A319 temporarily lost contact with ATC due to static associated with convective activity.

Attributes
ACN	845165
Time
Date	200907
Local Time Of Day	1801-2400
Place
Locale Reference	ZDC.ARTCC
State Reference	VA
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A319
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Cruise
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	VHF
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Not Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 189 Flight Crew Total 11750 Flight Crew Type 3290
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe

Narrative:

No VHF due to precipitation static. We were at FL370 in a stratus layer going around several storm cells and started to hear static on the radios. The static grew so intense that we could hear nothing other than the static. Then the ACARS went to no comm/standby. This probably lasted 2-3 minutes when we began to hear other aircraft but not ATC. I broadcast in the blind for maybe 30 seconds for a radio check with ATC. We finally made contact and were handed off to the next sector. It seemed they had been waiting for us for a few minutes. This has happened before with the airbus; but this lasted for a long time and I don't recall loosing ACARS. The speed brakes don't work to dissipate the charge like on the 727.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 temporarily lost contact with ATC due to static associated with convective activity.

Narrative: No VHF due to precipitation static. We were at FL370 in a stratus layer going around several storm cells and started to hear static on the radios. The static grew so intense that we could hear nothing other than the static. Then the ACARS went to NO COMM/Standby. This probably lasted 2-3 minutes when we began to hear other aircraft but not ATC. I broadcast in the blind for maybe 30 seconds for a radio check with ATC. We finally made contact and were handed off to the next sector. It seemed they had been waiting for us for a few minutes. This has happened before with the airbus; but this lasted for a long time and I don't recall loosing ACARS. The speed brakes don't work to dissipate the charge like on the 727.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.