ACR X LOST COM WITH TWR WHILE IN POS ON APCH END OF RWY.

Narrative

ACR X CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD AT SLC ON RWY 16. I SAW AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR OUR RWY; IT APPEARED SEVERAL MI OUT. WE DID NOT RECEIVE CLRNC TO TKOF AND I BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT THE ACFT ON FINAL. NEITHER THE FO NOR I WANTED TO QUERY THE TWR IN FEAR OF BLOCKING HIS TKOF CLRNC XMISSION. WE DID NOT SUSPECT A RECEIVER PROB SINCE WE COULD HEAR OTHER ACFT NOR DID WE SWITCH TO THE OTHER RADIO AND TRY TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THE TWR. WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT AND I DECIDED TO EXIT THE RWY ON A NEARBY TURNOFF. AS I PUSHED THE PWR UP; WE HEARD THE ACFT ON FINAL ACCEPT A CLRNC TO SIDESTEP AND LAND ON RWY 17. WE THEN HEARD THE TWR SAY; 'X; THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE CALLED YOU CLRED FOR AN IMMEDIATE TKOF.' THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED AND I THEN TOLD THE TWR THIS WAS THE FIRST CALL WE HAD HEARD. WE HAD BEEN FLYING THIS ACFT 4 LEGS A NIGHT FOR SEVERAL NIGHTS AND WE HAD NOT EXPERIENCED ANY RADIO PROBS. 1 OTHER CONSIDERATION WAS; SHORTLY AFTER WE SWITCHED TO TWR ON TAXI-OUT; AN ACFT HAD TO GAR DUE TO ANOTHER ACR IN POS AND HOLDING. WE HEARD THE TWR ADMONISH THE CREW FOR NOT TAKING OFF IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING CLRNC. I CANNOT HELP BUT WONDER IF THAT CREW EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROB WE DID. THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON AT SLC. THE RWY 16 ILS IS DOWN AND THE PREVIOUS NIGHT THE TXWY LIGHTS FAILED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: TWR SUPVR SAID SLC DOES HAVE OCCASIONAL DEAD SPOTS WHERE PLTS CANNOT HEAR THE TWR. XMITTER LOCATIONS HAVE BEEN MOVED BUT THE DEAD SPOTS JUST HAPPEN IN A DIFFERENT AREA. SUPVR BELIEVES LOCATION OF ANTENNA ON ACFT MAY BE THE CAUSE. IF THE ACFT MOVES SEVERAL FT THEY HEAR THE TWR FINE.