When the Chatter Ceases

Peace and quiet is something that every parent has longed for at some time or another. A lack of chatter is not so great when in the clouds and rain-being vectored for a parallel ILS approach to a major airport like Atlanta. You instantly miss the constant stream of quick-paced banter of the controller.

It sometimes takes a while to recognize that you have lost comm. Take, for example, a handsome and dashing MD-88 captain for a certain un-named airline who now writes articles for an un-named magazine.

He lands his aircraft in Atlanta, turns off of the active outboard runway and holds short of the inboard runway-as expected. Then he waits for the tower controller to give him a clearance to cross.

The crossing clearance doesn't come. As a matter of fact, the dumb controller isn't even talking on the frequency. Our flawless captain makes note of this slovenly controller's attitude and comments in unflattering terms to his copilot that the controller is somewhat less than perfect.

It is then that the captain notices that his flight bag has slid up against the push-to-talk button on his audio panel, pushing it to the talk position and his boom mike is hot.

After pushing the flight bag off the button, a miracle occurs and the remiss controller, who has been trying to contact the MD-88 for the past four minutes-while listening to the captain fume and fuss on an open mike-finally gets through with that expected crossing clearance.

Most IFR communications out scenarios aren't that embarrassing, but it pays to check the simple things first before you launch into the FARs and comm-out rules.

My IFR comm-out experiences are limited to having a stuck microphone and making a fool out of myself. I have never had a total loss of communications that led to me having to follow the rules. Most comm problems are caused by simple things like a stuck mike and misunderstood radio frequency changes.

All of the IFR comm-out procedures assume that you still have the ability to navigate.

The sad truth is that if you have had a total loss of communications, it is probably due to a serious electrical system problem; meaning that you can't communicate or navigate. This would be an emergency in IFR and the only rules that would apply would be safety of flight and common sense.

When you lose voice contact with ATC, it is usually regained quickly. The most common cause of loss of voice communications in most situations is that you simply didn't change to the correct frequency when the last controller handed you off to the next controller. The answer to that, of course, is to go back to your last. You do remember your last assigned frequency, don't you?

Communications radios today have a flip-flop switch that sends you from one frequency to the next. This always typically leaves your last assigned frequency on the standby side of the radio. If you become distracted and change the old frequency first you can find yourself looking for the frequency in a frantic rush.

Even when flying an aircraft with the most modern and redundant communications radios, I still have the habit of writing down the last assigned frequency on a piece of paper I keep handy. I got this habit years ago when I flew on the Boeing 727. The older versions of that airplane didn't have flip-flop frequency selectors.

I use the trusty "write it down" method because not only does it work every time, it also slows my pace and prevents me from jumping on the new frequency and stepping all over people who are already there.

In addition to making a note of frequencies, you should get in the habit of jotting down clearances from ATC; especially clearances with clearance limits and "expect further" times. These can be vital later if you are dealing with a communications out situation.

Some other methods of remembering their last frequency that other pilots use have run the gamut from just mumbling the numbers to yourself four or five times and setting the numbers in the spare transponder (except there are no eights or nines).

I have met one pilot who somehow put the frequencies down on his wrist watch.

An ATC frequency misunderstanding can happen at any time but the good news is that you are still in communications with somebody and you can recover and be back with the proper controller within a few minutes.

Enroute charts have ATC frequencies published on them. Try a few of the frequencies you find there. You most likely won't be lucky enough to hit the one for the controller in your sector, but if you can establish communications with a controller and give your location, he or she can give you a good frequency in no time.

Flight service can also find you a frequency, but the quickest way to make contact with your controller is to ask another controller.

A likely scenario would be that you lost your ability to transmit or receive, but not both. If you can receive but not transmit, ATC will give you a way of responding to show you have gotten their clearances For example, they could ask you to ident or to execute a turn to show you've gotten the message.

If you have the ability to transmit but not receive you would have to treat that your predicament as a total loss of communications. Transmitting what you are doing and what your intentions are in the blind would be a good idea in this unlikely situation.

The first step to dealing with a communications out situation is to squawk 7600 on your transponder. This will tell your controller your predicament and will also prompt them to actively try other methods of contacting you.

Turn up the volume on your navigation radios. ATC may try to contact you using the voice feature. Pocket cell phone may work-it would be a good idea to carry the phone numbers of a few local towers and ATC centers.

Many serious IFR pilots invest in a little communications insurance by having a hand-held VHF radio in their flight bag. Portable comm radios have limited range and frequencies, but are perfect for this situation.

Quite a few general aviation aircraft have TCAS systems and you can avoid traffic using this handy tool as you make your VFR descent and approach. All airliners are required to have TCAS today, so as long as your mode C transponder is working, they can actively avoid you.

You should do everything you possibly can to re-establish communications with ATC before you start following the communications out rules.

The trick to thriving in an IFR communications out situation is to do exactly what the ATC system expects you to do. All of the clearance limits, such as expect further hold times and expect approach clearance times are set up to help you in the event that you lose contact with ATC.

The rules detailing what you are expected to do when you lose communications are spelled out in the AIM. Both the VFR and IFR rules are a nice thing to clip and save somewhere in your flight kit. They are also found in the Emergency Section of your Jepps.

The best way that the system has for dealing with NORDO (no radio) aircraft is to not have to deal with them at all. If you are VFR or later find yourself in VFR conditions you are expected to land as soon as practicable. You are also encouraged to use your emergency authority as pilot in command to the extent to ensure a safe flight.

The rule says as soon as practicable, not as soon as possible. You don't have to land at an unsuitable or unsafe airport and you are allowed to deviate from the rules of FAR part 91.127 to the extent necessary to ensure you live long enough for your children to make you a grandparent.

Most pilots, especially in training situations, forget this easiest of all fixes to your communications out problem. Assume an IFR clearance from Lexington, Kentucky to Atlanta's Peachtree-Dekalb airport and about half way there, you lose communications.

The weather is cloudy and rainy at your destination, but right this very minute you are flying above a scattered layer of clouds and you can see that the conditions are VFR below the cloud deck. You also know your approximate position and are certain you can maintain VFR and land in Knoxville with no problem. You are following both the regulations and the rules of common sense by descending, landing and calling ATC as soon as you can find a phone on the ground.

Would you be legal if you used your emergency authority as PIC to continue through the VFR conditions, enter IFR conditions again and use the comm-out rules to land at your destination? Not according to the NTSB. A recent case they considered was an airline pilot who re-entered IFR conditions after losing communications and flying VFR more than 25 nautical miles. He passed over a number of suitable and safe airports to get to his filed destination. He had to face a little enforcement action for not following the rules.

What if you are at FL 240 when the great silence hits? That's positive control airspace, requiring an IFR clearance, right?

If it is clear and you can head toward a suitable airport, even from the flight levels, the FAA expects you to do a normal descent and landing. You are perfectly legal to descend VFR and land your airplane on the active runway, even at a controlled airport. ATC expects you to do this. The longer you are in the system comm-out, the more dangerous you are.

These comm-out messes are usually predicated on the fact that they think it is your radio that is out. If ATC loses its com, the same rules apply as when your radio goes dead, but I guarantee you it will be a much more interesting flight.

When in doubt about the rules, get out the book. If you don't clip the rules from this article be sure you have them somewhere within your grasp. No need to make a bad situation worse by not knowing the rules when the cockpit goes silent some stormy night.

Kevin Garrison, a retired 777 captain for a major carrier, now instructs a little, writes a lot, and enjoys long naps in his official airline lazy boy recliner.

This article originally appeared in the August 2013 issue of IFR Refresher magazine.

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