Narrative:

After takeoff everything was normal until I was told to switch from des moines departure to ZMP. I lost all communication. I was still climbing to last advised altitude of FL200. I leveled there at FL200 while I was trying to get my radios back. I had little luck getting either UHF or VHF to receive any xmissions from center. Approximately 100 NM northeast of sln I heard what I thought was a command to climb to FL250. While climbing I did manage to hear a distressed voice tell me to return to FL220. My maximum altitude was about FL240. I then continued the flight while complying with NORDO procedures, ie, squawking 7700 for 1 min and then 7600. I was finally able to communication to another military aircraft (on guard and he told me to proceed as filed, change my squawk to XXXX and then later to climb to FL230, wbound). This entire time I was broadcasting on both guard, UHF and VHF alternately trying to let center know my intentions. Once overhead sln I could talk to their tower and pass on and receive center's instructions which I complied with as best I could with the state of my radios. The rest of the flight went as flight planned route, with an uneventful landing at abq. In my opinion the loss of the radios and the aircraft's inabilities to receive xmissions from center lead to the confusion as to which altitude to cruise at. I was trying to comply with NORDO procedures of flying at the highest of filed, cleared or expected. The only way to have prevented this occurrence was to have the radios work and not have failed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FGT CLIMBED TO WRONG ALT AFTER COM FAILURE.

Narrative: AFTER TKOF EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL UNTIL I WAS TOLD TO SWITCH FROM DES MOINES DEP TO ZMP. I LOST ALL COM. I WAS STILL CLBING TO LAST ADVISED ALT OF FL200. I LEVELED THERE AT FL200 WHILE I WAS TRYING TO GET MY RADIOS BACK. I HAD LITTLE LUCK GETTING EITHER UHF OR VHF TO RECEIVE ANY XMISSIONS FROM CENTER. APPROX 100 NM NE OF SLN I HEARD WHAT I THOUGHT WAS A COMMAND TO CLB TO FL250. WHILE CLBING I DID MANAGE TO HEAR A DISTRESSED VOICE TELL ME TO RETURN TO FL220. MY MAX ALT WAS ABOUT FL240. I THEN CONTINUED THE FLT WHILE COMPLYING WITH NORDO PROCS, IE, SQUAWKING 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN 7600. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO COM TO ANOTHER MIL ACFT (ON GUARD AND HE TOLD ME TO PROCEED AS FILED, CHANGE MY SQUAWK TO XXXX AND THEN LATER TO CLB TO FL230, WBOUND). THIS ENTIRE TIME I WAS BROADCASTING ON BOTH GUARD, UHF AND VHF ALTERNATELY TRYING TO LET CENTER KNOW MY INTENTIONS. ONCE OVERHEAD SLN I COULD TALK TO THEIR TWR AND PASS ON AND RECEIVE CENTER'S INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I COMPLIED WITH AS BEST I COULD WITH THE STATE OF MY RADIOS. THE REST OF THE FLT WENT AS FLT PLANNED ROUTE, WITH AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AT ABQ. IN MY OPINION THE LOSS OF THE RADIOS AND THE ACFT'S INABILITIES TO RECEIVE XMISSIONS FROM CENTER LEAD TO THE CONFUSION AS TO WHICH ALT TO CRUISE AT. I WAS TRYING TO COMPLY WITH NORDO PROCS OF FLYING AT THE HIGHEST OF FILED, CLRED OR EXPECTED. THE ONLY WAY TO HAVE PREVENTED THIS OCCURRENCE WAS TO HAVE THE RADIOS WORK AND NOT HAVE FAILED.

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.