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An MD80 crew experienced a loss of communications with ZAU cruising at FL220.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 517684 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200107 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | msl single value : 22000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Eagle (F-15) |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 19000 flight time type : 3500 |
| ASRS Report | 517684 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 30000 vertical : 1500 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance ATC Facility |
| Primary Problem | ATC Facility |
| Air Traffic Incident | Intra Facility Coordination Failure |
Narrative:
We received a clearance with a heading for direct to uin at FL220. We were told that FL220 would be the final due to 'flow' into stl. We were using frequency XXX on ZAU. A couple of mins later we were about 95 mi north of uin and heard several aircraft try to check in with ZAU with no response from center. Then the frequency became congested with aircraft making second and third calls to center. We could not hear any response. First officer switched to the next frequency on our route which was ZKC. They instructed us to go back to XXX. He stated that they (meaning ZAU) lost communication, but were in the process of getting it back and that ZAU needed us back up on XXX. So we switched back to XXX and tried to check in. We were unable to hear ZAU. After a few mins, we got a call from another aircraft on the frequency and he stated that ZAU had asked him to relay a clearance to us to descend to FL200. We acknowledged the clearance and reported out of FL220 for FL200. At about 75 DME from uin, we saw a TCASII target just enter the screen at FL220. As we descended to FL200 we were about 70 DME from uin, when the aircraft on the TCASII passed about 5 mi off to our left. We never saw the other aircraft. A min or so later, we could hear ZAU again and he handed us off to ZKC.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD80 CREW EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF COMS WITH ZAU CRUISING AT FL220.
Narrative: WE RECEIVED A CLRNC WITH A HDG FOR DIRECT TO UIN AT FL220. WE WERE TOLD THAT FL220 WOULD BE THE FINAL DUE TO 'FLOW' INTO STL. WE WERE USING FREQ XXX ON ZAU. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER WE WERE ABOUT 95 MI N OF UIN AND HEARD SEVERAL ACFT TRY TO CHK IN WITH ZAU WITH NO RESPONSE FROM CTR. THEN THE FREQ BECAME CONGESTED WITH ACFT MAKING SECOND AND THIRD CALLS TO CTR. WE COULD NOT HEAR ANY RESPONSE. FO SWITCHED TO THE NEXT FREQ ON OUR RTE WHICH WAS ZKC. THEY INSTRUCTED US TO GO BACK TO XXX. HE STATED THAT THEY (MEANING ZAU) LOST COM, BUT WERE IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING IT BACK AND THAT ZAU NEEDED US BACK UP ON XXX. SO WE SWITCHED BACK TO XXX AND TRIED TO CHK IN. WE WERE UNABLE TO HEAR ZAU. AFTER A FEW MINS, WE GOT A CALL FROM ANOTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ AND HE STATED THAT ZAU HAD ASKED HIM TO RELAY A CLRNC TO US TO DSND TO FL200. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC AND RPTED OUT OF FL220 FOR FL200. AT ABOUT 75 DME FROM UIN, WE SAW A TCASII TARGET JUST ENTER THE SCREEN AT FL220. AS WE DSNDED TO FL200 WE WERE ABOUT 70 DME FROM UIN, WHEN THE ACFT ON THE TCASII PASSED ABOUT 5 MI OFF TO OUR L. WE NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT. A MIN OR SO LATER, WE COULD HEAR ZAU AGAIN AND HE HANDED US OFF TO ZKC.
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.