GA SMA ON NON FLT PLAN LOSES RADIO COM WHILE IN CONTACT WITH ATC SQUAWKS EMERGENCY.

Date: 1988-08 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; High Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|other-unspecified

Synopsis

GA SMA ON NON FLT PLAN LOSES RADIO COM WHILE IN CONTACT WITH ATC SQUAWKS EMERGENCY.

Narrative

IN CONTACT WITH OTIS AFB FLYING FROM NANTUCKET TO HAMPTON; MAINTAINING 10500'. THE COM SIDE OF BOTH NAVCOMS DEVELOPED SEVERE INTERFERENCE BLOCKING XMISSION AND RECEPTION (A WIRE WAS BROKEN IN THE INTERCOM; IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED). A HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER WAS USED IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH HAMPTON AND ISLIP. THE NAV SIDE WAS TURNED UP IN HOPES THAT SOMEONE WOULD RESPOND OVER THE NAV RECEIVERS WHICH WERE WORKING FINE. THE UNDERSIGNED BELIEVED HE WAS GETTING PROPER GUIDANCE FROM THE OMNIS. AFTER REACHING HAMPTON; THE UNDERSIGNED FOLLOWED VICTOR 139 S IN ORDER TO AVOID N.Y. TCA. AFTER LEAVING HAMPTON; HE SQUAWKED 7700 AND 7600; 1 MIN AND 15 MIN INTERVALS RESPECTIVELY. THESE TIMES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXACTLY FOLLOWED; THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE. EFFORTS WERE BEING MADE TO USE THE HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER AS WELL AS CHKING CONNECTIONS; TAKING OUT PLUGS AND THE LIKE TO SEE IF THE COM SIDE OF THE NAV COMS COULD BE RESTORED. GOING TOWARD THE COAST FROM NEAR VICTOR 276 A DSCNT WAS STARTED BUT ON REALIZING THE DISTANCE FROM SHORE IT SEEMED WELL TO STAY AT 10500' AND 10500 WAS MAINTAINED UNTIL REACHING THE COAST. A SECOND DSCNT WAS COMMENCED PRIOR TO REACHING VICTOR 16 SO AS TO CROSS THE ARWY BELOW 10000' AND AT A NON-IFR ALT. THE UNDERSIGNED PLANNED TO LAND AT ROBBINSVILLE AND TELEPHONE NE ARPT TWR IN ORDER TO ARRANGE TO LAND THERE. HOWEVER; UPON FLYING OVER ROBBINSVILLE A CHK CALL ON THE TRANSCEIVER WAS MADE BY NE PHILADELPHIA TWR. THE TWR OPERATOR RECOGNIZED THE XMISSION WAS COMING FROM THIS PLANE. THE TWR SAID THE XMISSION FROM THE HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER WAS BROKEN UP; ALTHOUGH THE TWR'S COMS WERE VERY CLEAR. THE PLANE WAS LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.