Large transport flight crew has temporary communication loss.

Attributes
ACN	161384
Time
Date	199010
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time total : 22000
ASRS Report	161384
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4900
ASRS Report	161382
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Switched frequencys from tower to departure control on 119.2 after departing 4L at ewr. Received clearance to 10000' and left turn to 280 degrees. During climb, vol of communication had somehow been turned down and all was quiet. Such silence seemed unusual for north.Y. Departure control. Checked radio vol and found problem. Immediately called north.Y. Radar and received further clearance. No problems afterward. Possibly a separate vol control should be used on these communications. When adjusting frequency it is common to accidentally change radio vol (see diagram). Aircraft was large transport with radios the same age. Possible improvement in radio design could prevent this from happening.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT FLT CREW HAS TEMPORARY COM LOSS.

Narrative: SWITCHED FREQS FROM TWR TO DEP CTL ON 119.2 AFTER DEPARTING 4L AT EWR. RECEIVED CLRNC TO 10000' AND LEFT TURN TO 280 DEGS. DURING CLB, VOL OF COM HAD SOMEHOW BEEN TURNED DOWN AND ALL WAS QUIET. SUCH SILENCE SEEMED UNUSUAL FOR N.Y. DEP CTL. CHKED RADIO VOL AND FOUND PROB. IMMEDIATELY CALLED N.Y. RADAR AND RECEIVED FURTHER CLRNC. NO PROBS AFTERWARD. POSSIBLY A SEPARATE VOL CTL SHOULD BE USED ON THESE COMS. WHEN ADJUSTING FREQ IT IS COMMON TO ACCIDENTALLY CHANGE RADIO VOL (SEE DIAGRAM). ACFT WAS LGT WITH RADIOS THE SAME AGE. POSSIBLE IMPROVEMENT IN RADIO DESIGN COULD PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.