ACR LGT MISSED FREQ CHANGE WHILE AT CRUISE ALT.

Narrative

4/88 WE WERE FLYING FROM SEATTLE TO CHARLOTTE; NC. AFTER ARRIVING AT THE TYS VOR WE ENTERED THE SHINE 8 ARR TO CLT. A FEW MILES E OF TYS WE REACHED A POINT WHERE CENTER USUALLY GIVES US A DSCNT CLRNC; BUT THIS TIME THEY DIDN'T. WE COULD HEAR CENTER TALKING TO OTHER ACFT; SO WE KNEW WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROB WITH COMS; SO WE CONTINUED TO A POS THAT WE DETERMINED TO BE THE PERFECT PROFILE DSCNT POINT; AT WHICH TIME WE REQUESTED A LOWER ALT. THE CTLR SOUNDED SURPRISED THAT WE WERE STILL ON HIS FREQ; AND IMMEDIATELY GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE NEW CTLR GAVE US DSCNT CLRNC TO FL230 AND STATED THAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET A HOLD OF US FOR SOME TIME. HE THEN GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE NEW CTLR TOLD US 'TURN TO A HDG OF 060 DEGS AND INTERCEPT THE CLT 317 DEG R FOR THE SHINE 8 ARR AND CROSS JOHNS INTXN AT 12000' AND 250 KTS; AND ALL PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS APPLY.' WE HAD RECEIVED NO PREVIOUS RESTRICTIONS. IT BECAME CLEAR TO US THAT WE HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN IN THE ATC SYS. THE FIRST CTLR HAD EITHER A) FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT US; OR B) TRIED TO GIVE US A FREQ CHANGE WHICH WE NEVER RECEIVED; THEN HE HANDED US TO THE NEXT CTLR WHO TRIED TO RAISE US BUT COULDN'T. IT IS THIS SECOND POSSIBILITY WHICH CONCERNS US. IF WE DIDN'T RECEIVE A FREQ CHANGE; FOR WHATEVER REASON; THE CTLR OBVIOUSLY DID NOT RECEIVE AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF A FREQ CHANGE; AND HE DIDN'T TRY AGAIN; HE JUST HANDED US TO THE NEXT CTLR. IT OCCURS TO US THAT CTLRS DON'T LISTEN CLOSELY TO PLTS WHEN THEY ACKNOWLEDGE CLRNCS. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON AT ALL TO REPEAT AN ASSIGNED FREQ INCORRECTLY; AND NOT BE CORRECTED BY THE CTLR. THEY DON'T LISTEN WHEN YOU REPEAT A CLRNC. PERHAPS MORE ATTN SHOULD BE PAID TO PLT'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND FREQS REPEATED.