PLT OF AN AIR TAXI CARGO PIPER PA31 LOST RADIOS FOR SHORT TIME RESULTING IN ARTCC CTLR NOT BEING ABLE TO CLR RPTR TO A HIGHER ALT FOR TERRAIN CLRNC.

Narrative

UPON DEP FROM CLT I WAS CLRED TO THE IFR FILED ALT OF 6000 FT. 20 MINS INTO THE FLT AFTER SWITCHING FREQS FROM DEP TO CTR AND CTR AGAIN; I RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: N-NUMBER CLRED TO DIRECT TO BROAD RIVER (NDB) CLRED FOR ILS RWY 34; RPT PROC TURN INBOUND. I PROCEEDED TO GO DIRECT TO BROAD RIVER (BRA) WHEN THE RADIOS WENT DEAD AND THE RED FLAGS APPEARED ON THE HSI AND #2 VOR/GS. ADF NEEDLE STOPPED MOVING. HAVING LOST ALL MEANS OF COM AND NAV I CONTINUED TO FLY LAST ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT WHILE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE RADIO FAILURE POSSIBLE CAUSES. ABOUT 15-20 MINS; AFTER HEARING SOME STATIC COMING FROM COM #1; I WEDGED A PEN UNDER THE RADIO TO SHIMMY IT UP; WHICH BROUGHT THE RADIOS BACK. IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED ATC; INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS IMMEDIATELY GIVEN A CLB TO 7000 FT AND A VECTOR AROUND. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS NORMAL TILL LNDG. AT THIS TIME I WAS ADVISED TO CALL ATL AIR MGR. AFTER CALLING HIM; HE INFORMED ME THAT I HAD FLOWN OVER A 5500 FT MOUNTAIN AT 6000 FT AND HE WAS REFERRING THIS TO ATL FSDO. I WAS AT THE LAST ASSIGNED HDG AND ALT BY ATL WHEN THE RADIOS FAILED UNTIL I EITHER COULD RE-ESTABLISH COMS OR UNTIL I GOT TO AN AREA OF VFR CONDITIONS TO THE SW OF ASHEVILLE.