Narrative:

While being vectored for visual approach to ewr, we lost communication with ATC. We thought we had a stuck microphone so we tried unplugging all mikes and trying to isolate the problem. We squawked 7600 and tried the #2 radio, but by then approach had changed all other aircraft to another frequency, so we couldn't get an answer on #2 either. By now I elected to continue flying over the usual route flown when landing to the south at ewr, following an aircraft ahead that we saw visually and on TCASII. I flew while the first officer and so tried to establish communication. Prior to landing, we were able to contact the tower and receive landing clearance. The only stuck microphone problems I've had involved an individual microphone. I think this led us to at first concentrate on finding the bad microphone, rather than changing radios. When we did change radios, the lack of an answer from ATC made me think the radios were still bad, not realizing that ATC had shut down that frequency (because of us). Supplemental information from acn 270771: once we made contact with the final controller who sent us to another frequency, it would have been nice to either stop with him or to have been sent to a good frequency because we initially thought we solved the problem and now were having trouble contacting anyone again. So we had to start the circus all over again, is one of our mikes, one of our oxygen masks, radio intermittent, bad frequency, who was able to talk what radio which side, etc. All this during the last 8 mins of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ON APCH HAS LOST COM.

Narrative: WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR VISUAL APCH TO EWR, WE LOST COM WITH ATC. WE THOUGHT WE HAD A STUCK MIKE SO WE TRIED UNPLUGGING ALL MIKES AND TRYING TO ISOLATE THE PROB. WE SQUAWKED 7600 AND TRIED THE #2 RADIO, BUT BY THEN APCH HAD CHANGED ALL OTHER ACFT TO ANOTHER FREQ, SO WE COULDN'T GET AN ANSWER ON #2 EITHER. BY NOW I ELECTED TO CONTINUE FLYING OVER THE USUAL RTE FLOWN WHEN LNDG TO THE S AT EWR, FOLLOWING AN ACFT AHEAD THAT WE SAW VISUALLY AND ON TCASII. I FLEW WHILE THE FO AND SO TRIED TO ESTABLISH COM. PRIOR TO LNDG, WE WERE ABLE TO CONTACT THE TWR AND RECEIVE LNDG CLRNC. THE ONLY STUCK MIKE PROBS I'VE HAD INVOLVED AN INDIVIDUAL MIKE. I THINK THIS LED US TO AT FIRST CONCENTRATE ON FINDING THE BAD MIKE, RATHER THAN CHANGING RADIOS. WHEN WE DID CHANGE RADIOS, THE LACK OF AN ANSWER FROM ATC MADE ME THINK THE RADIOS WERE STILL BAD, NOT REALIZING THAT ATC HAD SHUT DOWN THAT FREQ (BECAUSE OF US). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 270771: ONCE WE MADE CONTACT WITH THE FINAL CTLR WHO SENT US TO ANOTHER FREQ, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO EITHER STOP WITH HIM OR TO HAVE BEEN SENT TO A GOOD FREQ BECAUSE WE INITIALLY THOUGHT WE SOLVED THE PROB AND NOW WERE HAVING TROUBLE CONTACTING ANYONE AGAIN. SO WE HAD TO START THE CIRCUS ALL OVER AGAIN, IS ONE OF OUR MIKES, ONE OF OUR OXYGEN MASKS, RADIO INTERMITTENT, BAD FREQ, WHO WAS ABLE TO TALK WHAT RADIO WHICH SIDE, ETC. ALL THIS DURING THE LAST 8 MINS OF FLT.

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.