Narrative:

During taxi to runway 27 mem, we called tower to let them know we were ready for takeoff. Tower told us to 'taxi into position and hold, there is an aircraft 2 mi outside of the marker, inbound for landing.' we completed our checklist before we rolled onto the runway. As I looked out my left side window to check the traffic, I told the crew that it looked to be closer than 2 mi outside the marker. The first officer suggested that we turn on the stuubs. The fact that we were late due to maintenance on another aircraft and there was no other aircraft around, I said yes to his suggestion. As we sat in position waiting for ATC to give permission for takeoff, I couldn't help feeling the aircraft on final was going to land on us. After receiving no call from tower and knowing the landing aircraft was getting nearer, I asked the first officer to let tower know we were in position and ready to go. The tower called back and replied, 'yea, I know!!' and then gave the aircraft on go around heading and altitude for landing on one of the parallel runways. Tower came back and notified us that he had twice called us with permission for takeoff. We never heard his calls. As a matter of fact, we heard nothing after receiving the instruction to taxi into position and hold. I know we were alert because we were all growing uneasy as the time passed, knowing there was landing traffic behind us. During climb out we told tower that we had not heard any of his calls. He asked the other aircraft if they had heard his calls giving us permission to take off and they replied that yes they had. Tower came back and stated that he had worked at mem for a number of years and was aware of some 'dead spots' on the airport. He also asked me to pass on what happened to my company. I have no clue what went wrong. It's like the radios just went dead for a time and then started working after we called the tower. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter indicated that the air carrier uses #2 VHF radio for ATC communication. The air carrier did a complete check out of the radio system in the aircraft and no discrepancies could be found. Pilot did not know what antenna was connected to the #2 radio. A complete report was submitted to the air carrier safety department. To date the pilot has heard nothing from them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 CREW LOST COM WITH ATCT LCL CTLR WHILE HOLDING IN POS ON RWY 27 AT MEM. AN ACFT ON FINAL WAS REQUIRED TO GO AROUND.

Narrative: DURING TAXI TO RWY 27 MEM, WE CALLED TWR TO LET THEM KNOW WE WERE READY FOR TKOF. TWR TOLD US TO 'TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD, THERE IS AN ACFT 2 MI OUTSIDE OF THE MARKER, INBOUND FOR LNDG.' WE COMPLETED OUR CHKLIST BEFORE WE ROLLED ONTO THE RWY. AS I LOOKED OUT MY L SIDE WINDOW TO CHK THE TFC, I TOLD THE CREW THAT IT LOOKED TO BE CLOSER THAN 2 MI OUTSIDE THE MARKER. THE FO SUGGESTED THAT WE TURN ON THE STUUBS. THE FACT THAT WE WERE LATE DUE TO MAINT ON ANOTHER ACFT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER ACFT AROUND, I SAID YES TO HIS SUGGESTION. AS WE SAT IN POS WAITING FOR ATC TO GIVE PERMISSION FOR TKOF, I COULDN'T HELP FEELING THE ACFT ON FINAL WAS GOING TO LAND ON US. AFTER RECEIVING NO CALL FROM TWR AND KNOWING THE LNDG ACFT WAS GETTING NEARER, I ASKED THE FO TO LET TWR KNOW WE WERE IN POS AND READY TO GO. THE TWR CALLED BACK AND REPLIED, 'YEA, I KNOW!!' AND THEN GAVE THE ACFT ON GAR HEADING AND ALT FOR LNDG ON ONE OF THE PARALLEL RWYS. TWR CAME BACK AND NOTIFIED US THAT HE HAD TWICE CALLED US WITH PERMISSION FOR TKOF. WE NEVER HEARD HIS CALLS. AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HEARD NOTHING AFTER RECEIVING THE INSTRUCTION TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD. I KNOW WE WERE ALERT BECAUSE WE WERE ALL GROWING UNEASY AS THE TIME PASSED, KNOWING THERE WAS LNDG TFC BEHIND US. DURING CLBOUT WE TOLD TWR THAT WE HAD NOT HEARD ANY OF HIS CALLS. HE ASKED THE OTHER ACFT IF THEY HAD HEARD HIS CALLS GIVING US PERMISSION TO TAKE OFF AND THEY REPLIED THAT YES THEY HAD. TWR CAME BACK AND STATED THAT HE HAD WORKED AT MEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND WAS AWARE OF SOME 'DEAD SPOTS' ON THE ARPT. HE ALSO ASKED ME TO PASS ON WHAT HAPPENED TO MY COMPANY. I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT WENT WRONG. IT'S LIKE THE RADIOS JUST WENT DEAD FOR A TIME AND THEN STARTED WORKING AFTER WE CALLED THE TWR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR INDICATED THAT THE ACR USES #2 VHF RADIO FOR ATC COM. THE ACR DID A COMPLETE CHK OUT OF THE RADIO SYS IN THE ACFT AND NO DISCREPANCIES COULD BE FOUND. PLT DID NOT KNOW WHAT ANTENNA WAS CONNECTED TO THE #2 RADIO. A COMPLETE RPT WAS SUBMITTED TO THE ACR SAFETY DEPT. TO DATE THE PLT HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM THEM.

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.