SMA PLT HAS INTERMITTENT RADIO FAILURE AND MISSES CLRNC FROM ATC. STILL ABLE TO CLB TO ASSIGNED ALT PRIOR TO FLYING INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative

WHILE ENRTE TO THE SCENIC FALLS; IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE RADIOS WERE TOO QUIET. AS I SOUGHT TO SOLVE THE PROB; BUF ATC SUDDENLY CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US FOR SEVERAL MINS TO ADVISE US TO CLB TO 3500 FT FROM 3000 FT. WE DID SO IMMEDIATELY AS WE WERE ADJACENT TO NIAGARA FALLS ARPT TWR AND DIRECTLY OVER THE NIAGARA RIVER. PRIOR TO THAT RADIO CONTACT THE RADIOS WORKED FINE. WHY THEY FAILED INTERMITTENTLY IS BEING LOOKED AT BY AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN. THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE RADIOS WERE WORKING SINCE BUF ATC WAS TRYING TO ADVISE OF THE ALT AND WE WERE BUSY TRYING TO SORT OUT THE PROB. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY FLYING TO A NEUTRAL AREA AND SORTING OUT THE RADIOS; HOWEVER IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA OF WNY THERE IS LITTLE IF ANY CLASS E OR D AIRSPACE. I ASKED THE PVT PLT THAT WAS WITH ME TO CLB TO 3500 FT FROM 3000 FT BUT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY MY EFFORTS TO FIX THE RADIOS. ONCE COM WAS ESTABLISHED WE REACHED 3500 FT PRIOR TO BEING OVER THE SCENIC FALLS AND QUICKLY LEFT THE AREA. NO EVASIVE ACTION OR DANGER WAS ENCOUNTERED OR REQUIRED BY ANYONE.