Small Transport
Flight Crew Flight Instructor; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 121; Flight Crew Total 4605; Flight Crew Type 86
Workload; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Communication Breakdown; Troubleshooting
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related; Weather
Moderate to extreme precipitation throughout State X; enroute from ZZZ to ZZZ1 at 26;000 feet. Cleared by ZZZ Center about 60 NM south southeast of ZZZ VOR to deviate as needed for weather; when able direct ZZZ2. Using both radar and weather depicted on [the GPS]; a flight path to avoid the worst of the weather was successfully flown.Apparently in evaluating the weather display; and scrolling ahead to see where further weather was present on the GPS touchscreen nav/com; the COM1 soft button on the touch screen was inadvertently touched; and so center frequency for ZZZ Center was inadvertently swapped back to another/previous frequency. The issue was not immediately recognized because I was busy circumnavigating weather; and besides; with COVID; air traffic and comms are reduced. And since we had received clearance to deviate; when able direct ZZZ2; there was no need to immediately communicate further with center.As a best practice; I will normally monitor guard on COM2; especially when flying in Class A airspace. However; with the additional workload of avoiding weather since takeoff; I did not do this.As a result; I had inadvertently left Center frequency; and did not notice the problem until shortly after I crossed the boundary of ZZZ/ZZZ2 airspace; maybe XX minutes later; at which time I queried ZZZ Center on the frequency I thought was ATC freq. No answer. So called on previous frequency; was advised they had been looking for me; and handed me over to ZZZ2 Center.After another XX minutes had passed; ZZZ2 Center asked me to call ZZZ Center upon landing because of a possible pilot deviation. I did so; and was advised being NORDO for XXX miles in Class A airspace is reportable as a pilot deviation in the wake of the Payne Stewart mishap.Lessons learned?1. Take extra care when using scroll or zoom features on GPS unit or any touch screen navigator to ensure frequencies / other settings are not inadvertently changed.2. Always monitor guard on COM2; but especially in Class A airspace.
Pilot reported being out of communication with ATC in Class A due to inadvertently changing frequencies and not noticing it until some time later.