Narrative:

Departed san diego about pm for return to sjc, IFR 12000' to avoid worst of headwinds. Flight uneventful until about halfway between lake hughes VORTAC and priest VOR, at which point I began to pick up ice. As I was about to request lower (minimum altitude would be under freezing level) another aircraft declared an emergency (he could not get a gear down light for one of his main gear and he was trying to get center to direct him to a field with an operating tower so he could get a fly by inspection). Since I was in no immediate trouble (the de-ice boots were doing a good job of keeping the leading edges clear of ice) I waited about 10 mins and was finally cleared to 8000' and handed off to ZOA. A few mins later ZOA checked with me on flight conditions (which had improved). It was probably about 10 mins later that I realized the radio had been silent a long time. An attempt to raise center was unsuccessful, as were attempts on the previous frequency and paso robles radio. Switching to radio #2 I could hear center, but they could not hear me. I went to 7700 on the transponder and then to 7600. On the #2 radio I heard center trying to call me and instructing me to identify if receiving--which I did and center acknowledged. From then on to landing it was textbook procedure, acknowledging instructions by identing. The only problem was the landing. Brought down under the clouds and cleared for a visibility landing following a jet, I lost sight of both the jet and the airfield. I think either a standard ILS or radar vectors right to the field would have been most helpful. Center, approach and tower were all most sympathetic and helpful, however.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO FAILURE WHILE ON IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: DEPARTED SAN DIEGO ABOUT PM FOR RETURN TO SJC, IFR 12000' TO AVOID WORST OF HEADWINDS. FLT UNEVENTFUL UNTIL ABOUT HALFWAY BTWN LAKE HUGHES VORTAC AND PRIEST VOR, AT WHICH POINT I BEGAN TO PICK UP ICE. AS I WAS ABOUT TO REQUEST LOWER (MINIMUM ALT WOULD BE UNDER FREEZING LEVEL) ANOTHER ACFT DECLARED AN EMER (HE COULD NOT GET A GEAR DOWN LIGHT FOR ONE OF HIS MAIN GEAR AND HE WAS TRYING TO GET CENTER TO DIRECT HIM TO A FIELD WITH AN OPERATING TWR SO HE COULD GET A FLY BY INSPECTION). SINCE I WAS IN NO IMMEDIATE TROUBLE (THE DE-ICE BOOTS WERE DOING A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING THE LEADING EDGES CLEAR OF ICE) I WAITED ABOUT 10 MINS AND WAS FINALLY CLRED TO 8000' AND HANDED OFF TO ZOA. A FEW MINS LATER ZOA CHKED WITH ME ON FLT CONDITIONS (WHICH HAD IMPROVED). IT WAS PROBABLY ABOUT 10 MINS LATER THAT I REALIZED THE RADIO HAD BEEN SILENT A LONG TIME. AN ATTEMPT TO RAISE CENTER WAS UNSUCCESSFUL, AS WERE ATTEMPTS ON THE PREVIOUS FREQ AND PASO ROBLES RADIO. SWITCHING TO RADIO #2 I COULD HEAR CENTER, BUT THEY COULD NOT HEAR ME. I WENT TO 7700 ON THE XPONDER AND THEN TO 7600. ON THE #2 RADIO I HEARD CENTER TRYING TO CALL ME AND INSTRUCTING ME TO IDENT IF RECEIVING--WHICH I DID AND CENTER ACKNOWLEDGED. FROM THEN ON TO LNDG IT WAS TEXTBOOK PROC, ACKNOWLEDGING INSTRUCTIONS BY IDENTING. THE ONLY PROB WAS THE LNDG. BROUGHT DOWN UNDER THE CLOUDS AND CLRED FOR A VIS LNDG FOLLOWING A JET, I LOST SIGHT OF BOTH THE JET AND THE AIRFIELD. I THINK EITHER A STANDARD ILS OR RADAR VECTORS RIGHT TO THE FIELD WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST HELPFUL. CENTER, APCH AND TWR WERE ALL MOST SYMPATHETIC AND HELPFUL, HOWEVER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.