Lost Comm

[fish314]

Here is a good one that came up in discussion @ my squadron the other day......

You are IMC, ATC is vectoring you off your airway enroute for thunderstorm avoidance (w/o giving you an expected time back on course) and you go lost comms. If you were to follow FAR/FIH you would remain on last assigned heading, or probably more appropriately return to your filed/expected routing. That being said, they weren't vectoring you to any fix/navaid/airway and there is obviously a thunderstorm out there which (you having no wx radar of course ) you are not able to navigate around on your own IMC. What do you do?

Probably work it the best you can with the limited information you've got. Maybe stay on the assigned heading for a little while (which keeps with the AVE FAME) then when you think you are clear of the weather correct back to course. As for determining when you are clear, you don't have much, but maybe you can guess based on your weather report before takeoff, or maybe from something you overheard on HIWAS, or inflight from someone else's PIREP or something.

 

[///AMG]

^ That was pretty much the conclusion that I came to, though another guy said he would turn around and RTB on the original airway, and a third guy (an IP this time) said he would rejoin the airway and continue on the filed route. I personally disagree with #2 since that would obviously create confusion and it certainly in no way complies with the regs, and I disagree with #3 because if the wx is significant enough that ATC is vectoring you around it, it seems like a bad idea to risk penetrating it (notably while on lost comms). If you did remain on the assigned heading with the intent of rejoining the airway once clear of the wx, it would then be proper to climb to the OROCA (if higher than MEA), correct?

 

[fish314]

^ That was pretty much the conclusion that I came to, though another guy said he would turn around and RTB on the original airway, and a third guy (an IP this time) said he would rejoin the airway and continue on the filed route. I personally disagree with #2 since that would obviously create confusion and it certainly in no way complies with the regs, and I disagree with #3 because if the wx is significant enough that ATC is vectoring you around it, it seems like a bad idea to risk penetrating it (notably while on lost comms). If you did remain on the assigned heading with the intent of rejoining the airway once clear of the wx, it would then be proper to climb to the OROCA (if higher than MEA), correct?

I think so (in regards to flying the OROCA if higher than MEA, and your Assigned and Expected altitudes, too). The instruction says the minimum altitude for IFR operations. In my mind, the MEA applies to the Jet route (or victor airway) only. Once you are off that route, the OROCA should be the applicable altitude, IMHO.

As for Options #2 and #3 above, I kind of agree with your analysis. #2 doesn't seem like it's supported anywhere in the regs. As for #3, it might be procedurally defensible, but I think flying through a thunderstorm is likely to make you an EP if you weren't already, and constitutes an unnecessary and dangerous risk. Of course with our solution (maintain the heading until you think you are past the weather) you may wind up in the T-storm anyway, but what else can you do? Doesn't seem to be a perfect textbook solution to this one, so a best judgment type answer is about the best you can do.

 

[Sunburn]

Here is a good one that came up in discussion @ my squadron the other day......

You are IMC, ATC is vectoring you off your airway enroute for thunderstorm avoidance (w/o giving you an expected time back on course) and you go lost comms. If you were to follow FAR/FIH you would remain on last assigned heading, or probably more appropriately return to your filed/expected routing. That being said, they weren't vectoring you to any fix/navaid/airway and there is obviously a thunderstorm out there which (you having no wx radar of course ) you are not able to navigate around on your own IMC. What do you do?

Hog wash, your the nations best, fly right through the heart of that T-storm and let it know who is boss.

I would have to say it as it was taught to me "For all situations where no standard solution applies, use your best judgment" and might I add, for this case a little OJIHTW (Oh Jeez/Jesus! I hope this works).

 

[TheAlchemist]

I've seen my fair share of ga radio stack and can't really conceive a situation where the comm side of the stack would stop working all together and the nav side function normally.

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