Narrative:

Flight [was] enroute to sbgl. First attempt communicating re-release information via commercial radio; no response for approximately 45 minutes. Called to commercial radio which they said unable to contact [the flight]. Second attempt via ACARS when flight was over bsb (brasilia); no response. Called back to commercial radio and was advised [they were] still trying to contact [the flight]. Continued several attempts via ACARS with still no response. Third call to commercial radio; still no response from aircraft. I advised the flight was approximately 30 minutes from scheduled arrival in sbgl and I would continue to try to contact. The flight responded and advised [they] received re-release via ACARS and had not spoken with commercial radio. I advised commercial radio I had positive contact with flight. They replied they had tried all available frequencies for south america. I was advised via ACARS the crew was monitoring frequencies 6640 and 8893 per last transmission with commercial radio. I was later advised by duty manager [of] commercial radio those frequencies are not audible in bsb-sbgl area. Either the HF frequencies or radios were weak enough not to allow for proper communication or the crew was monitoring incorrect frequency. Even though commercial radio advised they had tried to contact on those specific frequencies. [Suggest] immediate installation of satellite communications for aircraft operating in this region.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Dispatcher reports difficulty contacting one of his flights enroute to SGBL with re-release information via ACARS and commercial HF radio and suggests SATCOM is necessary for this region.

Narrative: Flight [was] enroute to SBGL. First attempt communicating re-release information via commercial radio; no response for approximately 45 minutes. Called to commercial radio which they said unable to contact [the flight]. Second attempt via ACARS when flight was over BSB (Brasilia); no response. Called back to commercial radio and was advised [they were] still trying to contact [the flight]. Continued several attempts via ACARS with still no response. Third call to commercial radio; still no response from aircraft. I advised the flight was approximately 30 minutes from scheduled arrival in SBGL and I would continue to try to contact. The flight responded and advised [they] received re-release via ACARS and had not spoken with commercial radio. I advised commercial radio I had positive contact with flight. They replied they had tried all available frequencies for South America. I was advised via ACARS the crew was monitoring frequencies 6640 and 8893 per last transmission with commercial radio. I was later advised by Duty Manager [of] commercial radio those frequencies are not audible in BSB-SBGL area. Either the HF frequencies or radios were weak enough not to allow for proper communication or the crew was monitoring incorrect frequency. Even though commercial radio advised they had tried to contact on those specific frequencies. [Suggest] immediate installation of satellite communications for aircraft operating in this region.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.