Narrative:

Scottish control handed our flight over to london control on frequency 131.05. We tried 4 times for an initial contact from london control. We went back to scottish control for a workable frequency. Scottish control told us to stand by, and told us to re-establish contact with london control on 131.05. They in turn responded to our radio call on initial contact. Sometime later (less than 10 mins), having not heard from london control, I asked for a radio check. London control again did not respond. I again went back to scottish control for a usable frequency. After again re-establishing initial contact with london control, a very agitated and aggressive female controller said 'where have you been?' she went on to state that we were not listening on 131.05 and should have stood guard on our #2 radio. Our flight engineer was obtaining gatwick (lgw) ATIS at this time. The london controller stated that we had caused her to repos 4 other aircraft to keep out of our way. After making these statements to us, she said she was going to report us. The problem was not us, but london control's bad radio frequency on 131.05. I had the cockpit voice recorder pulled from our aircraft at london. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: captain told ATC that he was pulling the breaker on the voice recorder for evidence. Captain has not heard anything regarding this incident from company, ATC or the FAA.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 PIC RPT ON INTERMITTENT RADIO CONTACT WITH LONDON CTL. ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS IRRITATED AT THE LOSS OF COM FREQ AND HAVING TO PROVIDE EXTRA CLRNCS FOR TFC SEPARATION W OF EGKK, FO.

Narrative: SCOTTISH CTL HANDED OUR FLT OVER TO LONDON CTL ON FREQ 131.05. WE TRIED 4 TIMES FOR AN INITIAL CONTACT FROM LONDON CTL. WE WENT BACK TO SCOTTISH CTL FOR A WORKABLE FREQ. SCOTTISH CTL TOLD US TO STAND BY, AND TOLD US TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH LONDON CTL ON 131.05. THEY IN TURN RESPONDED TO OUR RADIO CALL ON INITIAL CONTACT. SOMETIME LATER (LESS THAN 10 MINS), HAVING NOT HEARD FROM LONDON CTL, I ASKED FOR A RADIO CHK. LONDON CTL AGAIN DID NOT RESPOND. I AGAIN WENT BACK TO SCOTTISH CTL FOR A USABLE FREQ. AFTER AGAIN RE-ESTABLISHING INITIAL CONTACT WITH LONDON CTL, A VERY AGITATED AND AGGRESSIVE FEMALE CTLR SAID 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?' SHE WENT ON TO STATE THAT WE WERE NOT LISTENING ON 131.05 AND SHOULD HAVE STOOD GUARD ON OUR #2 RADIO. OUR FE WAS OBTAINING GATWICK (LGW) ATIS AT THIS TIME. THE LONDON CTLR STATED THAT WE HAD CAUSED HER TO REPOS 4 OTHER ACFT TO KEEP OUT OF OUR WAY. AFTER MAKING THESE STATEMENTS TO US, SHE SAID SHE WAS GOING TO RPT US. THE PROB WAS NOT US, BUT LONDON CTL'S BAD RADIO FREQ ON 131.05. I HAD THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER PULLED FROM OUR ACFT AT LONDON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CAPT TOLD ATC THAT HE WAS PULLING THE BREAKER ON THE VOICE RECORDER FOR EVIDENCE. CAPT HAS NOT HEARD ANYTHING REGARDING THIS INCIDENT FROM COMPANY, ATC OR THE FAA.

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.