B737 FLT CREW HAS LOST COM DURING APCH TO ALB.

Narrative

DURING THE ARR PHASE OF OUR FLT; WE GOT ATIS FOR RWY 19 ARR; WITH CALM WINDS. WE REQUESTED RWY 1; BUT WERE TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 19. THE SAME CTLR CAME BACK WITH A COMMENT; 'IT MUST BE YOUR LUCKY DAY; TURN L HDG 310 DEGS; DSND TO 3000 FT AND EXPECT RWY 1.' I WAS ABOUT 25 MI ON THE 150 DEG RADIAL AT 6000 FT AND 250 KTS. SINCE I WAS NOW BEHIND DSCNT PROFILE; I HUSTLED DOWN AND SET UP FOR A VISUAL TO RWY 1. LEVEL AT 3000 FT; HDG 310 DEGS AND ABOUT 12 MI FROM THE FIELD. WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT ON ABOUT 180 DEG RADIAL. WE WATCHED THE CTRLINE PASS AND HAD NEVER RECEIVED ANY RADIO CALLS FROM APCH. WE FINALLY ASKED APCH FOR A TURN TO THE ARPT AND TOLD HIM WE HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT. I THINK THE SAME CTLR (SOUNDED LIKE THE SAME VOICE) ASKED US WHO WE WERE AND WHERE WE WERE -- INDICATING HE DIDN'T KNOW THE CALL SIGN; IE; WE WERE A 'WRONG WAY' ARR. HE IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED US TO TWR. I EXECUTED A R TURN TO MISS TERRAIN AND TWRS. MSA WAS 3500 FT. THE TWR TOLD US WE WERE NOW TO FLY A R DOWNWIND TO RWY 19. HE GAVE US A PHONE NUMBER TO CALL ON ARR. WE NEVER HAD ANY RADIO PROBS ON THE PREVIOUS FLT OR THIS FLT. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RADIO XMISSIONS BTWN OUR DSCNT/TURN XMISSION AND OUR CALL TO APCH CTL (132.65) AFTER WE PASSED CTRLINE ON OUR ASSIGNED 310 DEG HDG. I TALKED TO THE APCH SUPVR AND HE STATED THE CTLR CALLED US SEVERAL TIMES; USING 2 DIFFERENT XMITTERS. WE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING. ONCE WE CALLED THE CTLR; HE DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHO WE WERE UNTIL WE GAVE HIM RANGE AND BEARING -- SEEMINGLY REFUTING HIS CONCERN ABOUT US NOT RESPONDING. POSSIBLY WE WERE AFFECTED BY THE VHF COM PROBS AREA MENTIONED ON OUR NAV CHART (WHICH WE DISCUSSED INFLT). SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592057: I BELIEVE THAT THE CTLR FORGOT ABOUT US; BECAUSE WE WERE BEING VECTORED TO THE OPPOSITE RWY THAN ALL THE OTHER TFC. THE CTLR CLAIMED THAT HE HAD MADE NUMEROUS CALLS TO US; WHICH WE DID NOT RESPOND TO. HOWEVER; WHEN I CALLED HIM; I GOT AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE AND HE WASN'T SURE WHO WE WERE.