Narrative:

4/88 we were flying from seattle to charlotte, nc. After arriving at the tys VOR we entered the shine 8 arrival to clt. A few miles east of tys we reached a point where center usually gives us a descent clearance, but this time they didn't. We could hear center talking to other aircraft, so we knew we didn't have a problem with communications, so we continued to a position that we determined to be the perfect profile descent point, at which time we requested a lower altitude. The controller sounded surprised that we were still on his frequency, and immediately gave us a frequency change. The new controller gave us descent clearance to FL230 and stated that he had been trying to get a hold of us for some time. He then gave us a frequency change. The new controller told us 'turn to a heading of 060 degrees and intercept the clt 317 degree right for the shine 8 arrival and cross johns intersection at 12000' and 250 KTS, and all previous restrictions apply.' we had received no previous restrictions. It became clear to us that we had been forgotten in the ATC system. The first controller had either a) forgotten all about us, or B) tried to give us a frequency change which we never received, then he handed us to the next controller who tried to raise us but couldn't. It is this second possibility which concerns us. If we didn't receive a frequency change, for whatever reason, the controller obviously did not receive an acknowledgement of a frequency change, and he didn't try again, he just handed us to the next controller. It occurs to us that controllers don't listen closely to pilots when they acknowledge clrncs. It is not uncommon at all to repeat an assigned frequency incorrectly, and not be corrected by the controller. They don't listen when you repeat a clearance. Perhaps more attention should be paid to pilot's acknowledgements and frequencys repeated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT MISSED FREQ CHANGE WHILE AT CRUISE ALT.

Narrative: 4/88 WE WERE FLYING FROM SEATTLE TO CHARLOTTE, NC. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE TYS VOR WE ENTERED THE SHINE 8 ARR TO CLT. A FEW MILES E OF TYS WE REACHED A POINT WHERE CENTER USUALLY GIVES US A DSCNT CLRNC, BUT THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T. WE COULD HEAR CENTER TALKING TO OTHER ACFT, SO WE KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROB WITH COMS, SO WE CONTINUED TO A POS THAT WE DETERMINED TO BE THE PERFECT PROFILE DSCNT POINT, AT WHICH TIME WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT. THE CTLR SOUNDED SURPRISED THAT WE WERE STILL ON HIS FREQ, AND IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE NEW CTLR GAVE US DSCNT CLRNC TO FL230 AND STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF US FOR SOME TIME. HE THEN GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE NEW CTLR TOLD US 'TURN TO A HDG OF 060 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE CLT 317 DEG R FOR THE SHINE 8 ARR AND CROSS JOHNS INTXN AT 12000' AND 250 KTS, AND ALL PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS APPLY.' WE HAD RECEIVED NO PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS. IT BECAME CLEAR TO US THAT WE HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN IN THE ATC SYS. THE FIRST CTLR HAD EITHER A) FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT US, OR B) TRIED TO GIVE US A FREQ CHANGE WHICH WE NEVER RECEIVED, THEN HE HANDED US TO THE NEXT CTLR WHO TRIED TO RAISE US BUT COULDN'T. IT IS THIS SECOND POSSIBILITY WHICH CONCERNS US. IF WE DIDN'T RECEIVE A FREQ CHANGE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THE CTLR OBVIOUSLY DID NOT RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A FREQ CHANGE, AND HE DIDN'T TRY AGAIN, HE JUST HANDED US TO THE NEXT CTLR. IT OCCURS TO US THAT CTLRS DON'T LISTEN CLOSELY TO PLTS WHEN THEY ACKNOWLEDGE CLRNCS. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL TO REPEAT AN ASSIGNED FREQ INCORRECTLY, AND NOT BE CORRECTED BY THE CTLR. THEY DON'T LISTEN WHEN YOU REPEAT A CLRNC. PERHAPS MORE ATTN SHOULD BE PAID TO PLT'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND FREQS REPEATED.

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.