Narrative:

We were operating flight, gua-iah on may/X/91 along UB753. Upon reaching marte intersection we were unable to contact houston center. We continued trying to make radio contact and were finally successful 91 NM. Houston center doesn't have sufficient radio coverage for the amount of traffic flying the gulf rtes. This had been a continuing problem. We were notified 9 days after the fact by company flight operations. Either radar and radio coverage should be improved or additional equipment should be required to fly these rtes. Had we had an HF radio on board, this may not have been a problem. Navigating these rtes had been a problem for quite sometime. Galveston beacon (206) is almost useless. By the time an aircraft is 80 mi off shore, it's just flying magnetic headings. Merida beacon (280) is never on the air. Maybe aircraft should be required to have 1 VLF or INS and 1 HF to operate in the gulf of mexico. More and more aircraft are flying these rtes, making communications more difficult. Even after we made contact with houston, nothing was said about our position or report. We gave them our time over marte, and ETA for barow, that was the end of it at that time. If there was a problem, why didn't the controller mention it at the time? It's difficult to recall events 9-10 days later when one thought the flight was uneventful. All things considered, I feel we were accused of something that was beyond our control. However, maybe we could have tried to relay through another aircraft or something. Thank-you. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Analyst called facility and talked to specialist about history on these reporting points. Reporter stated that this has been an ongoing problem that was elevated recently due to an operational error. Facility is aware of the lack of radio and navigation aids along this route. Aircraft must use ADF or dr to navigate. The communication problem has recently been fixed when commercial radio, after mtgs with the FAA, installed a transmitter and receiver on a rig in the gulf. It has been in operation about two weeks now and seems to be working ok. The facility has a survey sheet at the sector for controllers to list any problems or comments, but so far there have been none listed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT UNABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH ZHU AT A MANDATORY REPORTING FIX OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO ON UB753.

Narrative: WE WERE OPERATING FLT, GUA-IAH ON MAY/X/91 ALONG UB753. UPON REACHING MARTE INTXN WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT HOUSTON CTR. WE CONTINUED TRYING TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT AND WERE FINALLY SUCCESSFUL 91 NM. HOUSTON CTR DOESN'T HAVE SUFFICIENT RADIO COVERAGE FOR THE AMOUNT OF TFC FLYING THE GULF RTES. THIS HAD BEEN A CONTINUING PROB. WE WERE NOTIFIED 9 DAYS AFTER THE FACT BY COMPANY FLT OPS. EITHER RADAR AND RADIO COVERAGE SHOULD BE IMPROVED OR ADDITIONAL EQUIP SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO FLY THESE RTES. HAD WE HAD AN HF RADIO ON BOARD, THIS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN A PROB. NAVIGATING THESE RTES HAD BEEN A PROB FOR QUITE SOMETIME. GALVESTON BEACON (206) IS ALMOST USELESS. BY THE TIME AN ACFT IS 80 MI OFF SHORE, IT'S JUST FLYING MAG HDGS. MERIDA BEACON (280) IS NEVER ON THE AIR. MAYBE ACFT SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE 1 VLF OR INS AND 1 HF TO OPERATE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO. MORE AND MORE ACFT ARE FLYING THESE RTES, MAKING COMS MORE DIFFICULT. EVEN AFTER WE MADE CONTACT WITH HOUSTON, NOTHING WAS SAID ABOUT OUR POS OR RPT. WE GAVE THEM OUR TIME OVER MARTE, AND ETA FOR BAROW, THAT WAS THE END OF IT AT THAT TIME. IF THERE WAS A PROB, WHY DIDN'T THE CTLR MENTION IT AT THE TIME? IT'S DIFFICULT TO RECALL EVENTS 9-10 DAYS LATER WHEN ONE THOUGHT THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I FEEL WE WERE ACCUSED OF SOMETHING THAT WAS BEYOND OUR CTL. HOWEVER, MAYBE WE COULD HAVE TRIED TO RELAY THROUGH ANOTHER ACFT OR SOMETHING. THANK-YOU. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. ANALYST CALLED FAC AND TALKED TO SPECIALIST ABOUT HISTORY ON THESE RPTING POINTS. RPTR STATED THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROB THAT WAS ELEVATED RECENTLY DUE TO AN OPERROR. FAC IS AWARE OF THE LACK OF RADIO AND NAV AIDS ALONG THIS RTE. ACFT MUST USE ADF OR DR TO NAVIGATE. THE COM PROB HAS RECENTLY BEEN FIXED WHEN COMMERCIAL RADIO, AFTER MTGS WITH THE FAA, INSTALLED A XMITTER AND RECEIVER ON A RIG IN THE GULF. IT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION ABOUT TWO WKS NOW AND SEEMS TO BE WORKING OK. THE FAC HAS A SURVEY SHEET AT THE SECTOR FOR CTLRS TO LIST ANY PROBS OR COMMENTS, BUT SO FAR THERE HAVE BEEN NONE LISTED.

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.