS TO #2 RADIOS TO CALL IN-RANGE. APPROX 10 MINS LATER WHEN CAPT CAME BACK TO TAKE OVER #1 RADIOS I SAID IT SURE SEEMED QUIET. THEN I HEARD OUR OPS ON THE #1 RADIO HEAD. WHEN I LOOKED DOWN THE #1 RADIO HEAD WAS SHOWING OPS FOR THE #2 RADIO. CAPT AND I IMMEDIATELY TRIED VARIOUS CTR FREQS AS SHOWN ON THE HI/LOW ALT CHART. WE WERE UNSUCCESSFUL ON ALL FREQS. I CONTINUED FLYING THE ACFT WHILE HE TRIED MORE FREQS. HE THEN WENT UP TO 121.5 AND AN ACR Y FLT WAS ABLE TO GET US A GOOD FREQ. WE CONTACTED CTR AND RESUMED OUR FLT WITH NO OTHER PROBS. WX WAS CLR AND WE WERE NOT CLOSE TO ANY OTHER ACFT AT ANY TIME AS OBSERVED ON THE TCASII. THE RADIO HEADS IN OUR NEW GENERATION ACFT ARE PRONE TO THIS TYPE OF RADIO HEAD CHANGING (ALL RADIOS CAN BE CTLED FROM 1 HEAD). I FEEL THIS IS A OR COULD BE A BIG SAFETY PROB ESPECIALLY IN BAD WX OR IF SOMEONE INADVERTENTLY PUSHES THE WRONG BUTTON. (RADIO SELECTOR HEADS VERY POORLY DESIGNED.) I HAVE SEEN THIS HAPPEN MANY TIMES BEFORE.
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.