Lost-Comm Realities

Modern electronics almost relegate lost-comm concerns to a thing of the past. But what should you do if “almost” comes to your flight?

Mark Kolber

Sunday, December 15, 2024 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Screenshot

Key Takeaways:

The article highlights a significant disconnect between the strict, outdated IFR lost communication regulation (§91.185) and the practical realities of modern ATC expectations and equipment.
While §91.185 dictates specific, often delaying, procedures for lost comm, ATC actually prefers pilots to prioritize safety and expeditious resolution, treating the situation as an emergency to exit the system quickly.
Pilots are encouraged to use good judgment, informed by AIM guidance, to make safe and efficient decisions (like diverting or flying a direct approach) rather than rigidly adhering to the regulation's literal interpretation, which can worsen the situation.

See a mistake? Contact us.

You are IFR from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York (KFRG), to Norwood, Massachusetts (KOWD), in your Piper Arrow. It’s IMC all the way. The clearance is a common one. Initial vectors to Bridgeport VOR (BDR), direct to Hartford VOR (HFD), then to FROSTY and WOONS intersections northwest of the Providence Class C. Although the flight should take only a bit over an hour, it is your practice to round up, so you filed 2 hours as your ETE.

Departing, you enter the clouds at 900 feet AGL. As the forecasts predict, your 7000-foot cruise altitude keeps you in a solid stratus layer. Soon after turning at Hartford, you hear nothing but static from your GTN 650. Your old KX 155 isn’t any better. Changing frequencies doesn’t help. Guard on 121.5 is silent. Nothing from nearby AWOS so it’s you and not them. Fortunately, the nav side of both units seems to be unaffected—so far. You figure maybe it will clear up. It doesn’t.