Narrative:

Once I; as the captain; returned to the cockpit at the conclusion of my scheduled rest break; the 2 relief first officer's briefed me on the following occurrence. I came back at XA55 UTC. We were filed and cleared on B480 from devid to brt. On the segment between tolik and oveda; the first officer temporarily had no ATC communications. How long that occurred; I cannot put together. As I understand the situation: they were talking with norilsk on HF 6672. I assume that they were to call khatanga on VHF 128.0 passing tolik at/around XA31 UTC. They may have missed that frequency change or did not understand the instruction from norilsk to make the call on 128.0. Passing kemit at/around XA12 UTC they may have been told to call norilsk back on HF 6672. This call may have been missed or just misunderstood. I do not know which was the case. That is maybe where they did not have ATC communications. Then; passing oveda they called tura ATC on 118.9. That was at/around XA30 UTC. This controller seemed to be upset and said he would 'file a report' over the lack of ATC contact. I emphasized the importance and far requirements of constant ATC contact and communication. The first officer's are aware of that. They just apparently got confused during the HF communications on 6672 with norilsk.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777 CAPTAIN RETURNS FROM REST BREAK TO LEARN THAT THE RELIEF CREW HAD SUFFERED A LOSS OF COM OVER NORTHERN RUSSIA.

Narrative: ONCE I; AS THE CAPT; RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AT THE CONCLUSION OF MY SCHEDULED REST BREAK; THE 2 RELIEF FO'S BRIEFED ME ON THE FOLLOWING OCCURRENCE. I CAME BACK AT XA55 UTC. WE WERE FILED AND CLRED ON B480 FROM DEVID TO BRT. ON THE SEGMENT BTWN TOLIK AND OVEDA; THE FO TEMPORARILY HAD NO ATC COMS. HOW LONG THAT OCCURRED; I CANNOT PUT TOGETHER. AS I UNDERSTAND THE SITUATION: THEY WERE TALKING WITH NORILSK ON HF 6672. I ASSUME THAT THEY WERE TO CALL KHATANGA ON VHF 128.0 PASSING TOLIK AT/AROUND XA31 UTC. THEY MAY HAVE MISSED THAT FREQ CHANGE OR DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE INSTRUCTION FROM NORILSK TO MAKE THE CALL ON 128.0. PASSING KEMIT AT/AROUND XA12 UTC THEY MAY HAVE BEEN TOLD TO CALL NORILSK BACK ON HF 6672. THIS CALL MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED OR JUST MISUNDERSTOOD. I DO NOT KNOW WHICH WAS THE CASE. THAT IS MAYBE WHERE THEY DID NOT HAVE ATC COMS. THEN; PASSING OVEDA THEY CALLED TURA ATC ON 118.9. THAT WAS AT/AROUND XA30 UTC. THIS CTLR SEEMED TO BE UPSET AND SAID HE WOULD 'FILE A RPT' OVER THE LACK OF ATC CONTACT. I EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE AND FAR REQUIREMENTS OF CONSTANT ATC CONTACT AND COM. THE FO'S ARE AWARE OF THAT. THEY JUST APPARENTLY GOT CONFUSED DURING THE HF COMS ON 6672 WITH NORILSK.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.