Narrative:

I was the first officer on a crj from santa barbara, ca, to denver, co. When we contacted ZDV in the vicinity of hbu VOR, we were advised to contact ATC by telephone when we got on the ground. The captain called ATC, and was informed that we had been out of radio contact for 600 mi. Our route took us north of lax, over las, and then to hbu VOR for the arrival into denver. The distance of 600 ft the ATC controller claims we were out of radio contact is not reasonable, and actually impossible. The distance from lax to hbu VOR is approximately 600 mi. The entire trip is 851 mi. ZLA gave us direct to las, so I know we were in contact with them. In the vicinity of las, we were advised of traffic at our 12 O'clock position, an MD80, which we sighted. It was an MD80. We were at FL330 and the MD80 was at FL310. We were in radio contact at that point. Past las, the flight attendant called us and the captain replied to the flight attendant. While the captain took the call from the flight attendant, ATC called us for a frequency handoff. I know this was a handoff to ZDV because I remember thinking, 'it's nice to be talking to denver again.' in fact, I thought about telling the controller that, but decided against it. I received a normal reply from ZDV, a male voice. In the vicinity of hbu we began to wonder why we had not been cleared for descent. I called denver and asked them for a lower altitude. A female voice said, 'oh my god!' I remember thinking, 'this is not the same controller.' she handed us off to another controller. We received vectors for the powder arrival into denver. This is a clue as to what might have started the confusion. Was there a controller change? Or, did we get handed off to the wrong controller and later handed back, but no one contacted us? If ATC was trying to contact us, all they had to do was call us. We were on the last assigned frequency -- the one we checked in on. If we had been out of contact as long as they claim, then how did we get to the proper ZDV frequency? In addition, we were monitoring comrdo on the proper frequency, according to our release, for the entire flight. We did not receive a radio call from comrdo. The longest possible time between our xmissions was 20-30 mins, and about 240 NM, the approximately distance from the western boundary of ZDV's airspace on the high altitude chart (around page, az) to blue mesa VOR (hbu) where we queried ATC about the descent. We did not deviate from any assigned route, altitude, or frequency. Furthermore, we took the initiative of querying ATC about a descent and received an immediate, clear response on our last assigned frequency from a controller who did not know our location. ACARS would have resolved this. If we had it, ATC could have used comrdo to contact us.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL65 CREW, ON A FLT FROM SBA TO DEN, WAS ASKED TO CONTACT THE ZDV SUPVR TO EXPLAIN WHY THEY WERE OUT OF CONTACT FOR 600 MI.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO ON A CRJ FROM SANTA BARBARA, CA, TO DENVER, CO. WHEN WE CONTACTED ZDV IN THE VICINITY OF HBU VOR, WE WERE ADVISED TO CONTACT ATC BY TELEPHONE WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. THE CAPT CALLED ATC, AND WAS INFORMED THAT WE HAD BEEN OUT OF RADIO CONTACT FOR 600 MI. OUR RTE TOOK US N OF LAX, OVER LAS, AND THEN TO HBU VOR FOR THE ARR INTO DENVER. THE DISTANCE OF 600 FT THE ATC CTLR CLAIMS WE WERE OUT OF RADIO CONTACT IS NOT REASONABLE, AND ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE. THE DISTANCE FROM LAX TO HBU VOR IS APPROX 600 MI. THE ENTIRE TRIP IS 851 MI. ZLA GAVE US DIRECT TO LAS, SO I KNOW WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH THEM. IN THE VICINITY OF LAS, WE WERE ADVISED OF TFC AT OUR 12 O'CLOCK POS, AN MD80, WHICH WE SIGHTED. IT WAS AN MD80. WE WERE AT FL330 AND THE MD80 WAS AT FL310. WE WERE IN RADIO CONTACT AT THAT POINT. PAST LAS, THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US AND THE CAPT REPLIED TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. WHILE THE CAPT TOOK THE CALL FROM THE FLT ATTENDANT, ATC CALLED US FOR A FREQ HDOF. I KNOW THIS WAS A HDOF TO ZDV BECAUSE I REMEMBER THINKING, 'IT'S NICE TO BE TALKING TO DENVER AGAIN.' IN FACT, I THOUGHT ABOUT TELLING THE CTLR THAT, BUT DECIDED AGAINST IT. I RECEIVED A NORMAL REPLY FROM ZDV, A MALE VOICE. IN THE VICINITY OF HBU WE BEGAN TO WONDER WHY WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED FOR DSCNT. I CALLED DENVER AND ASKED THEM FOR A LOWER ALT. A FEMALE VOICE SAID, 'OH MY GOD!' I REMEMBER THINKING, 'THIS IS NOT THE SAME CTLR.' SHE HANDED US OFF TO ANOTHER CTLR. WE RECEIVED VECTORS FOR THE POWDER ARR INTO DENVER. THIS IS A CLUE AS TO WHAT MIGHT HAVE STARTED THE CONFUSION. WAS THERE A CTLR CHANGE? OR, DID WE GET HANDED OFF TO THE WRONG CTLR AND LATER HANDED BACK, BUT NO ONE CONTACTED US? IF ATC WAS TRYING TO CONTACT US, ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS CALL US. WE WERE ON THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ -- THE ONE WE CHKED IN ON. IF WE HAD BEEN OUT OF CONTACT AS LONG AS THEY CLAIM, THEN HOW DID WE GET TO THE PROPER ZDV FREQ? IN ADDITION, WE WERE MONITORING COMRDO ON THE PROPER FREQ, ACCORDING TO OUR RELEASE, FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. WE DID NOT RECEIVE A RADIO CALL FROM COMRDO. THE LONGEST POSSIBLE TIME BTWN OUR XMISSIONS WAS 20-30 MINS, AND ABOUT 240 NM, THE APPROX DISTANCE FROM THE WESTERN BOUNDARY OF ZDV'S AIRSPACE ON THE HIGH ALT CHART (AROUND PAGE, AZ) TO BLUE MESA VOR (HBU) WHERE WE QUERIED ATC ABOUT THE DSCNT. WE DID NOT DEVIATE FROM ANY ASSIGNED RTE, ALT, OR FREQ. FURTHERMORE, WE TOOK THE INITIATIVE OF QUERYING ATC ABOUT A DSCNT AND RECEIVED AN IMMEDIATE, CLR RESPONSE ON OUR LAST ASSIGNED FREQ FROM A CTLR WHO DID NOT KNOW OUR LOCATION. ACARS WOULD HAVE RESOLVED THIS. IF WE HAD IT, ATC COULD HAVE USED COMRDO TO CONTACT US.

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.