Narrative:

After resuming flts to mbj, after hurricane ivan, I called our dispatcher for a full briefing of any abnormal operations. He mentioned only that they were using 15 mins in-trail on departing aircraft. 10 mins prior to the fir boundary we attempted contact with kingston center. We were handed off from havana center at the boundary and continued to attempt contact on several frequencys. There were several other flts trying to contact them. We attempted to establish a relay. We even tried contacting sangster approach. At about 60 NM out in VMC and with the island in sight we started our descent. We then could hear bits of kingston's xmissions, after we transmitted in the blind. We heard, 'who authority/authorized you to leave FL270?' I responded, 'captain's authority/authorized.' another aircraft, air carrier Y, relayed to contact sangster tower. We leveled at FL230 and on initial contact with sangster approach on tower frequency, we were cleared, 'descend to lowest authority/authorized altitude and cleared for the omaxi arrival and the ILS runway 7 approach. We had to immediately lower the gear to get enough drag to make the descent. The flight continued uneventfully from that point.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW GOING INTO MKJS HAVE TROUBLE CONTACTING APCH CTLR AND TWR. EVENTUALLY THE FLT CREW DSND ON THEIR OWN IN VFR CONDITIONS AND THEN ARE ABLE TO CONTACT TWR.

Narrative: AFTER RESUMING FLTS TO MBJ, AFTER HURRICANE IVAN, I CALLED OUR DISPATCHER FOR A FULL BRIEFING OF ANY ABNORMAL OPS. HE MENTIONED ONLY THAT THEY WERE USING 15 MINS IN-TRAIL ON DEPARTING ACFT. 10 MINS PRIOR TO THE FIR BOUNDARY WE ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH KINGSTON CTR. WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM HAVANA CTR AT THE BOUNDARY AND CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT CONTACT ON SEVERAL FREQS. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER FLTS TRYING TO CONTACT THEM. WE ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH A RELAY. WE EVEN TRIED CONTACTING SANGSTER APCH. AT ABOUT 60 NM OUT IN VMC AND WITH THE ISLAND IN SIGHT WE STARTED OUR DSCNT. WE THEN COULD HEAR BITS OF KINGSTON'S XMISSIONS, AFTER WE XMITTED IN THE BLIND. WE HEARD, 'WHO AUTH YOU TO LEAVE FL270?' I RESPONDED, 'CAPT'S AUTH.' ANOTHER ACFT, ACR Y, RELAYED TO CONTACT SANGSTER TWR. WE LEVELED AT FL230 AND ON INITIAL CONTACT WITH SANGSTER APCH ON TWR FREQ, WE WERE CLRED, 'DSND TO LOWEST AUTH ALT AND CLRED FOR THE OMAXI ARR AND THE ILS RWY 7 APCH. WE HAD TO IMMEDIATELY LOWER THE GEAR TO GET ENOUGH DRAG TO MAKE THE DSCNT. THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY FROM THAT POINT.

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.