Narrative:

The problem originated with the aircraft #1 communication radio, after receiving handoff from ZTL to frequency 126.47. My third transmission on 126.47 was, 'ZTL, company identify, hello, FL330.' after several seconds we received a scratchy, nonstandard radio terminology reply from ZTL acknowledging company identify FL330. Proceeding direct to the vadosta VOR 114.8, approximately 100 mi south of atlanta, I attempted to call ZTL on 126.47, the last assigned frequency because of abnormal radio silence. Unable radio contact, captain attempted contact on #1 communication with published ZTL frequencys without success, while I contacted flight service on 122.2 for appropriate ZJX frequency, on #2 communication radio. FSS transmitted ZJX frequency and I established radio contact on first transmission using #1 communication, reporting, 'identify, FL330.' ZJX acknowledged. Several mins later ZJX advised us upon reaching orlando destination to contact ZTL supervisor by telephone. I acknowledged. Mins later ZJX assigned us a 090 heading. Heading 090 and flying approximately 20 mi through flight planned route, I suspected radio failure again. After no reply to several xmissions I switched to #2 communication radio and contacted ZJX. Controller stated he did not receive my previous radio calls and I notified him that I was now using #2 communication. We remained in radio contact for the duration of flight with control facilities. After captain returned to cockpit from telephone conversation with ZTL supervisor I inquired as to the nature of the problem. Captain briefly stated that atlanta supervisor was not really upset, that we did not bust anything and there was nothing to worry about. I questioned him further to the necessity of the telephone call and he stated that center had to move an airplane and they could not contact us. I then asked if he told the supervisor we had a radio failure and captain responded, 'I told atlanta we had no radio failure.' I couldn't believe his reply! The #1 communication had previous logbook entries with corrective maintenance action being, 'operations check on ground, ok.' the radio was reracked by maintenance in mco (big deal). I questioned captain as to the necessity of filing a NASA report concerning this event and he again stated there was no bust and there was nothing to worry about. Yeah, sure. I trust the judgement of this particular captain even less than I trust that #1 communication. We used #2 communication for the return flight to ind whereupon arrival the radio problem was noted in the aircraft log. Captain's response to my inquiry as to why he told atlanta supervisor we had no radio failure and then proceed to enter the defect in aircraft log was, 'don't worry about it, after today this plane will be flying out of detroit and it won't be our problem. Flight engineer and company approved jump seat rider were also monitoring radio activity, or lack thereof throughout the flight. Captain did not return my notes concerning this event after calling ZTL by telephone from orlando, mccoy airport, therefore unable previous and post radio frequencys or the ZTL supervisor telephone number.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT OUT OF RADIO CONTACT WITH ZTL FOR 150 NM.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM ORIGINATED WITH THE ACFT #1 COM RADIO, AFTER RECEIVING HDOF FROM ZTL TO FREQ 126.47. MY THIRD XMISSION ON 126.47 WAS, 'ZTL, COMPANY IDENT, HELLO, FL330.' AFTER SEVERAL SECONDS WE RECEIVED A SCRATCHY, NONSTANDARD RADIO TERMINOLOGY REPLY FROM ZTL ACKNOWLEDGING COMPANY IDENT FL330. PROCEEDING DIRECT TO THE VADOSTA VOR 114.8, APPROX 100 MI S OF ATLANTA, I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ZTL ON 126.47, THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ BECAUSE OF ABNORMAL RADIO SILENCE. UNABLE RADIO CONTACT, CAPT ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON #1 COM WITH PUBLISHED ZTL FREQS WITHOUT SUCCESS, WHILE I CONTACTED FLT SVC ON 122.2 FOR APPROPRIATE ZJX FREQ, ON #2 COM RADIO. FSS XMITTED ZJX FREQ AND I ESTABLISHED RADIO CONTACT ON FIRST XMISSION USING #1 COM, RPTING, 'IDENT, FL330.' ZJX ACKNOWLEDGED. SEVERAL MINS LATER ZJX ADVISED US UPON REACHING ORLANDO DEST TO CONTACT ZTL SUPVR BY TELEPHONE. I ACKNOWLEDGED. MINS LATER ZJX ASSIGNED US A 090 HDG. HDG 090 AND FLYING APPROX 20 MI THROUGH FLT PLANNED RTE, I SUSPECTED RADIO FAILURE AGAIN. AFTER NO REPLY TO SEVERAL XMISSIONS I SWITCHED TO #2 COM RADIO AND CONTACTED ZJX. CTLR STATED HE DID NOT RECEIVE MY PREVIOUS RADIO CALLS AND I NOTIFIED HIM THAT I WAS NOW USING #2 COM. WE REMAINED IN RADIO CONTACT FOR THE DURATION OF FLT WITH CTL FACILITIES. AFTER CAPT RETURNED TO COCKPIT FROM TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH ZTL SUPVR I INQUIRED AS TO THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. CAPT BRIEFLY STATED THAT ATLANTA SUPVR WAS NOT REALLY UPSET, THAT WE DID NOT BUST ANYTHING AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. I QUESTIONED HIM FURTHER TO THE NECESSITY OF THE TELEPHONE CALL AND HE STATED THAT CENTER HAD TO MOVE AN AIRPLANE AND THEY COULD NOT CONTACT US. I THEN ASKED IF HE TOLD THE SUPVR WE HAD A RADIO FAILURE AND CAPT RESPONDED, 'I TOLD ATLANTA WE HAD NO RADIO FAILURE.' I COULDN'T BELIEVE HIS REPLY! THE #1 COM HAD PREVIOUS LOGBOOK ENTRIES WITH CORRECTIVE MAINT ACTION BEING, 'OPS CHK ON GND, OK.' THE RADIO WAS RERACKED BY MAINT IN MCO (BIG DEAL). I QUESTIONED CAPT AS TO THE NECESSITY OF FILING A NASA RPT CONCERNING THIS EVENT AND HE AGAIN STATED THERE WAS NO BUST AND THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. YEAH, SURE. I TRUST THE JUDGEMENT OF THIS PARTICULAR CAPT EVEN LESS THAN I TRUST THAT #1 COM. WE USED #2 COM FOR THE RETURN FLT TO IND WHEREUPON ARR THE RADIO PROBLEM WAS NOTED IN THE ACFT LOG. CAPT'S RESPONSE TO MY INQUIRY AS TO WHY HE TOLD ATLANTA SUPVR WE HAD NO RADIO FAILURE AND THEN PROCEED TO ENTER THE DEFECT IN ACFT LOG WAS, 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, AFTER TODAY THIS PLANE WILL BE FLYING OUT OF DETROIT AND IT WON'T BE OUR PROBLEM. FLT ENGINEER AND COMPANY APPROVED JUMP SEAT RIDER WERE ALSO MONITORING RADIO ACTIVITY, OR LACK THEREOF THROUGHOUT THE FLT. CAPT DID NOT RETURN MY NOTES CONCERNING THIS EVENT AFTER CALLING ZTL BY TELEPHONE FROM ORLANDO, MCCOY ARPT, THEREFORE UNABLE PREVIOUS AND POST RADIO FREQS OR THE ZTL SUPVR TELEPHONE NUMBER.

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.