Genlemen,
Who may, please, comment on what crew had to do and not to do in case the communications with the ground ATC was broken or delayed?
Assume that the picture drawn by Gerry Soejetman is close to reality:
http://2.bp.********.com/-cg7Nm_jPuv...-R2.-RZjpg.jpg
and let's consider the right point of orbit depicted in the above picture. Looks like having received OK from ATC to change the altitude to 6 Kft and make a right-hand orbit staying within Bogor training area, the crew implemented this maneuver and tried to get in contact with ATC once again requesting execution of the next step(s) of the flight plan. Most likely (at least as suggested by Gerry and it sounds reasonable) the crew was planning to make a right-hand U-turn and then continue descend towards Halim.
Assume now that the ATC did not react to the crew at that point (e.g. was busy as it was a rush hour). What the crew had to do in this situation, i.e. a demo/experimental flight, Indonesian airspace with potential specifics vs Russia, Europe, US? Repeating the right-hand orbit once again waiting until the communication is re-established? Go on implementing the flight plan (U-turn and further descend)? Keep going with the same course and altitude? If the latter, the crew would be moving towards the mountains as it likely happned. And if they were under VFR, this might not be a problem – e.g. they might be thinking «OK, let's wait for ATC and then make a turn after we pass the peak». But immideately after entering the mountains, they found themselves in a bad weather and the problems began. Perhaps, they reported change to IFR, even tried to get up to the Grid MORA, but not pulling up steep enough.
Is there anything obviously wrong in the above considerations? Sorry again if any wording sounds silly; my background is Air Force and astronaut training, too far from the civil aviation.