Date: 201402
Location: MMMX.Airport, FO
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Landing
ATC / advisory: Tower MMMX
Aircraft component: Air/Ground Communication
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Pilot Flying; Captain
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Landing Without Clearance
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Aircraft Equipment Problem Dissipated; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Contributing factors: ATC Equipment / Nav Facility / Buildings; Aircraft
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: During approach and landing at MMMX all communications with ATC were normal until not receiving the handoff from the final Approach Controller to Tower. The First Officer (non flying pilot) attempted two or three times to get the handoff but to no avail. We switched to the published Tower frequencies and again no response on multiple attempts on the two published frequencies. We tried one of two ground control frequencies; again no answer;  all these attempts were made on both VHF radios. As Captain; I elected to land in VFR conditions with no aircraft on or near Runway 5R. After landing and holding short of 5L we were able to get a hold of someone on the clearance frequencies that cleared us across 5L and to the gate. He also told us the operating Tower frequency was 124.7 which was not published on the current chart or by NOTAM.

Callback: This reporter states that the new Tower frequency was used the next day for departure without difficulty but there was still no NOTAM concerning the change.

Second narrative: On approach to 5R at MMMX; approaching PLAZA; there was no handoff to Tower as expected; [and] the radio started getting more staticky. I inquired to Approach for handoff to Tower. No response was received. I inquired again inside of PLAZA. Still no response. We were at about a 3 mile final and I switched to published Tower frequency 118.55 and checked in. There still was no response. At this time the runway was clear in VMC conditions with no threats between us and landing and we had no idea whose equipment was causing the problem - ours; or Mexico City's. I then inquired on the other Tower frequency of 118.7 - no response; and also one of the ground frequencies of 121.0. Still no response. We decided the best course of action was to land the airplane. After a normal landing; we taxied off the active runway and held short and contacted our operations and then contacted Clearance Delivery to see if we could reach anyone. We were successful at reaching Clearance Delivery and they cleared us to taxi across 5R to the gate. We found out that the active Tower frequency was 124.7 which is not listed on any of the approach plates and was also not listed in any of the NOTAMs.


Synopsis: B737 Flight Crew experiences lost comm during approach to Runway 5R at MMMX. Attempts at contacting Approach Control; Tower (two frequencies) and Ground Control are unsuccessful and the crew elects to land without clearance. After landing and clearing the runway; communication is established with Clearance Delivery and clearance to the gate is issued. The crew is advised that the Tower frequency has changed to 124.7.