A320 flight crew notified of another in-flight radio failure via company ACARS equipment.

Attributes
ACN	530024
Time
Date	200111
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zau.artcc
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 39000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zau.artcc tower : teb.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
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 : 180 flight time total : 10514 flight time type : 1788
ASRS Report	530024
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : vhf com other controllera
Resolutory Action	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

En route from burlington to chicago FL390, unknown to us, we had lost communications with ATC. After querying ATC about the silence, they concurred that we had not responded to attempts to contact us. VHF radio #1 worked fine when we transmitted. VHF #2 had been written up earlier as weak and garbled. Approximately 30 mins later, we received a message from dispatcher via dispatch saying that ATC was looking for us. Again our radio had just gone silent and we never received their xmissions. Approaching chicago, the radio went silent for the third time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLC NOTIFIED OF ANOTHER INFLT RADIO FAILURE VIA COMPANY ACARS EQUIP.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM BURLINGTON TO CHICAGO FL390, UNKNOWN TO US, WE HAD LOST COMS WITH ATC. AFTER QUERYING ATC ABOUT THE SILENCE, THEY CONCURRED THAT WE HAD NOT RESPONDED TO ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT US. VHF RADIO #1 WORKED FINE WHEN WE XMITTED. VHF #2 HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP EARLIER AS WEAK AND GARBLED. APPROX 30 MINS LATER, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM DISPATCHER VIA DISPATCH SAYING THAT ATC WAS LOOKING FOR US. AGAIN OUR RADIO HAD JUST GONE SILENT AND WE NEVER RECEIVED THEIR XMISSIONS. APCHING CHICAGO, THE RADIO WENT SILENT FOR THE THIRD TIME.

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.