FAILED COM RADIO PANEL ON MD11 RESULTS IN NORDO CONDITIONS FOR 5 MINS.

Narrative

WHILE CRUISING AT FL310 THROUGH ZMP'S AIRSPACE; WE ENCOUNTERED THE FOLLOWING PROB: COM RADIO PANEL #3 INDICATED 'PANEL FAIL' IN ITS WINDOW. SHORTLY AFTER NOTICING THIS; WE RECEIVED A FREQ CHANGE FROM ONE SECTOR OF ZMP TO ANOTHER. WHEN WE CHANGED THE FREQ IN COM RADIO PANEL #1 (VHF #1) THE FREQ DIALED IN DISAPPEARED AND REVERTED TO THE PREVIOUS FREQ IN BOTH THE PRIMARY AND STANDBY WINDOWS. THE PHENOMENON DUPLICATED ITSELF IN COM RADIO PANEL #2 WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO USE IT. WE FOLLOWED THE PROC IN THE AOM BULLETING ADDRESSING THIS ANOMALY. AND AFTER SPENDING NEARLY 5 MINS SEARCHING FOR THE CORRECT CIRCUIT BREAKER TO PULL (INCIDENTALLY; THIS CIRCUIT BREAKER IS MISLABELED IN THE BULLETIN); WE PULLED THE ONE LABELED 'VHF COM #3.' THIS IMMEDIATELY UNLOCKED COM RADIO PANELS #1 AND #2 AND ALLOWED US TO USE THEM NORMALLY. WE CONTACTED ZMP; ADVISED THEM WE WERE WORKING THROUGH THIS PROB AND PROCEEDED TO CHK BOTH COM RADIO PANELS FOR PROPER FUNCTION. ALL SAID; WE WERE OUT OF RADIO CONTACT FOR APPROX 5 MINS. DURING THIS TIME WE COULD NEITHER XMIT NOR RECEIVE ON ANY OF OUR RADIO PANELS. AFTER RESOLUTION; WE ENCOUNTERED NO OTHER PROBS THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. WE DEBRIEFED MAINT ON THE GND AFTER THE FLT.