BE23 PLT FOUND SHE HAD INTERMITTENT TO INOP RADIOS.

Narrative

ON DEC/XA/99; I WAS MAKING A XCOUNTRY TRIP FOR THE PURPOSE OF BRINGING HOME AN ACFT THAT I HAD PURCHASED. SINCE THIS WAS THE FIRST TIM I HAD FLOWN THIS ACFT ALONE; IT WAS MY FIRST TRIP OF THIS LENGTH; BEING A LOW-TIME PLT AND HAVING A VERY MARGINAL RADIO; I WAS BEING EXTRA CAUTIOUS BY FILING A FLT PLAN AND REQUESTING FLT FOLLOWING. UPON BEING RELEASED BY ZJX; I ATTEMPTED TO CALL THE CRYSTAL RIVER FREQ TO NOTIFY THEM THAT I WAS INBOUND FOR LNDG. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL TIMES UNSUCCESSFULLY; I ATTEMPTED TO CALL ST PETERSBURG FSS TO CANCEL THE FLT PLAN FOR THE FIRST PORTION OF MY TRIP TO HWO. I FLEW CIRCLES S OF CRYSTAL RIVER TO AVOID ENTERING INTO TPA CLASS B AIRSPACE. ON ALL FREQS I TRIED; I RECEIVED NO ANSWER FROM ST PETERSBURG. AT THIS TIME; I DECIDED TO CONTINUE AND STOP LATER. AFTER 2 UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS TO REACH TPA APCH; ANOTHER ACFT IN THE AREA ASKED IF I WOULD LIKE ASSISTANCE. THIS PLT CALLED TPA APCH AND LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS TRYING TO CONTACT THEM. SHE WAS ABLE TO RELAY TO ME ANOTHER FREQ TO TRY. THIS FREQ WORKED AND I WAS ABLE TO REACH TPA APCH. TPA APCH GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE; A HDG TO FLY AND GRANTED ME PERMISSION TO ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE. BECAUSE OF MY PRIOR EXPERIENCE WITH THE RADIO; I WAS AFRAID TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE TO AGAIN TRY CANCELING MY FLT PLAN. IT WAS ALSO EVIDENT TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE TO AGAIN TRY CANCELING MY FLT PLAN. IT WAS ALSO EVIDENT TO THE CTLR THAT I WAS HAVING PROBS WITH MY RADIO; SO THEY CLRED ME THROUGH THEIR CLASS B AIRSPACE ONLY HAVING TO MAKE 1 FREQ CHANGE. THIS ONE WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THROUGH WITHOUT A PROB. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LEAVING TPA'S AIRSPACE; I KNEW I WAS APCHING VENICE (VNC). SINCE THEIR FREQ WAS THE UNICOM FREQ 122.8 THAT I HAD PREVIOUSLY USED SUCCESSFULLY; I DECIDED TO LAND THERE TO USE A TELEPHONE TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG; I WENT TO THE FBO AND CALLED ST PETERSBURG FSS. BY THIS TIME; I WAS ABOUT 1 HR OVERDUE. I EXPLAINED TO THE PERSON ON DUTY WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS TOLD THAT FAILING TO CANCEL MY FLT PLAN IN A TIMELY MANNER HAD CAUSED THEM TO CALL 34 ARPTS FOR ME. HE SAID THAT I HAD BEEN IN ERROR TO HANDLE THE SIT AS I HAD DONE. HE DID NOT REQUEST THAT I CALL ANYONE ELSE OR FILE ANY RPT. SINCE THIS EPISODE; I HAVE REVIEWED WITH A CFI THE VARIOUS OPTIONS I HAD NOT CONSIDERED AT THE TIME. I NOW REALIZE I WAS IN ERROR FOR HANDING THE CANCELING OF MY FLT PLAN IN THIS MANNER. AFTER THE BRIEFING I RECEIVED WITH THE CFI; I WILL HAVE A MORE THOROUGH KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO HANDLE A SIT OF THIS NATURE SHOULD I BE CONFRONTED WITH IT AGAIN.