Narrative:

After being cleared for a visual approach to runway 9R in phl, we were told to contact the tower on 135.1. We made our initial check in but did not receive landing clearance. We made several attempts to obtain clearance but the frequency was silent. We then switched to runway 9L tower frequency of 118.5 and still were unable to make contact. We were on short final, the runway was clear and we landed according to our lost communication procedures in VFR conditions. We checked with the flight attendants to see if a cellular phone was in use and were told that several 'game boys' were in use. We contacted the tower on the ground, all communications had returned to normal. They thought they may have had the radio problem. The flight attendants noticed 1 gentleman had a cellular phone sitting next to him during the flight. She reminded him not to use the phone while in flight. She felt it was possible he used the phone after they had completed the landing check which would coincide with our radio silence on short final. Another aircraft also reported difficulty in contacting the tower on 135.1. We are unsure whether the radio problem was our equipment or the phl tower's. With the increase of cellular phones we may need to begin a passenger awareness program stating the possible affects of their use during flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH UNCOORD LNDG. UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH TWR, ACR LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC LNDG.

Narrative: AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9R IN PHL, WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR ON 135.1. WE MADE OUR INITIAL CHK IN BUT DID NOT RECEIVE LNDG CLRNC. WE MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO OBTAIN CLRNC BUT THE FREQ WAS SILENT. WE THEN SWITCHED TO RWY 9L TWR FREQ OF 118.5 AND STILL WERE UNABLE TO MAKE CONTACT. WE WERE ON SHORT FINAL, THE RWY WAS CLR AND WE LANDED ACCORDING TO OUR LOST COM PROCS IN VFR CONDITIONS. WE CHKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF A CELLULAR PHONE WAS IN USE AND WERE TOLD THAT SEVERAL 'GAME BOYS' WERE IN USE. WE CONTACTED THE TWR ON THE GND, ALL COMS HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL. THEY THOUGHT THEY MAY HAVE HAD THE RADIO PROB. THE FLT ATTENDANTS NOTICED 1 GENTLEMAN HAD A CELLULAR PHONE SITTING NEXT TO HIM DURING THE FLT. SHE REMINDED HIM NOT TO USE THE PHONE WHILE IN FLT. SHE FELT IT WAS POSSIBLE HE USED THE PHONE AFTER THEY HAD COMPLETED THE LNDG CHK WHICH WOULD COINCIDE WITH OUR RADIO SILENCE ON SHORT FINAL. ANOTHER ACFT ALSO RPTED DIFFICULTY IN CONTACTING THE TWR ON 135.1. WE ARE UNSURE WHETHER THE RADIO PROB WAS OUR EQUIP OR THE PHL TWR'S. WITH THE INCREASE OF CELLULAR PHONES WE MAY NEED TO BEGIN A PAX AWARENESS PROGRAM STATING THE POSSIBLE AFFECTS OF THEIR USE DURING 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.