Let's just say, I doubt it. If ATC calls and you don't answer, you're not going to be flying for very long. I suppose if you have a really good autopilot (which I never had) which does navigation across waypoints, you might be able to claim radio failure once or twice and get away with it.
There is just so much wrong with this story. When I'm flying commercially, I am usually quite aware of where I am if I can see the ground. Going into Newark here from anywhere in the US, being out over the ocean would sort of be a big clue that something was wrong. My guess is that Minneapolis, or wherever they were going, gives similar "clues." Even if I cannot see the ground, I know when the plane should be descending. And even if the crew was clueless, I find it surprising that no passenger tried to find out what was going on.
ML/NJ
” If ATC calls and you don’t answer, you’re not going to be flying for very long.”
Well, that’s not entirely true, but sort of true. It is quite common for ATC to get busy with “something else”, and you just go over the horizon from them. Of course, ATC can tell another flight to have you switch to another freq., and that is done quite commonly. But even if you go lost comm, it still isn’t a big deal. It’s quite common actually. You are simply going to proceed on your filed flightplan. That’s what regulations require, and that’s what ATC will expect you to do. Kinda’ makes sense.
From a nav standpoint, it simplifies things for the crew. The plane just tracks along the route as programmed. You really don’t touch anything as the flight computer is all programmed before you leave the ground. If you have had no experience with a “sophisticated” autopilot and flight management system (and I had not before getting into the airline business), you really missed a treat. Very precise automated navigation, and they are getting better at this. You never really trust the system (unless you’re dumb), but when everything works as programmed and ATC doesn’t mess with you it is truly a technological marvel. It’s so good that you really don’t fly the plane during much of the enroute segment. You monitor. An occasional bit of buttonpushing, but to actually handfly the aircraft during the enroute phase. HORRORS! The aircraft has the potential to do the job so much better than you, so as long as it’s doing what it’s supposed to, you don’t mess with it.
In the event of lost com if your “blip” is proceeding via the flightplan, ATC might be a little excited, but not so much. The expectation is that the crew will get the com problem sorted out down the line, and that’s usually what happens. It’s really annoying to have to dig out the appropriate enroute freq from your chart though (you know the feeling I’m sure). The problem can come when ATC has taken you off the flight planned route, and placed you on a heading, then promptly forgotten about you leaving you boresighted at Area 51. We alleviated the problem, no thanks to ATC, as the military types tend to throw a snit if you transgress on their inner sanctum. There was opportunity to see some interesting territory not generally seen by mere civilians though. ;-)