An air carrier pilot reports NORDO operations in alaska during a period when ATC was not responding ...

Narrative:

At cruise; at FL340 ATC gave our flight a pilot discretion descent to FL290. As we departed FL340 I attempted to report leaving FL340 to ATC. I received no response on frequency 12XX which was the appropriate frequency for that sector. I tried contacting them several more times with no success. I thought we might be out of range for that sector on that frequency so I attempted contact on the next sector's frequency which I knew to be 12YY. I made several tries to contact ATC on this frequency with no success. We were approaching the ZZZ airport rapidly and we needed to start a descent so I contacted ZZZ tower on 1XXX to ask them to relay to center that we were level at FL290 and needed a lower altitude. ZZZ tower advised us to stand by and they would attempt to contact on the landline with zan. After a delay of several mins; ZZZ tower advised us that they were unable to contact zan on the landline. They told us they would keep trying. We attempted to contact zan again on both frequencys; 12XX and 12YY with no success. We then attempted contact with zan on the emergency frequency 121.5; with no success. We then attempted to contact any company aircraft on our company frequency on 12ZZ for a relay to zan. We had no success. We then went back to tower frequency 11XX and asked if they had been able to contact zan. Tower advised us that they had been unable to contact zan after repeated attempts. We advised tower that we were going to lost communication procedures and starting a descent. We were in visual; meteorological conditions at this time with the ZZZ airport in sight. We asked ZZZ tower to continue to attempt to contact anchorage and advise them that we were using lost communication procedures. We then broadcasted in the blind on both center frequencys our intent; position; and altitude. The tower had advised us to contact them closer in and that they would keep attempting to contact zan. We continued to attempt contact with zan during the descent and at approximately 15000 ft; got a response from zan. We advised them of our attempts to reach them and that we were proceeding under lost communication procedures. The controller responded that we had not used the proper procedures and that there could have possibly been aircraft underneath us. He indicated that the lack of communication was caused by solar flare activity. This was the first we had been advised of this issue. The controller cleared us to descend to 3000 ft and report ZZZ in sight for the visual. We reported ZZZ in sight and were cleared for the visual. We contacted ZZZ tower; landed; and on taxiway requested if ZZZ could now talk to zan on the land line; and they indicated that they could still not communicate with zan. Once on the ground; we attempted contact with zan through the land line and were unable to make contact. If known solar flare activity is anticipated and communication blackouts are anticipated; the pilots should be notified and an alternate plan should be shared between the center and the pilots affected.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PILOT REPORTS NORDO OPERATIONS IN ALASKA DURING A PERIOD WHEN ATC WAS NOT RESPONDING REPORTEDLY BECAUSE OF SOLAR ACTIVITY. NOAA REPORTED NO SOLAR ACTIVITY THAT DAY.

Narrative: AT CRUISE; AT FL340 ATC GAVE OUR FLT A PLT DISCRETION DSCNT TO FL290. AS WE DEPARTED FL340 I ATTEMPTED TO RPT LEAVING FL340 TO ATC. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE ON FREQ 12XX WHICH WAS THE APPROPRIATE FREQ FOR THAT SECTOR. I TRIED CONTACTING THEM SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. I THOUGHT WE MIGHT BE OUT OF RANGE FOR THAT SECTOR ON THAT FREQ SO I ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON THE NEXT SECTOR'S FREQ WHICH I KNEW TO BE 12YY. I MADE SEVERAL TRIES TO CONTACT ATC ON THIS FREQ WITH NO SUCCESS. WE WERE APCHING THE ZZZ ARPT RAPIDLY AND WE NEEDED TO START A DSCNT SO I CONTACTED ZZZ TWR ON 1XXX TO ASK THEM TO RELAY TO CTR THAT WE WERE LEVEL AT FL290 AND NEEDED A LOWER ALT. ZZZ TWR ADVISED US TO STAND BY AND THEY WOULD ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ON THE LANDLINE WITH ZAN. AFTER A DELAY OF SEVERAL MINS; ZZZ TWR ADVISED US THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT ZAN ON THE LANDLINE. THEY TOLD US THEY WOULD KEEP TRYING. WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ZAN AGAIN ON BOTH FREQS; 12XX AND 12YY WITH NO SUCCESS. WE THEN ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ZAN ON THE EMER FREQ 121.5; WITH NO SUCCESS. WE THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ANY COMPANY ACFT ON OUR COMPANY FREQ ON 12ZZ FOR A RELAY TO ZAN. WE HAD NO SUCCESS. WE THEN WENT BACK TO TWR FREQ 11XX AND ASKED IF THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO CONTACT ZAN. TWR ADVISED US THAT THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO CONTACT ZAN AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS. WE ADVISED TWR THAT WE WERE GOING TO LOST COM PROCS AND STARTING A DSCNT. WE WERE IN VISUAL; METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME WITH THE ZZZ ARPT IN SIGHT. WE ASKED ZZZ TWR TO CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT ANCHORAGE AND ADVISE THEM THAT WE WERE USING LOST COM PROCS. WE THEN BROADCASTED IN THE BLIND ON BOTH CTR FREQS OUR INTENT; POS; AND ALT. THE TWR HAD ADVISED US TO CONTACT THEM CLOSER IN AND THAT THEY WOULD KEEP ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT ZAN. WE CONTINUED TO ATTEMPT CONTACT WITH ZAN DURING THE DSCNT AND AT APPROX 15000 FT; GOT A RESPONSE FROM ZAN. WE ADVISED THEM OF OUR ATTEMPTS TO REACH THEM AND THAT WE WERE PROCEEDING UNDER LOST COM PROCS. THE CTLR RESPONDED THAT WE HAD NOT USED THE PROPER PROCS AND THAT THERE COULD HAVE POSSIBLY BEEN ACFT UNDERNEATH US. HE INDICATED THAT THE LACK OF COM WAS CAUSED BY SOLAR FLARE ACTIVITY. THIS WAS THE FIRST WE HAD BEEN ADVISED OF THIS ISSUE. THE CTLR CLRED US TO DSND TO 3000 FT AND RPT ZZZ IN SIGHT FOR THE VISUAL. WE RPTED ZZZ IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. WE CONTACTED ZZZ TWR; LANDED; AND ON TXWY REQUESTED IF ZZZ COULD NOW TALK TO ZAN ON THE LAND LINE; AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY COULD STILL NOT COMMUNICATE WITH ZAN. ONCE ON THE GND; WE ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ZAN THROUGH THE LAND LINE AND WERE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT. IF KNOWN SOLAR FLARE ACTIVITY IS ANTICIPATED AND COM BLACKOUTS ARE ANTICIPATED; THE PLTS SHOULD BE NOTIFIED AND AN ALTERNATE PLAN SHOULD BE SHARED BTWN THE CTR AND THE PLTS AFFECTED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	807848
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : zzz.vortac
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 34000 msl bound upper : 15000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time type : 11000
ASRS Report	807848
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	807849
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Environmental Factor Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

An air carrier pilot reports NORDO operations in alaska during a period when ATC was not responding reportedly because of solar activity. NOAA reported no solar activity that day.