Narrative:

Air carrier departed chs, was cleared to 23,000' and then became a no radio contact aircraft. The routing was chs J207 rdu and then on to ewr. R5311 was hot up to 26,000' at the time. Every means was used to try and contact the aircraft. With about a min to spare, we were able to finally reach the range officer in charge of R5311 and assure that firing was stopped. The aircraft flew directly through the center of the restr area, as J207 does. This is the second time this has occurred to my knowledge. Another air carrier, I believe, did exactly the same thing less than a year ago and firing was stopped with just a few seconds to spare. Solution: remove airway, or use it as it was intended. The MEA is 31,000' and no aircraft should be issued (or crew file) this airway if the aircraft could possibly not be at 31,000' or above. Supplemental information from acn 115586: we were climbing after takeoff from chs en route to ewr. We were in communication with washington ARTCC on 124.07. Center cleared us to climb and maintain FL230 expect higher altitude. Several mins later we were selcaled by company and requested to contact center. We attempted callup and discovered our radio had failed. We switched to another radio and re-established contact. They said we had passed through R-5311C and it was 'hot'. The defective radio was replaced at ewr. Supplemental information from acn 115769: as the PNF first officer on flight from chs to ewr, we were level at FL230 on J207, about 50 mi south of rdu when we suspected radio problems and attempted to call ZDC on 124.07. Upon no contact, we used our alternate radio on the same frequency. This time we received positive contact and we were immediately informed that we had passed thru R5311C and that there was artillery firing in progress. We informed center of our radio failure and that we were on J207, on our last assigned altitude. After landing at ewr, our radio was confirmed to be defective was subsequently replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER FLT UNAWARE OF LOST RADIO COM WITH ZDC FLEW THROUGH HOT RESTRICTED AREA.

Narrative: AIR CARRIER DEPARTED CHS, WAS CLRED TO 23,000' AND THEN BECAME A NO RADIO CONTACT ACFT. THE ROUTING WAS CHS J207 RDU AND THEN ON TO EWR. R5311 WAS HOT UP TO 26,000' AT THE TIME. EVERY MEANS WAS USED TO TRY AND CONTACT THE ACFT. WITH ABOUT A MIN TO SPARE, WE WERE ABLE TO FINALLY REACH THE RANGE OFFICER IN CHARGE OF R5311 AND ASSURE THAT FIRING WAS STOPPED. THE ACFT FLEW DIRECTLY THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE RESTR AREA, AS J207 DOES. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED TO MY KNOWLEDGE. ANOTHER AIR CARRIER, I BELIEVE, DID EXACTLY THE SAME THING LESS THAN A YEAR AGO AND FIRING WAS STOPPED WITH JUST A FEW SECONDS TO SPARE. SOLUTION: REMOVE AIRWAY, OR USE IT AS IT WAS INTENDED. THE MEA IS 31,000' AND NO ACFT SHOULD BE ISSUED (OR CREW FILE) THIS AIRWAY IF THE ACFT COULD POSSIBLY NOT BE AT 31,000' OR ABOVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 115586: WE WERE CLIMBING AFTER TKOF FROM CHS ENRTE TO EWR. WE WERE IN COMMUNICATION WITH WASHINGTON ARTCC ON 124.07. CENTER CLRED US TO CLIMB AND MAINTAIN FL230 EXPECT HIGHER ALT. SEVERAL MINS LATER WE WERE SELCALED BY COMPANY AND REQUESTED TO CONTACT CENTER. WE ATTEMPTED CALLUP AND DISCOVERED OUR RADIO HAD FAILED. WE SWITCHED TO ANOTHER RADIO AND RE-ESTABLISHED CONTACT. THEY SAID WE HAD PASSED THROUGH R-5311C AND IT WAS 'HOT'. THE DEFECTIVE RADIO WAS REPLACED AT EWR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 115769: AS THE PNF FO ON FLT FROM CHS TO EWR, WE WERE LEVEL AT FL230 ON J207, ABOUT 50 MI S OF RDU WHEN WE SUSPECTED RADIO PROBLEMS AND ATTEMPTED TO CALL ZDC ON 124.07. UPON NO CONTACT, WE USED OUR ALTERNATE RADIO ON THE SAME FREQ. THIS TIME WE RECEIVED POSITIVE CONTACT AND WE WERE IMMEDIATELY INFORMED THAT WE HAD PASSED THRU R5311C AND THAT THERE WAS ARTILLERY FIRING IN PROGRESS. WE INFORMED CENTER OF OUR RADIO FAILURE AND THAT WE WERE ON J207, ON OUR LAST ASSIGNED ALT. AFTER LNDG AT EWR, OUR RADIO WAS CONFIRMED TO BE DEFECTIVE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPLACED.

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.