ACFT EQUIP PROB. LOST COM. RPTR PLT TOOK OFF; LOST COM RECEIVER; FLEW NONSTANDARD PATTERN AND RETURNED TO LAND. ATC FAULTS PLT FOR PROCS.

Narrative

ON JUL/XX/96; AT APPROX XA30 HRS I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART M88. AFTER COMPLETING MY PREFLT AND MAKING A COMS CHK WITH CORNELIA UNICOM ON 123.3; I INITIALLY HAD SOME DIFFICULTY WITH THE COMS; BUT THOUGHT I HAD THE DIFFICULTY RESOLVED. A LCL PLT INDICATED I COULD PROBABLY PICK UP MY IFR CLRNC ON THE GND BY CONTACTING BNA APCH ON FREQ 119.35 OR 120.6. THIS I WAS UNABLE TO DO; SO DEPARTED RWY 22 AT M88 CLBING TO APPROX 500 FT AGL INITIALLY; WITH A L TURN AND WITH THE IDEA OF CLBING TO 2000 FT MSL NWBOUND. AFTER DEPARTING M88; I SOON REALIZED I HAD COM PROBS AGAIN AND COULD NOT CONTACT BNA APCH; SO DECIDED TO RETURN TO M88 AND LAND. APCH AND UNICOM COULD HEAR ME; BUT I COULD NOT HEAR THEM. WHEN I DECIDED TO RETURN AND LAND; I WAS BASICALLY ALREADY ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22; WHICH I THOUGHT I HAD IN SIGHT. I STARTED MY DSCNT FOR A CLOSE BASE LEG (DOWN TO APPROX 300 FT AGL) AND FINAL; WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS NOT THE RWY AND WAS TOO CLOSE TO SAFELY LAND. I THEN DECIDED TO CIRCLE AND LAND XING OVER THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD AND APPROX 300 FT AGL AND ENTERED A L DOWNWIND AGAIN WITH TURN TO BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 22 AND LANDED. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND FOR EACH PHASE OF THE FLT. AFTER LNDG; THE SAME LCL PLT INDICATED THAT BNA APCH WAS GETTING EXCITED BECAUSE THEY COULD HEAR ME; BUT COULD NOT TALK TO ME. WHEN I RESOLVED MY COM PROBS; THE LCL PLT HANDED ME A SQUAWK CODE FROM BNA APCH WHICH I USED. ON DEP FROM M88; I CONTACTED BNA APCH WITH NO PROBS; WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD HEARD ALL MY COMS AND OBSERVED MY THEATRICS. (I APOLOGIZED FOR ANY PROBS I MAY HAVE CAUSED; DUE TO THE COMS PROB OR MY CIRCLE TO LAND; BUT I ALSO INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY THEATRICS ON MY PART.) DURING THIS TIME I BELIEVE I STAYED WITHIN 2-3 MI OF THE ARPT ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND; NOT KNOWING IF ANYONE COULD HEAR ME OR NOT. THE CTLR'S FINAL RESPONSE WAS BASICALLY DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. I STAYED LOW BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO INTERFERE WITH TFC COMING OFF OF BNA; PLUS THERE WAS NO KNOWN OR OBSERVED TFC IN THE PATTERN AT M88. IN THE FUTURE; I WOULD DO EVERYTHING THE SAME ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS AS I DID (XING OVER THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD; ENTERING DOWNWIND; BASE AND FINAL) EXCEPT I WOULD CLB TO PATTERN ALT IN LIEU OF STAYING LOW.