D10 controller experienced radio failure during busy traffic session.

Attributes
ACN	659468
Time
Date	200505
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : d10.tracon
Environment
Light	Daylight
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 13
ASRS Report	659468
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : supervisor oversight : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Facility Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance
Situations
ATC Facility	communication equipment : d10.tracon

Narrative:

I had assumed the feeder east #1 position; which was combined with the feeder east #2 and dallas east position at XA47. During the position relief briefing; I was told to stay on the standby transmitters and receivers as 'they' were working on the 'mains.' about XB10; the operations manager asked me to switch to the 'mains' and stay on those. About 10 mins later; around XB20; while assigning runways and sequencing about a dozen planes; I lost communications with them. I called for the operations supervisor and he came over along with the operations manager to help. We tried the standby; back to the mains and even over to the emergency transmitter and still no communication. Then someone noticed that several of the aircraft I was trying to contact were identing with their xponders. We assumed that they could probably hear me (which turned out to be true) so I either switched them to the appropriate final controller's frequency or to my feeder east #2 frequency. No loss of separation occurred.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: D10 CTLR EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE DURING BUSY TFC SESSION.

Narrative: I HAD ASSUMED THE FEEDER E #1 POS; WHICH WAS COMBINED WITH THE FEEDER E #2 AND DALLAS E POS AT XA47. DURING THE POS RELIEF BRIEFING; I WAS TOLD TO STAY ON THE STANDBY XMITTERS AND RECEIVERS AS 'THEY' WERE WORKING ON THE 'MAINS.' ABOUT XB10; THE OPS MGR ASKED ME TO SWITCH TO THE 'MAINS' AND STAY ON THOSE. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER; AROUND XB20; WHILE ASSIGNING RWYS AND SEQUENCING ABOUT A DOZEN PLANES; I LOST COMS WITH THEM. I CALLED FOR THE OPS SUPVR AND HE CAME OVER ALONG WITH THE OPS MGR TO HELP. WE TRIED THE STANDBY; BACK TO THE MAINS AND EVEN OVER TO THE EMER XMITTER AND STILL NO COM. THEN SOMEONE NOTICED THAT SEVERAL OF THE ACFT I WAS TRYING TO CONTACT WERE IDENTING WITH THEIR XPONDERS. WE ASSUMED THAT THEY COULD PROBABLY HEAR ME (WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE TRUE) SO I EITHER SWITCHED THEM TO THE APPROPRIATE FINAL CTLR'S FREQ OR TO MY FEEDER E #2 FREQ. NO LOSS OF SEPARATION OCCURRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.