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37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
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Air carrier widebody transport lost contact with ARTCC at start of STAR into lga. Citizens' band radio interference heard on frequency.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 103733 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198902 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : ott |
| State Reference | MD |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 37000 msl bound upper : 37000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zdc artcc : zny |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | arrival star : star |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 12000 |
| ASRS Report | 103733 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 103577 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | other physical facility |
Narrative:
On nanci arrival to lga at FL370 noticed we had not received normal descent clearance to FL260 from ZDC. Attempted contact with ZDC, was to no avail. Continued on nanci arrival at FL370 while continuing to try establishing radio communications. Finally able to contact another carrier and were eventually able to contact ZNY and then boston center, who provided vectors into lga via our #2 VHF radio. Recalled later that we had heard unusual interruptions on dca sector frequency we were using. On subsequent flight, 2 days later, we and other carriers heard what was apparently citizens' band radio xmissions on ZDC frequency in the same area. ZDC said that citizens' band interference had been occurring for past 2 weeks and FCC was investigating. Possible causes/contributing causes: center frequency radio interference by a citizens' band radio with possible blockage of the frequency, possible loss of #1 VHF radio which we suspected and had maintenance personnel replace prior to next flight, and would help if controllers were not utilizing 2 simultaneous frequencys.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACR WDB LOST CONTACT WITH ARTCC AT START OF STAR INTO LGA. CITIZENS' BAND RADIO INTERFERENCE HEARD ON FREQ.
Narrative: ON NANCI ARR TO LGA AT FL370 NOTICED WE HAD NOT RECEIVED NORMAL DSCNT CLRNC TO FL260 FROM ZDC. ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ZDC, WAS TO NO AVAIL. CONTINUED ON NANCI ARR AT FL370 WHILE CONTINUING TO TRY ESTABLISHING RADIO COMS. FINALLY ABLE TO CONTACT ANOTHER CARRIER AND WERE EVENTUALLY ABLE TO CONTACT ZNY AND THEN BOSTON CENTER, WHO PROVIDED VECTORS INTO LGA VIA OUR #2 VHF RADIO. RECALLED LATER THAT WE HAD HEARD UNUSUAL INTERRUPTIONS ON DCA SECTOR FREQ WE WERE USING. ON SUBSEQUENT FLT, 2 DAYS LATER, WE AND OTHER CARRIERS HEARD WHAT WAS APPARENTLY CITIZENS' BAND RADIO XMISSIONS ON ZDC FREQ IN THE SAME AREA. ZDC SAID THAT CITIZENS' BAND INTERFERENCE HAD BEEN OCCURRING FOR PAST 2 WKS AND FCC WAS INVESTIGATING. POSSIBLE CAUSES/CONTRIBUTING CAUSES: CENTER FREQ RADIO INTERFERENCE BY A CITIZENS' BAND RADIO WITH POSSIBLE BLOCKAGE OF THE FREQ, POSSIBLE LOSS OF #1 VHF RADIO WHICH WE SUSPECTED AND HAD MAINT PERSONNEL REPLACE PRIOR TO NEXT FLT, AND WOULD HELP IF CTLRS WERE NOT UTILIZING 2 SIMULTANEOUS FREQS.
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.