Narrative:

Assigned ind 2 departure frequency 135.5. After takeoff on runway 5R; tower never switched us to departure. About 4 mi north of the field; asked tower if they wanted us to switch to departure. During the previous 2-3 mins after departure; I noticed tower was not answering any other aircraft inquiries on tower frequency. Told tower in the blind we were switching to 135.5 (assigned departure frequency); checked in with departure and no contact. Tried 119.05 (west sector departure as well) with no contact. Went back to tower and still no contact. Numerous attempts to contact departure (about 2 more mins) and by this time encountering an area of WX that would force us IMC. Considered returning to ind but felt a ground station power outage had forced loss of communication on both departure and tower frequencys additionally there were areas of WX to the south of ind; in the approach corridor that would prevent us from maintaining VMC on approach that we observed both visually and with our WX radar as we taxied sbound of taxiway C to the departure end of runway 5R. By now we had been airborne 10 mins and we executed the IMC portion of the expected further clearance (direct to the fix creep as filed; climb to FL370). As the PF monitored TCAS for traffic (I was pilot monitoring); we began our climb on an easterly heading to the creep fix (vhp 085/095 degree radial). Just prior to the climb we attempted contact with the ZID frequencys off the high altitude chart. After about 3 frequencys; we found someone on ZID frequency 120.57 and told them of our location; squawk altitude and direction of flight. Center relayed that some sort of power issue (they suspected lightning strike) was affecting both tower and departure frequencys and directed us to 124.52 after confirming we were clear of traffic in the climb on course to creep. Got in contact with ZID and they told us to stop the climb at FL350. From that point on the flight proceeded uneventfully to ZZZ. We never squawked 7600 since we had good communications -- the problem was on tower and departure's end.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CREW OF A B737-300 DEPARTING IND LOST COMS WITH THE TWR AND DEP CTL DUE TO FACILITY PWR OUTAGE. THEY CONTACTED ZID AND CONTINUED AS FILED.

Narrative: ASSIGNED IND 2 DEP FREQ 135.5. AFTER TKOF ON RWY 5R; TWR NEVER SWITCHED US TO DEP. ABOUT 4 MI N OF THE FIELD; ASKED TWR IF THEY WANTED US TO SWITCH TO DEP. DURING THE PREVIOUS 2-3 MINS AFTER DEP; I NOTICED TWR WAS NOT ANSWERING ANY OTHER ACFT INQUIRIES ON TWR FREQ. TOLD TWR IN THE BLIND WE WERE SWITCHING TO 135.5 (ASSIGNED DEP FREQ); CHKED IN WITH DEP AND NO CONTACT. TRIED 119.05 (W SECTOR DEP AS WELL) WITH NO CONTACT. WENT BACK TO TWR AND STILL NO CONTACT. NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT DEP (ABOUT 2 MORE MINS) AND BY THIS TIME ENCOUNTERING AN AREA OF WX THAT WOULD FORCE US IMC. CONSIDERED RETURNING TO IND BUT FELT A GND STATION PWR OUTAGE HAD FORCED LOSS OF COM ON BOTH DEP AND TWR FREQS ADDITIONALLY THERE WERE AREAS OF WX TO THE S OF IND; IN THE APCH CORRIDOR THAT WOULD PREVENT US FROM MAINTAINING VMC ON APCH THAT WE OBSERVED BOTH VISUALLY AND WITH OUR WX RADAR AS WE TAXIED SBOUND OF TXWY C TO THE DEP END OF RWY 5R. BY NOW WE HAD BEEN AIRBORNE 10 MINS AND WE EXECUTED THE IMC PORTION OF THE EXPECTED FURTHER CLRNC (DIRECT TO THE FIX CREEP AS FILED; CLB TO FL370). AS THE PF MONITORED TCAS FOR TFC (I WAS PLT MONITORING); WE BEGAN OUR CLB ON AN EASTERLY HDG TO THE CREEP FIX (VHP 085/095 DEG RADIAL). JUST PRIOR TO THE CLB WE ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH THE ZID FREQS OFF THE HIGH ALT CHART. AFTER ABOUT 3 FREQS; WE FOUND SOMEONE ON ZID FREQ 120.57 AND TOLD THEM OF OUR LOCATION; SQUAWK ALT AND DIRECTION OF FLT. CTR RELAYED THAT SOME SORT OF PWR ISSUE (THEY SUSPECTED LIGHTNING STRIKE) WAS AFFECTING BOTH TWR AND DEP FREQS AND DIRECTED US TO 124.52 AFTER CONFIRMING WE WERE CLR OF TFC IN THE CLB ON COURSE TO CREEP. GOT IN CONTACT WITH ZID AND THEY TOLD US TO STOP THE CLB AT FL350. FROM THAT POINT ON THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY TO ZZZ. WE NEVER SQUAWKED 7600 SINCE WE HAD GOOD COMS -- THE PROB WAS ON TWR AND DEP'S END.

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.