An air carrier mdt found that its company radio was out at a foreign port.

Attributes
ACN	240029
Time
Date	199304
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : nas
State Reference	FO
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : initial cruise other descent : approach
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic enroute airway : nas
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	240029
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Airport	other physical facility

Narrative:

On apr/tue/93 our flight was inbound to NASA from mia. We could not reach NAS operations through their radio. We contacted our dispatch and they said that they would inform NAS we were inbound and told us to continue on. When we arrived, I found out that the company radio in NAS was inoperative. I immediately called our dispatch and informed them that according to far 121.99 and 121.607, our company radio must operate correctly before I could take the flight out the next day. The dispatcher agreed and said a technician was working on the problem. On apr/23D/93 (NAS-mia), we were informed that the company radio was still inoperative. I called our dispatch, and they informed me that an alternate frequency had been set up. (This frequency was an FBO.) when we departed and after we were airborne, we tried the alternate frequency. Turns out that the frequency was monitored by people other than our company and was not a direct line to operations or dispatch. By this time, we were able to reach dispatch on another frequency through miami, gave them the proper information required by flight following, and the flight continued to mia uneventfully. When we arrived in mia, I contacted our dispatch, and told them of the situation in NAS and stated that there has to be an actual connection between dispatch and the aircraft. This is not possible with NAS radio inoperative. I stated I could not depart mia to NAS again unless the radio was fixed. The radio fixed soon thereafter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MDT FOUND THAT ITS COMPANY RADIO WAS OUT AT A FOREIGN PORT.

Narrative: ON APR/TUE/93 OUR FLT WAS INBOUND TO NASA FROM MIA. WE COULD NOT REACH NAS OPS THROUGH THEIR RADIO. WE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD INFORM NAS WE WERE INBOUND AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE ON. WHEN WE ARRIVED, I FOUND OUT THAT THE COMPANY RADIO IN NAS WAS INOP. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUR DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM THAT ACCORDING TO FAR 121.99 AND 121.607, OUR COMPANY RADIO MUST OPERATE CORRECTLY BEFORE I COULD TAKE THE FLT OUT THE NEXT DAY. THE DISPATCHER AGREED AND SAID A TECHNICIAN WAS WORKING ON THE PROB. ON APR/23D/93 (NAS-MIA), WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE COMPANY RADIO WAS STILL INOP. I CALLED OUR DISPATCH, AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT AN ALTERNATE FREQ HAD BEEN SET UP. (THIS FREQ WAS AN FBO.) WHEN WE DEPARTED AND AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE, WE TRIED THE ALTERNATE FREQ. TURNS OUT THAT THE FREQ WAS MONITORED BY PEOPLE OTHER THAN OUR COMPANY AND WAS NOT A DIRECT LINE TO OPS OR DISPATCH. BY THIS TIME, WE WERE ABLE TO REACH DISPATCH ON ANOTHER FREQ THROUGH MIAMI, GAVE THEM THE PROPER INFO REQUIRED BY FLT FOLLOWING, AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO MIA UNEVENTFULLY. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN MIA, I CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH, AND TOLD THEM OF THE SIT IN NAS AND STATED THAT THERE HAS TO BE AN ACTUAL CONNECTION BTWN DISPATCH AND THE ACFT. THIS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITH NAS RADIO INOP. I STATED I COULD NOT DEPART MIA TO NAS AGAIN UNLESS THE RADIO WAS FIXED. THE RADIO FIXED SOON THEREAFTER.

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.