of course it is not always the pilot's fault.
BUT.
In this crazy world of flying, the last defense against a foul up is an alert and well trained crew.
If you are just sitting in the cockpit, "fat, dumb, and happy" chances are you have missed something.
If your tire falls off on takeoff, maybe you didn't do a thorough enough pre-flight inspection.
If you lose radio contact, maybe you have not "maintained a proper listening watch" on your radio. Perhaps you are too busy flirting with the f/a's who come to the cockpit to rest their feet.
While a loss of radio com from ATC might happen on your first flight into an unknown area. If you are on the same route for the umpteenth time in the last year, you begin to anticipate radio frequency changes.
ALL you have to do is say: "Blank center, Air Widget 23, RADIO CHECK please".
This will wake up a controller who forgot, it will check your radio, and your fellow pilots will notice if ATC doesn't answer and they will confirm your transmitter is transmitting.
Sorry boys and girls. If you are tired, not alert, or bored with flying and "zoned out", it is time to fix things.
Many years ago, when I was first learning to fly, there were 3 incidents in the state of california in which planes crashed into mountains while "IMC". ATC foul ups for two of them. Over expectations of ATC service was the third.
It all comes down to the pilot. Aviate, Navigate, Communicate. We have more tools than ever before, but the enemy is complacency. And it is this that is growing as a problem!
No radio, use your transponder. At least the F16's will try to signal you before blasting you!
jon