Narrative:

After holding while approaching the new york area, we were finally on a dogleg to final approach to runway 13 at lga. We were at flaps 2 degrees and 180 KTS. Fuel was a serious consideration as I figured we had only about 5 mins of contingency fuel using iad as an alternate. Just then, lga went below minimums, and we were vectored through final. I gave the aircraft to the copilot and attempted to contact dispatch to discuss our alternate plans. While waiting for a response from dispatch, I became aware that we were not hearing traffic on approach control. Several attempts from both sides of the cockpit produced no results. Changing radios did not help. I asked the copilot to 'get off the radios,' assuming he had a stuck microphone. He said he was 'off the radios.' no change. Finally I selected another radio and frequency and re-established communication. It probably took us 2-3 mins to re-establish communication. After 1 min or so, we squawked 7600M, maintaining heading, altitude, and airspeed until re-establishing ATC communication. I alter decided that the copilot did not deselect his radios, but merely was not trying to transmit. My terminology, combined with the stress of the situation (bad WX, low fuel, long day, late night, no radios in the new york airspace) made a simple problem very difficult. Lga approach very unhappy. Diverted to bwi for fuel and maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 320 CREW LOST COM WITH APCH CTL WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR A LOW VISIBILITY APCH AT LGA.

Narrative: AFTER HOLDING WHILE APCHING THE NEW YORK AREA, WE WERE FINALLY ON A DOGLEG TO FINAL APCH TO RWY 13 AT LGA. WE WERE AT FLAPS 2 DEGS AND 180 KTS. FUEL WAS A SERIOUS CONSIDERATION AS I FIGURED WE HAD ONLY ABOUT 5 MINS OF CONTINGENCY FUEL USING IAD AS AN ALTERNATE. JUST THEN, LGA WENT BELOW MINIMUMS, AND WE WERE VECTORED THROUGH FINAL. I GAVE THE ACFT TO THE COPLT AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT DISPATCH TO DISCUSS OUR ALTERNATE PLANS. WHILE WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM DISPATCH, I BECAME AWARE THAT WE WERE NOT HEARING TFC ON APCH CTL. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS FROM BOTH SIDES OF THE COCKPIT PRODUCED NO RESULTS. CHANGING RADIOS DID NOT HELP. I ASKED THE COPLT TO 'GET OFF THE RADIOS,' ASSUMING HE HAD A STUCK MIKE. HE SAID HE WAS 'OFF THE RADIOS.' NO CHANGE. FINALLY I SELECTED ANOTHER RADIO AND FREQ AND RE-ESTABLISHED COM. IT PROBABLY TOOK US 2-3 MINS TO RE-ESTABLISH COM. AFTER 1 MIN OR SO, WE SQUAWKED 7600M, MAINTAINING HDG, ALT, AND AIRSPD UNTIL RE-ESTABLISHING ATC COM. I ALTER DECIDED THAT THE COPLT DID NOT DESELECT HIS RADIOS, BUT MERELY WAS NOT TRYING TO XMIT. MY TERMINOLOGY, COMBINED WITH THE STRESS OF THE SIT (BAD WX, LOW FUEL, LONG DAY, LATE NIGHT, NO RADIOS IN THE NEW YORK AIRSPACE) MADE A SIMPLE PROB VERY DIFFICULT. LGA APCH VERY UNHAPPY. DIVERTED TO BWI FOR FUEL AND MAINT.

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.