Originally Posted by
PPRuNe Radar
Astra Driver and Hokie Nation
Can you provide a reference document to your RT Failure 'procedures' ?
Assuming Brasil uses the ICAO standard procedure, then you are both simply (and possibly dangerously) wrong with the assertion the pilot should not change level from that last assigned.
PPrune Radar, thanks for setting me straight on that; I was using U.S. lost comm procedures from FAR part 91, which would apply in the domestic U.S. airspace. I should have "thought before I typed" and realized, as you correctly pointed out, that Brasil would most likely be under ICAO regs and as such would have different procedures in the event of lost comm. I guess it is better to screw up (and be corrected) here on PPrune than in the air though!
Interesting side note which may answer some posts regarding loss of RVSM capability;
Shortly after making my last post we took off for Los Angeles and after leveling at FL 400 we noticed our TCAS had gone to STBY, realizing this might be due to our losing mode C capablity I switched transponders. No change. I called center, "Are you recieving our Mode C?", "Negative".
After switching back and forth between our two transponders and recycling them it became apparent that we had a total failure of our mode C capability on both transponders, which, of course, rendered our TCAS inoperative and made us non-RVSM capable.
After some discussion with ATC (Who were very co-operative) it was decided we would exit RVSM aispace and descend to FL 280 for the duration of the flight. This brings up an interesting question; what if we had also experienced a loss of communications as well as a loss of mode C capability? Lost comm procedures dictate maintaining altitude as per clearance or flight plan to the FAF at the destination, but loss of RVSM capablity dicatates exiting RVSM airspace and changing altitude. The controller has no way to know what your actual altitude is, he can only asume what you might or should do. I posed this question to our controller and his answer was pretty straight forward; "I wouldn't take any chances guessing what altitude you might maintain, I would just get everybody out of your way"