B727 CREW HAS NUMEROUS PROBS IN ORD AREA BLAMING PHYSICAL CONDITION AND INEXPERIENCED CREW MEMBER.

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ON A SCHEDULED FLT FROM SLC TO ORD SEVERAL RADIO CALLS WERE EITHER MISSED OR MISUNDERSTOOD. WHAT STARTED THE SIT WAS THE DROPPING OF A FREQ WHICH WAS DISCOVERED DUE TO A LONG SILENCE THAT WAS NOTICED ON THE RADIO. MUCH CONCERN WAS GIVEN TO THIS SIT AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED; WHICH AT LEAST PARTLY CONTRIBUTED TO THE OTHER MISSED CALLS. THE CAPT MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP THAT HE WAS NOT FEELING WELL AND HAD TROUBLE SLEEPING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT. SUBSEQUENTLY; DURING THE FLT THE FO AND MYSELF ALSO WERE NOT FEELING WELL AS THE FLT PROGRESSED. IN ADDITION; THE AUTOPLT WAS NOT WORKING FOR THE ENTIRE TRIP. AFTER THE DROPPED FREQ; A HOLD WAS ISSUED AND MISTAKENLY PASSED; A FREQ WAS MISHEARD; AND THE WRONG RWY LOC WAS TURNED ONTO. THE SIT SEEMED TO COMPOUND ITSELF IN A VERY SHORT TIME AS FRUSTRATION AND CONCERN BUILT UP. ANOTHER FACTOR IS THAT A BRAND NEW FO WAS ABOARD. COMBINING A SICK CREW; THAT IS FATIGUED; NO AUTOPLT; A NEW FO; AND AN AIRLINE COMPANY THAT HAS NO SICK LEAVE; IS A RECIPE FOR PROBS. MORE ATTENTIVENESS BY MYSELF TO RADIO CALLS IN THE FUTURE COULD GO A LONG WAY TO AVOID FUTURE PROBS.