Narrative:

Our flight plan was RNAV direct bdl-bvi. My first officer and I were handed off from new york control frequency 134.50 to 133.25. We checked in, received avp altimeter setting 30.06 and continued cruise. No xmissions were heard on the 133.25 frequency for approximately 10 mins after check-in. At XA10 an airplane, relatively large, was spotted to the south of us at close vertical proximity on a perpendicular course to ours. The aircraft passed under us. We could not tell the approximately separation between us -- it was night, backgnd was dark, no ground lights. We were concerned we did not receive any radar advisories. We called ATC on that frequency. No reply. My first officer dialed back to new york control on 134.30. New york said they had been trying to contact us but to no avail. We were then handed off immediately to a new frequency (124.50) and checked in. The rest of the flight went without incident. I believe we were handed off and forgotten about during which time an airplane may have taken off out of avp on a northerly heading and was with another controller. We may have been passing through a narrow sector of controllers and a quick handoff was missed. The only suggestions I can give are to either have an automated identify with frequency every 5 mins during the sparse traffic times of late evening to early morning, or have mandatory radio checks by pilot and/or controller every 5 mins during these times if the frequency has not had any activity.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A PIPER PA31-350 OBSERVED ANOTHER ACFT CROSS UNDER THEIR FLT PATH WHICH PROMPTED THEM TO CALL ATC FOR TA'S. ARTCC CTLR ADVISED THAT THEY WERE TRYING TO CALL RPTR REGARDING TFC, BUT ON A DIFFERENT FREQ THAN THAT GIVEN AND MONITORED BY RPTR.

Narrative: OUR FLT PLAN WAS RNAV DIRECT BDL-BVI. MY FO AND I WERE HANDED OFF FROM NEW YORK CTL FREQ 134.50 TO 133.25. WE CHKED IN, RECEIVED AVP ALTIMETER SETTING 30.06 AND CONTINUED CRUISE. NO XMISSIONS WERE HEARD ON THE 133.25 FREQ FOR APPROX 10 MINS AFTER CHK-IN. AT XA10 AN AIRPLANE, RELATIVELY LARGE, WAS SPOTTED TO THE S OF US AT CLOSE VERT PROX ON A PERPENDICULAR COURSE TO OURS. THE ACFT PASSED UNDER US. WE COULD NOT TELL THE APPROX SEPARATION BTWN US -- IT WAS NIGHT, BACKGND WAS DARK, NO GND LIGHTS. WE WERE CONCERNED WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RADAR ADVISORIES. WE CALLED ATC ON THAT FREQ. NO REPLY. MY FO DIALED BACK TO NEW YORK CTL ON 134.30. NEW YORK SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US BUT TO NO AVAIL. WE WERE THEN HANDED OFF IMMEDIATELY TO A NEW FREQ (124.50) AND CHKED IN. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE WE WERE HANDED OFF AND FORGOTTEN ABOUT DURING WHICH TIME AN AIRPLANE MAY HAVE TAKEN OFF OUT OF AVP ON A NORTHERLY HDG AND WAS WITH ANOTHER CTLR. WE MAY HAVE BEEN PASSING THROUGH A NARROW SECTOR OF CTLRS AND A QUICK HDOF WAS MISSED. THE ONLY SUGGESTIONS I CAN GIVE ARE TO EITHER HAVE AN AUTOMATED IDENT WITH FREQ EVERY 5 MINS DURING THE SPARSE TFC TIMES OF LATE EVENING TO EARLY MORNING, OR HAVE MANDATORY RADIO CHKS BY PLT AND/OR CTLR EVERY 5 MINS DURING THESE TIMES IF THE FREQ HAS NOT HAD ANY ACTIVITY.

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.