Narrative:

Passenger flight msp-gfk, with the gfk VOR and DME as OTS. En route radar provided vector headings to destination. At a point en route, center issued a 'pilot's discretion to 11000 ft' clearance. As the PNF, I gave radio control of ATC to the PF while I tuned in ATIS, and notified our station personnel of our expected arrival time. As I returned to the en route frequency the controller was calling for our flight. I responded, and the controller asked if our destination was gfk as we were nearly overhead, and that he had been attempting to get us numerous times during the past several mins. The PF said that this was the first such call since being issued the pilot's discretion descent. He cleared us to descend and turn to the field, handing us off to approach. Approach who also listens to the en route frequency confirmed that he too had not heard any of the supposed calls. Approach and landing normal. The flight was the first flight for this first officer as a pilot for our airline (IOE), however, his backgnd is from regional (turboprops) through widebody transport international. I am a line and simulator check airman.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARILY LOST COM WITH ATC. CTLR TRIED TO CONTACT FLC TO ISSUE DSCNT CLRNC, BUT FLC DIDN'T HEAR UNTIL ALMOST AT DEST. LATE DSCNT.

Narrative: PAX FLT MSP-GFK, WITH THE GFK VOR AND DME AS OTS. ENRTE RADAR PROVIDED VECTOR HDGS TO DEST. AT A POINT ENRTE, CTR ISSUED A 'PLT'S DISCRETION TO 11000 FT' CLRNC. AS THE PNF, I GAVE RADIO CTL OF ATC TO THE PF WHILE I TUNED IN ATIS, AND NOTIFIED OUR STATION PERSONNEL OF OUR EXPECTED ARR TIME. AS I RETURNED TO THE ENRTE FREQ THE CTLR WAS CALLING FOR OUR FLT. I RESPONDED, AND THE CTLR ASKED IF OUR DEST WAS GFK AS WE WERE NEARLY OVERHEAD, AND THAT HE HAD BEEN ATTEMPTING TO GET US NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MINS. THE PF SAID THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST SUCH CALL SINCE BEING ISSUED THE PLT'S DISCRETION DSCNT. HE CLRED US TO DSND AND TURN TO THE FIELD, HANDING US OFF TO APCH. APCH WHO ALSO LISTENS TO THE ENRTE FREQ CONFIRMED THAT HE TOO HAD NOT HEARD ANY OF THE SUPPOSED CALLS. APCH AND LNDG NORMAL. THE FLT WAS THE FIRST FLT FOR THIS FO AS A PLT FOR OUR AIRLINE (IOE), HOWEVER, HIS BACKGND IS FROM REGIONAL (TURBOPROPS) THROUGH WDB INTL. I AM A LINE AND SIMULATOR CHK AIRMAN.

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.