Small aircraft experiences loss of radio communication while in traffic pattern doing touch and go's...

Attributes
ACN	128786
Time
Date	198911
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mtn
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mtn
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 2371
ASRS Report	128786
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The aircraft's single radio became intermittent while practicing touch and go's at an airport with an operating control tower. The confusion is centered around what to do when the radio failure is discovered. The last clearance from the tower was 'cleared for touch and go, remain in the right closed pattern.' after completing the touch and go, and while on the subsequent downwind leg, the radio was confirmed inoperative on tower frequency, ground frequency and unicom. No transmitter received function. The confusion is what to do now. There is no explicit clearance to land. There were no light signals from the tower. The last ATC clearance was to make a closed traffic pattern. Do you continue to fly the pattern, circle while on downwind, leave the air traffic area, or land while continuing the current closed traffic pattern. We landed out of the current pattern. We called the tower by phone. The tower said that we should have begun flying oval patterns on the downwind leg. It seems to be a situation where anything you do could be considered to be the wrong thing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES LOSS OF RADIO COM WHILE IN TRAFFIC PATTERN DOING TOUCH AND GO'S.

Narrative: THE ACFT'S SINGLE RADIO BECAME INTERMITTENT WHILE PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO'S AT AN ARPT WITH AN OPERATING CTL TWR. THE CONFUSION IS CENTERED AROUND WHAT TO DO WHEN THE RADIO FAILURE IS DISCOVERED. THE LAST CLRNC FROM THE TWR WAS 'CLRED FOR TOUCH AND GO, REMAIN IN THE RIGHT CLOSED PATTERN.' AFTER COMPLETING THE TOUCH AND GO, AND WHILE ON THE SUBSEQUENT DOWNWIND LEG, THE RADIO WAS CONFIRMED INOP ON TWR FREQ, GND FREQ AND UNICOM. NO XMITTER RECEIVED FUNCTION. THE CONFUSION IS WHAT TO DO NOW. THERE IS NO EXPLICIT CLRNC TO LAND. THERE WERE NO LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. THE LAST ATC CLRNC WAS TO MAKE A CLOSED TFC PATTERN. DO YOU CONTINUE TO FLY THE PATTERN, CIRCLE WHILE ON DOWNWIND, LEAVE THE ATA, OR LAND WHILE CONTINUING THE CURRENT CLOSED TFC PATTERN. WE LANDED OUT OF THE CURRENT PATTERN. WE CALLED THE TWR BY PHONE. THE TWR SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEGUN FLYING OVAL PATTERNS ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. IT SEEMS TO BE A SITUATION WHERE ANYTHING YOU DO COULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE THE WRONG THING.

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.