C177; PVT PLT LOST COM ABILITY AND LANDED WITHOUT TWR CLRNC; EITHER BY RADIO OR LIGHT SIGNALS.

Narrative

I WAS RETURNING TO RENTON; WA; FROM ARLINGTON; WA; AFTER LUNCH. AS I STARTED MY DSCNT FROM 3000 FT TO 2000 FT TO STAY CLR OF SEATTLE CLASS B AIRSPACE; I TUNED MY COM RADIO TO RNT ATIS (126.95). I HAD BEEN MONITORING 123.0 AS I FLEW ABOVE HARVEY FIELD AND HEARD COMS FROM HARVEY AS WELL AS SEVERAL OTHER NEARBY FIELDS. I HEARD NOTHING ON 126.95. I ADJUSTED THE VOLUME ON BOTH THE RADIO AND HEADSET. I HEARD AN OCCASIONAL BLIP OF VOICE XMISSION; BUT NOTHING UNDERSTANDABLE. I TUNED RENTON TWR; 124.7; AND CALLED THE TWR; ANNOUNCING MY SIT; BUT NOT SURE IF I COULD BE HEARD. I RESET THE ALTERNATOR AND CLICKED MY MIKE 3 TIMES. I STILL HEARD NOTHING. I CONTINUED MY DSCNT; COMING IN OVER THE WHITE WATER TWR FOR ENTRY ON THE 45 DEG DOWNWIND TO RWY 33. SCANNING FOR TFC; I SAW WERE IN THE PATTERN. I CLICKED MY MIKE 3 TIMES AGAIN AND WAGGED MY WINGS; LOOKING AT THE TWR FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL. I SAW NO SIGNAL AND NO TFC IN THE PATTERN. I ENTERED ON THE 45 DEG DOWNWIND FOR RWY 33; SCANNING FOR TFC AND LOOKING FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL. I SAW NEITHER. I CONTINUED MY APCH; SCANNING FOR TFC; MADE MY BASE AND FINAL TURNS. I STILL SAW NO TFC AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. I SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED THE FIELD TO ESTABLISH THE CURRENT DIRECTION OF TFC AND WAITED FOR A LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR BEFORE PROCEEDING. I WAS UNNERVED BY THE LOSS OF MY COMRDO. WHILE I DID FOCUS ON FLYING THE PLANE; I DID NOT FULLY CONSIDER HOW I MIGHT AVOID PUTTING OTHERS AT RISK. AFTER TAXIING TO PARK; I CALLED THE TWR AND SPOKE WITH THE CTLR. WE DISCUSSED HOW I SHOULD HAVE MADE THE APCH AND LNDG. THIS HAS BEEN A VERY SOBERING EXPERIENCE. IT HAS IMPRESSED UPON ME THE NEED TO COMPLY WITH REGS; SPECIALLY IN A NONSTANDARD SIT. AS I REFLECT ON THE EVENT; I REALIZE THAT WHILE I HAD BEEN THROUGH SOME LIGHT SIGNAL DRILLS WITH MY INSTRUCTOR DURING TRAINING AT RENTON; I HAD NEVER DONE AN APCH WITHOUT A COMRDO. I DID NOT MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS I COULD HAVE MADE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. I PLAN TO DISCUSS WITH MY INSTRUCTOR HOW I CAN PREPARE FOR A SIMILAR SIT AT RENTON OR ANOTHER AIRFIELD.