THE RPTR ALLOWED THE ACFT TO CLB INTO CLASS C AIRSPACE WHILE IN TURB AND HAVING RADIO PROBS.

Narrative

DEPARTED UNCTLED CRETE ARPT TO CLASS C ARPT; LINCOLN; NE. WAS UNDER 2700 FT AND ATTEMPTED TO CALL LINCOLN APCH WITH NO RESPONSE SEVERAL TIMES. BACKUP HAND-HELD RADIO (ICOM) FAILED DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE AND LOW BATTERY. BECAUSE OF WX CONDITIONS THERE WERE STRONG UPDRAFTS WHICH CAUSED ME TO REACH ABOUT 2800-2900 FT; PENETRATING CLASS C. AS RESULT I CIRCLED LINCOLN ARPT AND LANDED AT A PVT STRIP. I HAVE SINCE SVCED THE RADIO; AND RETURNED THE PLANE TO LINCOLN ARPT. TO PREVENT RECURRENCE; I WOULD SUGGEST FLYING LOW; 2500 FT OR LOWER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE WAS FLYING A CESSNA 140 WHICH HE HAS OWNED AND FLOWN OUT OF LINCOLN TO CRETE FOR AUTO GAS FOR THE PAST 12 YRS. HE IS 77 YRS OLD. HE STATED HE NEVER PENETRATED THE 5 MI RING WHILE CIRCLING THE ARPT. HE STATED HE WAS OUTSIDE THE RING WHEN HE CLBED INTO THE CLASS C AIRSPACE. HE STATED THE ICOM RADIO HAND-HELD WAS ADAPTED TO CONNECTING TO THE ACFT ELECTRICAL SYS AND THE ACFT VHF ANTENNA. HE STATED THE ACFT FUSE BLEW WHEN HE CONNECTED THE RADIO TO THE ACFT SYS. HE STATED HE LANDED AT A NEARBY UNCTLED ARPT AND HAD THE ACFT RADIO REPAIRED AND THE FUSE WAS REPLACED WHICH CORRECTED THE HAND-HELD PROB.