Narrative:

While approaching nassau at FL190 we were advised by ZMA to descend to 11000 ft. We replied '11000 ft' as we initiated the descent and only a few moments later did ATC again issue clearance to 11000 ft MSL. We again gave reply, but apparently they could not hear us. We could hear them clearly and were issued a clearance to stop at 15000 ft MSL and squawk identify on our transponder, as we did. The aircraft was already starting past 15000 ft when the command was issued, but in no instance were we under 14800 ft for more than 3 seconds during the recovery towards 15000 ft. We were on frequency 134.20 MHZ as indicated by previous controller and had heard all xmissions on that frequency without problem throughout the flight from mco to mynn (nassau). It was only after the problem we encountered in communicating with this controller that we attempted contact on a prior frequency of 125.70 MHZ with VHF #2 and that proved successful. We also attempted to contact the problem controller on VHF #2 with frequency 134.20, but still did not receive confirmation of our xmissions on that transmitter either. We were able to finally establish 2-WAY contact on frequency 133.40 MHZ after the controller on 125.70 MHZ kindly advised us to try that one. The controller on 133.40 MHZ was indeed the same controller working 134.20 MHZ and immediately told us that he had been attempting contact with us for some time. We told him that we could hear him clearly (hence our leveling at 15000 ft and squawk reply) and that we were also attempting contact the entire time. He cleared us to the original altitude of 11000 ft MSL and as we were descending we could hear a dash 8 on climb out from NAS. It was apparent that the reason we were held at 15000 ft after the original clearance to 11000 ft was the lack of communication on the controller's part and the outbound aircraft from NAS. What the controller assumed was that we were either not responding purposely or radios were not functioning, both of which were not the case. The controller language was borderline chastising when I believe that he simply never switched us to the appropriate frequency of 133.40 MHZ at the correct time. The flight continued on to nassau without further difficulties after we were handed off to nassau approach control (albeit at too high an altitude due to this situation) and landed uneventfully. I strongly believe that the controller was at fault in not alerting us to a frequency change earlier during the flight and that had we not heard him clearly on the frequency or attempted to establish contact using VHF #2 with the previous controller, the situation could have been very serious. The controller's attempt to blame our equipment or imply that we were not listening I feel was an improper attempt to cover his own mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT72 CREW HAD A TCASII TA AFTER THE ZMA RADAR CTLR WAS NOT ABLE TO READ THE ACFT RADIO XMISSIONS. THE CREW HEARD ZMA NORMALLY.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING NASSAU AT FL190 WE WERE ADVISED BY ZMA TO DSND TO 11000 FT. WE REPLIED '11000 FT' AS WE INITIATED THE DSCNT AND ONLY A FEW MOMENTS LATER DID ATC AGAIN ISSUE CLRNC TO 11000 FT MSL. WE AGAIN GAVE REPLY, BUT APPARENTLY THEY COULD NOT HEAR US. WE COULD HEAR THEM CLRLY AND WERE ISSUED A CLRNC TO STOP AT 15000 FT MSL AND SQUAWK IDENT ON OUR XPONDER, AS WE DID. THE ACFT WAS ALREADY STARTING PAST 15000 FT WHEN THE COMMAND WAS ISSUED, BUT IN NO INSTANCE WERE WE UNDER 14800 FT FOR MORE THAN 3 SECONDS DURING THE RECOVERY TOWARDS 15000 FT. WE WERE ON FREQ 134.20 MHZ AS INDICATED BY PREVIOUS CTLR AND HAD HEARD ALL XMISSIONS ON THAT FREQ WITHOUT PROB THROUGHOUT THE FLT FROM MCO TO MYNN (NASSAU). IT WAS ONLY AFTER THE PROB WE ENCOUNTERED IN COMMUNICATING WITH THIS CTLR THAT WE ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON A PRIOR FREQ OF 125.70 MHZ WITH VHF #2 AND THAT PROVED SUCCESSFUL. WE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE PROB CTLR ON VHF #2 WITH FREQ 134.20, BUT STILL DID NOT RECEIVE CONFIRMATION OF OUR XMISSIONS ON THAT XMITTER EITHER. WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY ESTABLISH 2-WAY CONTACT ON FREQ 133.40 MHZ AFTER THE CTLR ON 125.70 MHZ KINDLY ADVISED US TO TRY THAT ONE. THE CTLR ON 133.40 MHZ WAS INDEED THE SAME CTLR WORKING 134.20 MHZ AND IMMEDIATELY TOLD US THAT HE HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING CONTACT WITH US FOR SOME TIME. WE TOLD HIM THAT WE COULD HEAR HIM CLRLY (HENCE OUR LEVELING AT 15000 FT AND SQUAWK REPLY) AND THAT WE WERE ALSO ATTEMPTING CONTACT THE ENTIRE TIME. HE CLRED US TO THE ORIGINAL ALT OF 11000 FT MSL AND AS WE WERE DSNDING WE COULD HEAR A DASH 8 ON CLBOUT FROM NAS. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE REASON WE WERE HELD AT 15000 FT AFTER THE ORIGINAL CLRNC TO 11000 FT WAS THE LACK OF COM ON THE CTLR'S PART AND THE OUTBOUND ACFT FROM NAS. WHAT THE CTLR ASSUMED WAS THAT WE WERE EITHER NOT RESPONDING PURPOSELY OR RADIOS WERE NOT FUNCTIONING, BOTH OF WHICH WERE NOT THE CASE. THE CTLR LANGUAGE WAS BORDERLINE CHASTISING WHEN I BELIEVE THAT HE SIMPLY NEVER SWITCHED US TO THE APPROPRIATE FREQ OF 133.40 MHZ AT THE CORRECT TIME. THE FLT CONTINUED ON TO NASSAU WITHOUT FURTHER DIFFICULTIES AFTER WE WERE HANDED OFF TO NASSAU APCH CTL (ALBEIT AT TOO HIGH AN ALT DUE TO THIS SIT) AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR WAS AT FAULT IN NOT ALERTING US TO A FREQ CHANGE EARLIER DURING THE FLT AND THAT HAD WE NOT HEARD HIM CLRLY ON THE FREQ OR ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH CONTACT USING VHF #2 WITH THE PREVIOUS CTLR, THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY SERIOUS. THE CTLR'S ATTEMPT TO BLAME OUR EQUIP OR IMPLY THAT WE WERE NOT LISTENING I FEEL WAS AN IMPROPER ATTEMPT TO COVER HIS OWN MISTAKE.

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.