Narrative:

We were on a routine flight from cae to rdg descending from FL290 to FL190 over esl to be at FL190 15 mi southwest of hgr. Route was to be esl V tomac hgr-har-rdg. Frequency change was given by center to 134.15 just prior to esl while descending through FL220 to FL190. Other pilot was on flight phone trying to place call re: family emergency so I was working radio and flying aircraft on autoplt. Upon switching to 134.15 6 or 7 attempts were made to check in with new controller, but each time I finished a transmission I heard other aircraft talking so did not hear any response or transmission from 134.15 center controller. I finally went back to previous frequency and told him I couldn't make contact on 134.15. He told me to try again, and I did. As soon as I called, controller gave a turn to 120 degrees and said he gave us a turn 12 mi ago from our on course heading of about 025 degrees to tomac. Note: VLF was off by about 6 mi so we flew west and north of esl close to ZOB airspace before making turn but apparently invaded ZOB airspace, thus the 120 degree turn. We did not hear any previous heading assignments. ATC controller had us call him to explain why we did not turn. On the next evening at about the same time we were on the same route returning from tys to rdg, and when switched to 134.15 the same thing happened with other aircraft on the frequency. I called and found out it was air carrier and others talking to montreal center. Other aircraft both with montreal center and ZDC were telling the controllers what was going on. Center controllers could not hear the other aircraft and none of us could hear the other center, but we were all stepping on each other. On 10/thurs/88 I was on another flight from cae to rdg and frequency conflict still existed even though we and the canadian aircraft told our respective controllers of the problem. Since 10/fri/88 I have not heard conflict on at least 3 flts over same route and I keep checking. I gave the dca controller on 134.15 on 10/thurs/88 the air carrier flight # and the fact that montreal center was on the same frequency so maybe the conflict was cleared up. As of 11/thurs/88 at about XX00 EST 134.15 ZDC was in service with no conflict.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CPR SMT HAD TROUBLE COPYING CLRNC FROM ZDC DUE INTERFERENCE BY ACFT WORKING CZUL.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A ROUTINE FLT FROM CAE TO RDG DSNDING FROM FL290 TO FL190 OVER ESL TO BE AT FL190 15 MI SW OF HGR. ROUTE WAS TO BE ESL V TOMAC HGR-HAR-RDG. FREQ CHANGE WAS GIVEN BY CENTER TO 134.15 JUST PRIOR TO ESL WHILE DSNDING THROUGH FL220 TO FL190. OTHER PLT WAS ON FLT PHONE TRYING TO PLACE CALL RE: FAMILY EMER SO I WAS WORKING RADIO AND FLYING ACFT ON AUTOPLT. UPON SWITCHING TO 134.15 6 OR 7 ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CHK IN WITH NEW CTLR, BUT EACH TIME I FINISHED A XMISSION I HEARD OTHER ACFT TALKING SO DID NOT HEAR ANY RESPONSE OR XMISSION FROM 134.15 CENTER CTLR. I FINALLY WENT BACK TO PREVIOUS FREQ AND TOLD HIM I COULDN'T MAKE CONTACT ON 134.15. HE TOLD ME TO TRY AGAIN, AND I DID. AS SOON AS I CALLED, CTLR GAVE A TURN TO 120 DEGS AND SAID HE GAVE US A TURN 12 MI AGO FROM OUR ON COURSE HDG OF ABOUT 025 DEGS TO TOMAC. NOTE: VLF WAS OFF BY ABOUT 6 MI SO WE FLEW W AND N OF ESL CLOSE TO ZOB AIRSPACE BEFORE MAKING TURN BUT APPARENTLY INVADED ZOB AIRSPACE, THUS THE 120 DEG TURN. WE DID NOT HEAR ANY PREVIOUS HDG ASSIGNMENTS. ATC CTLR HAD US CALL HIM TO EXPLAIN WHY WE DID NOT TURN. ON THE NEXT EVENING AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME WE WERE ON THE SAME ROUTE RETURNING FROM TYS TO RDG, AND WHEN SWITCHED TO 134.15 THE SAME THING HAPPENED WITH OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ. I CALLED AND FOUND OUT IT WAS ACR AND OTHERS TALKING TO MONTREAL CENTER. OTHER ACFT BOTH WITH MONTREAL CENTER AND ZDC WERE TELLING THE CTLRS WHAT WAS GOING ON. CENTER CTLRS COULD NOT HEAR THE OTHER ACFT AND NONE OF US COULD HEAR THE OTHER CENTER, BUT WE WERE ALL STEPPING ON EACH OTHER. ON 10/THURS/88 I WAS ON ANOTHER FLT FROM CAE TO RDG AND FREQ CONFLICT STILL EXISTED EVEN THOUGH WE AND THE CANADIAN ACFT TOLD OUR RESPECTIVE CTLRS OF THE PROB. SINCE 10/FRI/88 I HAVE NOT HEARD CONFLICT ON AT LEAST 3 FLTS OVER SAME ROUTE AND I KEEP CHKING. I GAVE THE DCA CTLR ON 134.15 ON 10/THURS/88 THE ACR FLT # AND THE FACT THAT MONTREAL CENTER WAS ON THE SAME FREQ SO MAYBE THE CONFLICT WAS CLRED UP. AS OF 11/THURS/88 AT ABOUT XX00 EST 134.15 ZDC WAS IN SVC WITH NO CONFLICT.

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.