Narrative:

An IFR flight plan out of chicago midway destination detroit city. Approximately 10 mins after departure experienced intermittent radio receiver breakup. Flight plan requested 'no overwater route'. ATC authority/authorized pilot to follow lake shore (south lake mi) at pilot's discretion. Pilot acknowledged and complied but received no answer from ATC. After numerous attempts to contact ATC pilot squawked 7700 for 1 min and 7600 thereafter. ATC did not seem to notice until approximately 5 mins later. ATC advised they were aware of pilot's radio problems and through the use of the transponder acknowledged questions. Pilot used numerous radios, audio panels, headsets and hand mikes to make ATC contact with negative results. ATC also began to break up on receive approximately 5 mi east of gary, in. A portable radio was used on departure, 121.5, and gary tower frequencys. Gary tower was unable to hear the pilot and was told that the pilot wished to cancel IFR proceed VFR to south bend airport. This occurred at a time that ATC advised to turn toward keeler VOR and proceed direct when receiving. ATC acknowledged my cancellation and the aircraft proceeded to south bend and landed safely VFR. The reason for this report is that the pilot did not proceed directly to the fix (keeler VOR) when under radar vectors at the time the failure occurred. This would have caused the pilot to fly out over the lake in winter, fixed gear aircraft which was undesirable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LOSES COM WITH ORD APCH DURING IFR FLT. HE IS ABLE TO HEAR ATC, BUT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH APCH CTL INSTRUCTIONS TO FLY OVER LAKE MICHIGAN BECAUSE HE IS SIMULTANEOUSLY TRYING TO COORD A CANCELLATION OF HIS IFR WITH GYY TWR.

Narrative: AN IFR FLT PLAN OUT OF CHICAGO MIDWAY DEST DETROIT CITY. APPROX 10 MINS AFTER DEP EXPERIENCED INTERMITTENT RADIO RECEIVER BREAKUP. FLT PLAN REQUESTED 'NO OVERWATER RTE'. ATC AUTH PLT TO FOLLOW LAKE SHORE (S LAKE MI) AT PLT'S DISCRETION. PLT ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMPLIED BUT RECEIVED NO ANSWER FROM ATC. AFTER NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ATC PLT SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND 7600 THEREAFTER. ATC DID NOT SEEM TO NOTICE UNTIL APPROX 5 MINS LATER. ATC ADVISED THEY WERE AWARE OF PLT'S RADIO PROBS AND THROUGH THE USE OF THE TRANSPONDER ACKNOWLEDGED QUESTIONS. PLT USED NUMEROUS RADIOS, AUDIO PANELS, HEADSETS AND HAND MIKES TO MAKE ATC CONTACT WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. ATC ALSO BEGAN TO BREAK UP ON RECEIVE APPROX 5 MI E OF GARY, IN. A PORTABLE RADIO WAS USED ON DEP, 121.5, AND GARY TWR FREQS. GARY TWR WAS UNABLE TO HEAR THE PLT AND WAS TOLD THAT THE PLT WISHED TO CANCEL IFR PROCEED VFR TO SOUTH BEND ARPT. THIS OCCURRED AT A TIME THAT ATC ADVISED TO TURN TOWARD KEELER VOR AND PROCEED DIRECT WHEN RECEIVING. ATC ACKNOWLEDGED MY CANCELLATION AND THE ACFT PROCEEDED TO SOUTH BEND AND LANDED SAFELY VFR. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS THAT THE PLT DID NOT PROCEED DIRECTLY TO THE FIX (KEELER VOR) WHEN UNDER RADAR VECTORS AT THE TIME THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE PLT TO FLY OUT OVER THE LAKE IN WINTER, FIXED GEAR ACFT WHICH WAS UNDESIRABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.