A320 crew flew out of radio range. The crew got a TCASII RA in ZOB class a.

Attributes
ACN	626189
Time
Date	200408
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : jhw.vor
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 30000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob.artcc
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 115 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	626189
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	626183
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment : tcas other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

I was flying in cruise FL290. I noticed that we had not taled to ATC lately and the radio xmissions were wea. I ased the first officer to ch in with ATC. He did and was unable to get them up. We wrote an ACARS note to dispatch asing them to get us a frequency. Then we got a TCASII RA to climb. We climbed up to FL300, then got a clear of conflict message. We descended bac down to FL290, called on 121.5 to see if someone could help us with an ATC frequency. An airline pilot came bac with a frequency which we contacted ATC. We reported the TCASII and they said they were aware of it. We continued on with an uneventful flight. We do not now if we missed an ATC call, or if they forgot to hand us off. We were never off course or altitude when we got the TCASII. We both were tired from the early departure out of sfo and delays in phx. Dispatch finally got bac to us with the same ATC frequency the airline pilot had given us. We were already in contact by then. We landed uneventfully in lga. Supplemental information from acn 626183: we were on course, on altitude, when we realized that we had not heard from ATC for awhile, so we called them and got no answer. Apparently, we had flown out of their sector. We do not thin that we missed a call, we thin they simply did not hand us over. We never did see the aircraft, if there was one, that caused the TCASII warning and RA. The closest airplane that I saw on the radar was at our altitude about 30 mi away, in front of us. We suspect it was maybe a fighter sent to tae a loo?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW FLEW OUT OF RADIO RANGE. THE CREW GOT A TCASII RA IN ZOB CLASS A.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING IN CRUISE FL290. I NOTICED THAT WE HAD NOT TALED TO ATC LATELY AND THE RADIO XMISSIONS WERE WEA. I ASED THE FO TO CH IN WITH ATC. HE DID AND WAS UNABLE TO GET THEM UP. WE WROTE AN ACARS NOTE TO DISPATCH ASING THEM TO GET US A FREQ. THEN WE GOT A TCASII RA TO CLB. WE CLBED UP TO FL300, THEN GOT A CLR OF CONFLICT MESSAGE. WE DSNDED BAC DOWN TO FL290, CALLED ON 121.5 TO SEE IF SOMEONE COULD HELP US WITH AN ATC FREQ. AN AIRLINE PLT CAME BAC WITH A FREQ WHICH WE CONTACTED ATC. WE RPTED THE TCASII AND THEY SAID THEY WERE AWARE OF IT. WE CONTINUED ON WITH AN UNEVENTFUL FLT. WE DO NOT NOW IF WE MISSED AN ATC CALL, OR IF THEY FORGOT TO HAND US OFF. WE WERE NEVER OFF COURSE OR ALT WHEN WE GOT THE TCASII. WE BOTH WERE TIRED FROM THE EARLY DEP OUT OF SFO AND DELAYS IN PHX. DISPATCH FINALLY GOT BAC TO US WITH THE SAME ATC FREQ THE AIRLINE PLT HAD GIVEN US. WE WERE ALREADY IN CONTACT BY THEN. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN LGA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 626183: WE WERE ON COURSE, ON ALT, WHEN WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD NOT HEARD FROM ATC FOR AWHILE, SO WE CALLED THEM AND GOT NO ANSWER. APPARENTLY, WE HAD FLOWN OUT OF THEIR SECTOR. WE DO NOT THIN THAT WE MISSED A CALL, WE THIN THEY SIMPLY DID NOT HAND US OVER. WE NEVER DID SEE THE ACFT, IF THERE WAS ONE, THAT CAUSED THE TCASII WARNING AND RA. THE CLOSEST AIRPLANE THAT I SAW ON THE RADAR WAS AT OUR ALT ABOUT 30 MI AWAY, IN FRONT OF US. WE SUSPECT IT WAS MAYBE A FIGHTER SENT TO TAE A LOO?

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.