Flight crew of an medium large transport air carrier aircraft experienced lost communications while in high altitude cruise resulting in using other FAA facilities to relay ATC instructions for descent and landing through a FSS via receiving a VOR frequency on the navigation radio.

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Attributes
ACN	265886
Time
Date	199403
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bos
State Reference	MA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 33000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zbw tracon : bos tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 8000
ASRS Report	265886
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon entering ZBW we were unable to communicate on VHF radios. Communication radio #2 was completely inoperative. After approximately 200 mi we were able to re-establish communications on communication radio #1. It only worked on some frequencys and those frequencys were random. We were talking to ZBW on 125.34 (radio control head) and the actual center frequency was 135.34. We were able to receive some instructions by monitoring alb VOR through flight service. We were able to receive our descent clearance from ZBW and were able to receive bos approach control on only one of the their frequencys. We could not contact the tower and we were given clearance to land by approach control. The WX was VFR throughout cruise and landing. Since we were equipped with ACARS and most acrs are, I suggest a formal procedure to relay specific descent, approach and landing clearance on ACARS be established.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT EXPERIENCED LOST COMS WHILE IN HIGH ALT CRUISE RESULTING IN USING OTHER FAA FACILITIES TO RELAY ATC INSTRUCTIONS FOR DSCNT AND LNDG THROUGH A FSS VIA RECEIVING A VOR FREQ ON THE NAV RADIO.

Narrative: UPON ENTERING ZBW WE WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE ON VHF RADIOS. COM RADIO #2 WAS COMPLETELY INOP. AFTER APPROX 200 MI WE WERE ABLE TO RE-ESTABLISH COMS ON COM RADIO #1. IT ONLY WORKED ON SOME FREQS AND THOSE FREQS WERE RANDOM. WE WERE TALKING TO ZBW ON 125.34 (RADIO CTL HEAD) AND THE ACTUAL CTR FREQ WAS 135.34. WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE SOME INSTRUCTIONS BY MONITORING ALB VOR THROUGH FLT SVC. WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE OUR DSCNT CLRNC FROM ZBW AND WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE BOS APCH CTL ON ONLY ONE OF THE THEIR FREQS. WE COULD NOT CONTACT THE TWR AND WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND BY APCH CTL. THE WX WAS VFR THROUGHOUT CRUISE AND LNDG. SINCE WE WERE EQUIPPED WITH ACARS AND MOST ACRS ARE, I SUGGEST A FORMAL PROC TO RELAY SPECIFIC DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG CLRNC ON ACARS BE ESTABLISHED.

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.