A PA34-200T ATP PLT LWOC AFTER LOSING COM FREQ WHILE ON A TURBULENT APCH TO DPA; IL.

Narrative

WAS CLRED FOR APCH TO DPA VIA ILS RWY 10; CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 20. I HAD SET AUDIO ON THE COM PANEL TO XMIT THE AUDIO FROM THE MARKER BEACON TO THE HEAD SET. XING THE OM; I REACHED OVER TO TURN OFF THE AUDIO AND TOLD TWR THAT I WAS MARKER INBOUND. I HEARD NO FURTHER XMISSIONS FROM TWR AFTER THAT. I LANDED RWY 20 WITHOUT HAVING A CLRNC TO LAND. I TAXIED TO PARKING WITHOUT ANY CONTACT WITH TWR OR GND. WHAT I HAD DONE WAS HIT THE WRONG AUDIO BUTTON AND TURNED OFF THE AUTO SELECTOR WHICH WAS 2 BUTTONS OVER FROM THE MARKER AUDIO BUTTON. FACTORS THAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THIS MISTAKE WERE A VERY STRONG XWIND WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STAY ON THE LOC DURING THE APCH (THE AUTOPLT ACTUALLY KICKED OFF BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME CRAB REQUIRED). IN ADDITION; TURB WAS AT LEAST MODERATE; MAYBE WORSE. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT BOTH PAX HAD JUST THROWN UP AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I HAD ABOARD TO HELP THEM CLEAN UP. I CALLED TWR AND APOLOGIZED. THEY SAID NO PROB; THAT THEY COULD HEAR ME AND NO LOSS OF SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED. I DECIDED THAT TO 'FLY THE AIRPLANE' WAS THE BEST THING FOR ME TO DO.