A PA31 AIR AMBULANCE FLC SUFFERS FROM CONTINUOUS RADIO COM PROBS WITHOUT WRITING UP THE PROBS. THE ACFT EVENTUALLY MAKES AN UNAUTH APCH TO BED WHILE UNABLE TO HEAR THE UNAUTH RVR APCH INFO. BED; MA.
Synopsis
A PA31 AIR AMBULANCE FLC SUFFERS FROM CONTINUOUS RADIO COM PROBS WITHOUT WRITING UP THE PROBS. THE ACFT EVENTUALLY MAKES AN UNAUTH APCH TO BED WHILE UNABLE TO HEAR THE UNAUTH RVR APCH INFO. BED; MA.
Narrative
FOR 2 WKS PRIOR TO THE OCCURRENCE; BOTH COM #1 AND #2 HAD PROGRESSIVELY WORSE XMISSION/RECEPTION PROBS. CAPT #1 DISPLAYED A RELUCTANCE TO WRITE UP THE RADIOS OFFICIALLY; AS OUR MAINT DEPT WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO WORK ON THEM FOR SEVERAL DAYS. DESPITE MY PRODDING; HE DID NOTHING. THE DAY BEFORE THE OCCURRENCE WE WERE UNABLE TO RECEIVE/XMIT FOR SEVERAL MINS FLYING INTO BOS CLASS B AIRSPACE ON AN IFR FLT PLAN IN VMC. AGAIN THE CAPT DID NOT WISH TO WRITE UP THE ISSUE; NOT FEELING IT WAS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO GND THE AIRPLANE. THE DAY OF THE OCCURRENCE WAS WIDESPREAD LOW IFR. WE WERE RETURNING TO OUR HOME BASE OF BED WITH A PATIENT ON BOARD. OF COURSE; WE HAD BEEN HAVING INTERMITTENT FAILURES OF 1 COM; THE OTHER FOR SMALL (5-10 SECOND) PERIODS OF TIME. ON VECTORS TO THE ILS RWY 11 FINAL; WE REALIZED WE HAD NOT HEARD FROM BOS APCH FOR SOME TIME; AND WERE ABOUT TO BE VECTORED THROUGH THE FINAL APCH COURSE. AFTER PASSING THROUGH THE LOC; WE WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE APCH (WHO HAD BEEN CALLING US FOR SEVERAL MINS) AND WERE GIVEN A TURN BACK TO FINAL. I ADVISED APCH WE WERE HAVING RADIO PROBS; AND ASKED THAT WE BE RELAYED TO HANSCOM TWR. WE WERE SWITCHED TO TWR AND DID NOT HAVE ANY SUBSEQUENT RADIO PROBS. HOWEVER; OUTSIDE THE FAF WE WERE GIVEN AN RVR OF 4000 FT. THE RVR FOR THE APCH (REQUIRED) IS 5000 FT. AS WE HAD NOT PASSED THE FAF WE WERE LEGALLY REQUIRED TO PROCEED TO AN ALTERNATE/HOLD UNTIL THE RVR ROSE (UNDER 135). CAPT #2 (PF) ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. I AGREED WITH THE DECISION; AS WE DID NOT KNOW IF THE RADIOS WOULD FAIL AGAIN; LEAVING US NO RADIO IN BUSY AIRSPACE ON A LOW IFR DAY. OBVIOUSLY; THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS A SYSTEMIC PROB IN THE COMPANY WHERE MULTIPLE CAPTS WOULD NOT WRITE UP A MAINT PROB FOR FEAR OF GNDING AN AIRPLANE. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL NOT 'PLAY THE GAME' AND WILL INSIST PROPER PROC IS FOLLOWED. THIS WHOLE EVENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED WITH TIMELY MAINT. ADDITIONALLY; I FEEL THE FAA NEEDS TO BE AWARE THAT MANY PART 135 ORGANIZATIONS (THIS IS NOT THE FIRST FOR ME) ENCOURAGE AN UNOFFICIAL POLICY OF NOT WRITING UP ISSUES.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.