A DC10 crew at cruise altitude was advised by a ZKC radar controller that he had called several times but was unable to make contact.

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Attributes
ACN	592489
Time
Date	200308
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zkc.artcc
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zkc.artcc
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 122 flight time total : 20400 flight time type : 675
ASRS Report	592489
Person 2
Function	oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : radar/mode c aircraft equipment : tcas other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Miss Distance	horizontal : 24000
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Operational Error

Narrative:

From our viewpoint, the flight proceeded uneventfully from takeoff to landing. We were checking in with each ATC facility and switching frequencys normally. The first officer and so were on headset, and the captain had the overhead speaker turned up. (The captain's communication system had been previously written up for problems transmitting.) we never received any word from any ATC facility that something was abnormal. However, the next morning our company advised us that ZKC lost separation between us and another flight. It seems the controller failed to provide sufficient heading changes to the other aircraft, with whom he was in contact. Although ZKC claims they tried to contact us several times as the conflict developed, none of us heard the calls. We have subsequently been advised by our company that this particular quadrant and frequency in ZKC has repeatedly lost contact with aircraft on other occasions, suggesting a radio 'dead zone' may exist in the area.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 CREW AT CRUISE ALT WAS ADVISED BY A ZKC RADAR CTLR THAT HE HAD CALLED SEVERAL TIMES BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT.

Narrative: FROM OUR VIEWPOINT, THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY FROM TKOF TO LNDG. WE WERE CHKING IN WITH EACH ATC FACILITY AND SWITCHING FREQS NORMALLY. THE FO AND SO WERE ON HEADSET, AND THE CAPT HAD THE OVERHEAD SPEAKER TURNED UP. (THE CAPT'S COM SYS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN UP FOR PROBS XMITTING.) WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY WORD FROM ANY ATC FACILITY THAT SOMETHING WAS ABNORMAL. HOWEVER, THE NEXT MORNING OUR COMPANY ADVISED US THAT ZKC LOST SEPARATION BTWN US AND ANOTHER FLT. IT SEEMS THE CTLR FAILED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT HDG CHANGES TO THE OTHER ACFT, WITH WHOM HE WAS IN CONTACT. ALTHOUGH ZKC CLAIMS THEY TRIED TO CONTACT US SEVERAL TIMES AS THE CONFLICT DEVELOPED, NONE OF US HEARD THE CALLS. WE HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY BEEN ADVISED BY OUR COMPANY THAT THIS PARTICULAR QUADRANT AND FREQ IN ZKC HAS REPEATEDLY LOST CONTACT WITH ACFT ON OTHER OCCASIONS, SUGGESTING A RADIO 'DEAD ZONE' MAY EXIST IN THE AREA.

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.