Narrative:

I am an air traffic controller with memphis ARTCC. I was working R19; drake-ultra high covering fort smith and fayetteville; ar; area. We have had a problem with communicating with aircraft on 133.02 in an area west of a line drawn from rzc VOR to fsm VOR towards tulsa. This has been an ongoing problem for at least 5 yrs; however; it is not a very consistent problem; thus making it easy to diagnose. It is occurring often enough that a supervisor jokingly remarked that there have been so many frequency coverage reports generated that they are starting to weigh them in pounds. The problem is inconsistent enough; in that controllers do not think to try our back-up emergency transceivers (buec) to contact the aircraft; however; when I think to use our 'buec' transceivers it has never failed that I can raise the aircraft. This problem can occur when there is heavy traffic; which is not an opportune time to try and diagnose the communications problem. I plan on filing a NASA form whenever I encounter this problem so there is someone else other than the FAA tracking these occurrences. The following are the 2 aircraft I had problems talking to. Consequently; when I switched to my 'buec' the aircraft responded promptly. The first aircraft I had was an aircraft landing at tul (tulsa; ok) traveling from east to west. The aircraft was a BE40 at the hro (harrison) 210 at 10 NM at FL360 down to FL350 at XA15Z. The aircraft xmissions were broken and unreadable. The second instance occurred at XA17Z with air carrier X. Its position was 30 NM due north of mlc (mcalister; ok). Air carrier X xmissions were broken on our receiver. The last occurrence was at XA33Z with air carrier Y at FL390 at the rzc 23065. This aircraft's xmissions were breaking up on the main transceiver.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZME CTLR VOICED CONCERN REGARDING CONTINUED COVERAGE DIFFICULTIES AND FAILURES OF 133.02; CITING A FIVE-YEAR HISTORY OF SAME.

Narrative: I AM AN AIR TFC CTLR WITH MEMPHIS ARTCC. I WAS WORKING R19; DRAKE-ULTRA HIGH COVERING FORT SMITH AND FAYETTEVILLE; AR; AREA. WE HAVE HAD A PROB WITH COMMUNICATING WITH ACFT ON 133.02 IN AN AREA W OF A LINE DRAWN FROM RZC VOR TO FSM VOR TOWARDS TULSA. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROB FOR AT LEAST 5 YRS; HOWEVER; IT IS NOT A VERY CONSISTENT PROB; THUS MAKING IT EASY TO DIAGNOSE. IT IS OCCURRING OFTEN ENOUGH THAT A SUPVR JOKINGLY REMARKED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY FREQ COVERAGE RPTS GENERATED THAT THEY ARE STARTING TO WEIGH THEM IN LBS. THE PROB IS INCONSISTENT ENOUGH; IN THAT CTLRS DO NOT THINK TO TRY OUR BACK-UP EMER TRANSCEIVERS (BUEC) TO CONTACT THE ACFT; HOWEVER; WHEN I THINK TO USE OUR 'BUEC' TRANSCEIVERS IT HAS NEVER FAILED THAT I CAN RAISE THE ACFT. THIS PROB CAN OCCUR WHEN THERE IS HVY TFC; WHICH IS NOT AN OPPORTUNE TIME TO TRY AND DIAGNOSE THE COMS PROB. I PLAN ON FILING A NASA FORM WHENEVER I ENCOUNTER THIS PROB SO THERE IS SOMEONE ELSE OTHER THAN THE FAA TRACKING THESE OCCURRENCES. THE FOLLOWING ARE THE 2 ACFT I HAD PROBS TALKING TO. CONSEQUENTLY; WHEN I SWITCHED TO MY 'BUEC' THE ACFT RESPONDED PROMPTLY. THE FIRST ACFT I HAD WAS AN ACFT LNDG AT TUL (TULSA; OK) TRAVELING FROM E TO W. THE ACFT WAS A BE40 AT THE HRO (HARRISON) 210 AT 10 NM AT FL360 DOWN TO FL350 AT XA15Z. THE ACFT XMISSIONS WERE BROKEN AND UNREADABLE. THE SECOND INSTANCE OCCURRED AT XA17Z WITH ACR X. ITS POS WAS 30 NM DUE N OF MLC (MCALISTER; OK). ACR X XMISSIONS WERE BROKEN ON OUR RECEIVER. THE LAST OCCURRENCE WAS AT XA33Z WITH ACR Y AT FL390 AT THE RZC 23065. THIS ACFT'S XMISSIONS WERE BREAKING UP ON THE MAIN TRANSCEIVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.