Narrative:

Aircraft was released from yip to deliver cargo to orf and return. After arrival at orf, clearance was received back to yip. After calling operations, they said we might change destinations. First officer called back to clearance and notified him we might have a new destination but we would not know for an hour, and what would he like us to do. He said he would make our estimated time of departure later, and it would be good for 2 hours beyond that, and he'd watch for a new flight plan. Our destination did change, and we received clearance to roa. Clearance was to roa via the norfolk 3 departure, radar vectors, waiks, the orf 290 degree radial to 79 DME, lyh, then direct 4000 ft. I don't recall any mention of the previous clearance by ATC or the crew. We departed and a short time later, departure control changed our squawk. We didn't realize this was the code given earlier for yip. We were level in cruise at FL240 approximately 30 mi from lyh when I realized we had lost our #2 communication (the one we normally use) and switched to #1 communication. Upon checking back in with ZDC, the controller stated she had tried to reach us several times and to say our heading and intentions. I replied our #2 communication had failed, we were heading on course to lyh, and we intended to land at roa. We were assigned a new frequency and upon check-in, were asked the same questions. The controller also asked about our clearance and where we had received it, and to call them after landing. When I called, I was told traffic had been rerted around us because they expected us to turn northbound after the 70 DME fix, not wbound. It was after this call I realized the squawk issued by departure was from the yip clearance. That clearance had taken northbound to fak after the 79 DME fix out of orf. Unfortunately, our radio failed at the most inopportune time somewhere by that fix. I had mentioned earlier in the day to my first officer how squawk changes made me nervous because it made me feel I had done something wrong. From now on, I'll keep in mind how much information is passed along with that code. The previous clearance to yip should have been canceled altogether -- a practice we normally follow.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9 FLC HAS RADIO FAILURE WHEN ATC IS CONFUSED ABOUT ROUTING.

Narrative: ACFT WAS RELEASED FROM YIP TO DELIVER CARGO TO ORF AND RETURN. AFTER ARR AT ORF, CLRNC WAS RECEIVED BACK TO YIP. AFTER CALLING OPS, THEY SAID WE MIGHT CHANGE DESTS. FO CALLED BACK TO CLRNC AND NOTIFIED HIM WE MIGHT HAVE A NEW DEST BUT WE WOULD NOT KNOW FOR AN HR, AND WHAT WOULD HE LIKE US TO DO. HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE OUR ESTIMATED TIME OF DEP LATER, AND IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR 2 HRS BEYOND THAT, AND HE'D WATCH FOR A NEW FLT PLAN. OUR DEST DID CHANGE, AND WE RECEIVED CLRNC TO ROA. CLRNC WAS TO ROA VIA THE NORFOLK 3 DEP, RADAR VECTORS, WAIKS, THE ORF 290 DEG RADIAL TO 79 DME, LYH, THEN DIRECT 4000 FT. I DON'T RECALL ANY MENTION OF THE PREVIOUS CLRNC BY ATC OR THE CREW. WE DEPARTED AND A SHORT TIME LATER, DEP CTL CHANGED OUR SQUAWK. WE DIDN'T REALIZE THIS WAS THE CODE GIVEN EARLIER FOR YIP. WE WERE LEVEL IN CRUISE AT FL240 APPROX 30 MI FROM LYH WHEN I REALIZED WE HAD LOST OUR #2 COM (THE ONE WE NORMALLY USE) AND SWITCHED TO #1 COM. UPON CHKING BACK IN WITH ZDC, THE CTLR STATED SHE HAD TRIED TO REACH US SEVERAL TIMES AND TO SAY OUR HDG AND INTENTIONS. I REPLIED OUR #2 COM HAD FAILED, WE WERE HDG ON COURSE TO LYH, AND WE INTENDED TO LAND AT ROA. WE WERE ASSIGNED A NEW FREQ AND UPON CHK-IN, WERE ASKED THE SAME QUESTIONS. THE CTLR ALSO ASKED ABOUT OUR CLRNC AND WHERE WE HAD RECEIVED IT, AND TO CALL THEM AFTER LNDG. WHEN I CALLED, I WAS TOLD TFC HAD BEEN RERTED AROUND US BECAUSE THEY EXPECTED US TO TURN NBOUND AFTER THE 70 DME FIX, NOT WBOUND. IT WAS AFTER THIS CALL I REALIZED THE SQUAWK ISSUED BY DEP WAS FROM THE YIP CLRNC. THAT CLRNC HAD TAKEN NBOUND TO FAK AFTER THE 79 DME FIX OUT OF ORF. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR RADIO FAILED AT THE MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME SOMEWHERE BY THAT FIX. I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE DAY TO MY FO HOW SQUAWK CHANGES MADE ME NERVOUS BECAUSE IT MADE ME FEEL I HAD DONE SOMETHING WRONG. FROM NOW ON, I'LL KEEP IN MIND HOW MUCH INFO IS PASSED ALONG WITH THAT CODE. THE PREVIOUS CLRNC TO YIP SHOULD HAVE BEEN CANCELED ALTOGETHER -- A PRACTICE WE NORMALLY FOLLOW.

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.