SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS RADIO FAILURE; UNABLE TO XMIT. SQUAWKED 7700 THEN 7600.

Date: 1991-11 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS RADIO FAILURE; UNABLE TO XMIT. SQUAWKED 7700 THEN 7600.

Narrative

I TOOK OFF FROM MSN FOR JVL ON AN IFR FLT PLAN. EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY UNTIL SHORTLY AFTER I WAS HANDED OFF TO RFD APCH. THE CTLR ASKED ME TO IDENT. NEXT HE TOLD ME TO DSND TO 2700 PLT'S DISCRETION. I RESPONDED TO BOTH REQUESTS. HE FURTHER DSNDED ME TO 2500; ARPT ELEVATION; 1130; 5 MI AND GAVE ME A HDG TO PUT THE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK. I STATED NOT YET IN SIGHT. HE DID NOT RESPOND. I FURTHER STATED BECAUSE OF THE HAZE I DID NOT HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT. HE ASKED ME TO IDENT IF I HEARD HIM. I SUDDENLY SAW THE ARPT AND RPTED. HE SAID I HAVE YOUR IDENT AND YOU HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT? I REPLIED; BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT LINING UP FOR RWY 22 AND EXPECTED TO BE TOLD TO CONTACT JVL TWR. I CALLED AGAIN; TURNED TO A HDG OF 320 DEGS AND BEGAN TO CLB TO 4000 FT TO GET ON TOP OF THE ATA AND OUTSIDE ITS BOUNDARIES. AT THE SAME TIME I SQUAWKED 7700-7600. I WAS LISTENING ON BOTH RFD APCH FREQ AND JVL TWR FREQ BUT HEARD NOTHING. I WAS ALSO DIGGING OUT MY PORTABLE RADIO FROM THE BACK SEAT. I SUDDENLY HEARD JVL TWR CTLR TELL ME TO ROCK MY WINGS IF I COULD HEAR THEM. I DID SO AND THEY CLRED ME TO LAND BEHIND ANOTHER ACFT ON RWY 22. NO OTHER PROBLEMS. I WILL PUT MY PORTABLE IN MY FRONT SEAT READY AT HAND AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE!

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.