Air carrier medium large transport loss of radio contact with ZDC.

Attributes
ACN	85202
Time
Date	198804
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sby
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 24000 msl bound upper : 24000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : sdf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : j79
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8800 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	85202
Person 2
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Cleared to climb to 24000'. Received frequency change and I do not believe captain had a chance to check in on the new frequency. We both realized we could only hear airplane xmissions, not center. We had been hearing loud electrical pops and static on our overhead speakers and suspected an aircraft radio failure. Used #2 radio and attempted contact with center. No luck. Another air carrier could hear us and relayed. Finally established center communications. A few mins later our transponder failed. Went to the #2 transponder which worked normally. No continuing problems and on arrival all radios checked and worked normally. Return flight we did not have any radio or transponder problems. One item that would have smoothed over this problem. The captain was not writing down frequency assignments so we had no trail to follow. It seems that center sectors are so closely spaced that we are constantly changing frequencys and center names until we get out of the northeast.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT WITH ZDC.

Narrative: CLRED TO CLB TO 24000'. RECEIVED FREQ CHANGE AND I DO NOT BELIEVE CAPT HAD A CHANCE TO CHK IN ON THE NEW FREQ. WE BOTH REALIZED WE COULD ONLY HEAR AIRPLANE XMISSIONS, NOT CENTER. WE HAD BEEN HEARING LOUD ELECTRICAL POPS AND STATIC ON OUR OVERHEAD SPEAKERS AND SUSPECTED AN ACFT RADIO FAILURE. USED #2 RADIO AND ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH CENTER. NO LUCK. ANOTHER ACR COULD HEAR US AND RELAYED. FINALLY ESTABLISHED CENTER COMS. A FEW MINS LATER OUR TRANSPONDER FAILED. WENT TO THE #2 TRANSPONDER WHICH WORKED NORMALLY. NO CONTINUING PROBS AND ON ARR ALL RADIOS CHKED AND WORKED NORMALLY. RETURN FLT WE DID NOT HAVE ANY RADIO OR TRANSPONDER PROBS. ONE ITEM THAT WOULD HAVE SMOOTHED OVER THIS PROB. THE CAPT WAS NOT WRITING DOWN FREQ ASSIGNMENTS SO WE HAD NO TRAIL TO FOLLOW. IT SEEMS THAT CENTER SECTORS ARE SO CLOSELY SPACED THAT WE ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING FREQS AND CENTER NAMES UNTIL WE GET OUT OF THE NE.

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