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On the first functional test flight of a cessna citation the crew determines they may have lost communication capability since they could hear but their calls to ATC are not answered. Once turning back toward their origin ATC takes note and calls them. The crew assumes the controller was working multiple sectors and or frequencys causing him to miss their earlier calls.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 526390 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200110 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | navaid : ict.vortac |
| State Reference | KS |
| Altitude | msl single value : 15000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : ict.tracon |
| Operator | general aviation : corporate |
| Make Model Name | Citation II S2/Bravo |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Flight Phase | cruise : enroute altitude change cruise : level descent : vacating altitude |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : corporate |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 290 |
| ASRS Report | 526390 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation |
| Resolutory Action | aircraft : equipment problem dissipated controller : issued advisory |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Facility ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
This was the first flight of a citation bravo. Low altitude testing was completed in the 'practicing area' west of wichita, ks. Low altitude tests are done VFR and in radio contact with wichita approach control. At the completion of these tests, an IFR clearance was received from wichita approach control to go to an area encompassing southwest kansas to accomplish the high altitude tests. We had completed tests south of hutchinson, ks, and had established a westerly heading towards the test area. The clearance from wichita approach was 'cleared as filed, maintain 15000 ft, expect FL350 in 10 mins.' we then tried to establish initial radio contact with ZKC. We tried multiple times, switching between the 2 radios. At one point, ATC transmitted our call sign in an attempt to make contact. Although we could hear other traffic on the radio, our calls remained unanswered. Having flown further westerly longer than was usual and suspecting radio problems (rare, but not unheard of for a first flight), we turned back towards wichita. Coincidentally, at the completion of the turn, contact was made with ATC. He asked us what our assigned heading was. I replied that we had been given none. He then asked us why we were heading east. I replied that we could not communicate with ATC and were returning to wichita. A new heading and clearance was given and the rest of the flight was uneventful. The radios operated normally the rest of the flight. Having myself been caught in class a airspace with radio problems, and knowing the frustrations and obvious difficulties that ATC has with this type of problem, it was an easy decision to remain clear of class a and return home. In hindsight, I can only suspect that individual sectors were slow and that the controller was given the task of monitoring multiple sectors and was subsequently busy on multiple frequencys.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ON THE FIRST FUNCTIONAL TEST FLT OF A CESSNA CITATION THE CREW DETERMINES THEY MAY HAVE LOST COM CAPABILITY SINCE THEY COULD HEAR BUT THEIR CALLS TO ATC ARE NOT ANSWERED. ONCE TURNING BACK TOWARD THEIR ORIGIN ATC TAKES NOTE AND CALLS THEM. THE CREW ASSUMES THE CTLR WAS WORKING MULTIPLE SECTORS AND OR FREQS CAUSING HIM TO MISS THEIR EARLIER CALLS.
Narrative: THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT OF A CITATION BRAVO. LOW ALT TESTING WAS COMPLETED IN THE 'PRACTICING AREA' W OF WICHITA, KS. LOW ALT TESTS ARE DONE VFR AND IN RADIO CONTACT WITH WICHITA APCH CTL. AT THE COMPLETION OF THESE TESTS, AN IFR CLRNC WAS RECEIVED FROM WICHITA APCH CTL TO GO TO AN AREA ENCOMPASSING SW KANSAS TO ACCOMPLISH THE HIGH ALT TESTS. WE HAD COMPLETED TESTS S OF HUTCHINSON, KS, AND HAD ESTABLISHED A WESTERLY HEADING TOWARDS THE TEST AREA. THE CLRNC FROM WICHITA APCH WAS 'CLRED AS FILED, MAINTAIN 15000 FT, EXPECT FL350 IN 10 MINS.' WE THEN TRIED TO ESTABLISH INITIAL RADIO CONTACT WITH ZKC. WE TRIED MULTIPLE TIMES, SWITCHING BTWN THE 2 RADIOS. AT ONE POINT, ATC XMITTED OUR CALL SIGN IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE CONTACT. ALTHOUGH WE COULD HEAR OTHER TFC ON THE RADIO, OUR CALLS REMAINED UNANSWERED. HAVING FLOWN FURTHER WESTERLY LONGER THAN WAS USUAL AND SUSPECTING RADIO PROBS (RARE, BUT NOT UNHEARD OF FOR A FIRST FLT), WE TURNED BACK TOWARDS WICHITA. COINCIDENTALLY, AT THE COMPLETION OF THE TURN, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH ATC. HE ASKED US WHAT OUR ASSIGNED HEADING WAS. I REPLIED THAT WE HAD BEEN GIVEN NONE. HE THEN ASKED US WHY WE WERE HEADING E. I REPLIED THAT WE COULD NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ATC AND WERE RETURNING TO WICHITA. A NEW HEADING AND CLRNC WAS GIVEN AND THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE RADIOS OPERATED NORMALLY THE REST OF THE FLT. HAVING MYSELF BEEN CAUGHT IN CLASS A AIRSPACE WITH RADIO PROBS, AND KNOWING THE FRUSTRATIONS AND OBVIOUS DIFFICULTIES THAT ATC HAS WITH THIS TYPE OF PROB, IT WAS AN EASY DECISION TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS A AND RETURN HOME. IN HINDSIGHT, I CAN ONLY SUSPECT THAT INDIVIDUAL SECTORS WERE SLOW AND THAT THE CTLR WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF MONITORING MULTIPLE SECTORS AND WAS SUBSEQUENTLY BUSY ON MULTIPLE FREQS.
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.