An air carrier was unable to establish communication over the atlantic.

Attributes
ACN	314985
Time
Date	199509
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zqa
State Reference	FO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 35000 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : mdcs artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 170 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 170
ASRS Report	314985
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	314987
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Weather
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We lost radio contact en route cabo rojo with santo domingo control. We heard santo domingo and other aircraft talking, but could get no one to answer. We made attempts with port au prince and ZMA but got no answers until miami finally answered on 134.8 about 160-170 NM southeast of nassau (zqa)(on the flight plan route zin direct resin). There were electrical disturbances/lightning in the area of thunderstorms along the route. We tried various frequencys on VHF and HF but could get no replies even though we heard others transmitting. Probably should have squawked 7600 earlier. Supplemental information from acn 314987: ZMA requested captain contact facilities supervisor on arrival at destination. All radios appeared to operate normally after radio contact was made with ZMA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM OVER THE ATLANTIC.

Narrative: WE LOST RADIO CONTACT ENRTE CABO ROJO WITH SANTO DOMINGO CTL. WE HEARD SANTO DOMINGO AND OTHER ACFT TALKING, BUT COULD GET NO ONE TO ANSWER. WE MADE ATTEMPTS WITH PORT AU PRINCE AND ZMA BUT GOT NO ANSWERS UNTIL MIAMI FINALLY ANSWERED ON 134.8 ABOUT 160-170 NM SE OF NASSAU (ZQA)(ON THE FLT PLAN RTE ZIN DIRECT RESIN). THERE WERE ELECTRICAL DISTURBANCES/LIGHTNING IN THE AREA OF TSTMS ALONG THE RTE. WE TRIED VARIOUS FREQS ON VHF AND HF BUT COULD GET NO REPLIES EVEN THOUGH WE HEARD OTHERS XMITTING. PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE SQUAWKED 7600 EARLIER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 314987: ZMA REQUESTED CAPT CONTACT FACILITIES SUPVR ON ARR AT DEST. ALL RADIOS APPEARED TO OPERATE NORMALLY AFTER RADIO CONTACT WAS MADE WITH ZMA.

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.