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While a B757 flight crew was on a downwind vector clearance, communication with approach controller was temporarily lost. A flight crew member may have inadvertently moved the toggle switch to a previously assigned frequency. The flight crew queried controller after they had not received a call in over 5 mins. Loss of radio contact.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 329640 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199602 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : aml airport : dca |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : dca |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach descent other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual arrival star : star enroute : on vectors enroute airway : dca |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 329640 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2000 |
| ASRS Report | 329645 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We were on a 195 degree heading vector, on downwind for the mt vernon visual approach to runway 36 (transitioning off the finks 6 arrival after passing shaki intersection). After being cleared to 5000 ft, we did not hear from approach controller for about 5 mins. We called them and were told we were on the wrong frequency. We called them on the new frequency and we were asked where we had been. We told approach we had not left the last assigned frequency and we thought they had forgotten about us. Nothing else was discussed and we landed at dca without incident. Looking back on it, the captain and I think that most probably the VHF communication toggle switch was inadvertently bumped to the previous approach frequency resulting in the temporary lost communication scenario.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WHILE A B757 FLC WAS ON A DOWNWIND VECTOR CLRNC, COM WITH APCH CTLR WAS TEMPORARILY LOST. A FLC MEMBER MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY MOVED THE TOGGLE SWITCH TO A PREVIOUSLY ASSIGNED FREQ. THE FLC QUERIED CTLR AFTER THEY HAD NOT RECEIVED A CALL IN OVER 5 MINS. LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT.
Narrative: WE WERE ON A 195 DEG HDG VECTOR, ON DOWNWIND FOR THE MT VERNON VISUAL APCH TO RWY 36 (TRANSITIONING OFF THE FINKS 6 ARR AFTER PASSING SHAKI INTXN). AFTER BEING CLRED TO 5000 FT, WE DID NOT HEAR FROM APCH CTLR FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. WE CALLED THEM AND WERE TOLD WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ. WE CALLED THEM ON THE NEW FREQ AND WE WERE ASKED WHERE WE HAD BEEN. WE TOLD APCH WE HAD NOT LEFT THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ AND WE THOUGHT THEY HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT US. NOTHING ELSE WAS DISCUSSED AND WE LANDED AT DCA WITHOUT INCIDENT. LOOKING BACK ON IT, THE CAPT AND I THINK THAT MOST PROBABLY THE VHF COM TOGGLE SWITCH WAS INADVERTENTLY BUMPED TO THE PREVIOUS APCH FREQ RESULTING IN THE TEMPORARY LOST COM SCENARIO.
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.