Narrative:

Boeing tower was busy with planes landing 13L and 13R, planes in the pattern and on the localizer. I was instructed to enter right traffic, downwind 13R behind a twin already on downwind. After the twin entered right base I queried tower if he wanted me to follow the twin. I heard the following reply: 'turn right...remain west of the localizer centerline...' this did not make sense to me because the downwind leg was so close that if I turned right (heading eastbound) it wouldn't take long until I cross 13R's localizer, so I elected to continue downwind. Tower then asked me to turn on my landing light. I replied that I was still on downwind (implying that he won't see them if I turned them on). He then instructed me to 'turn right...sebnd...' at this time I was about 6 me northwest of boeing field at about 900'. It wasn't long until I was bout to cross 13R's centerline and I informed tower of this. He then replied something to the effect that he wanted me to turn to southwest and remain west of the localizer (therefore I would be proceeding upwind on 13R's downwind leg). I complied and eventually was sidestepped and cleared to land on 13L. After completing the after landing checklist I called boeing ground (on 121.9). There was no response. I tried again on the other radio and again on response. I don't remember how many times I tried to reach ground and not get a response, but I suspected speaker failure after tuning boeing's ATIS (127.75) on both radios and still no response. I proceeded to plug my headset into the small aircraft intercom system. This did the trick. Apparently boeing ground had been trying to reach me. They could hear me, but could not hear them. Taxi to parking was uneventful. Any misunderstanding on my part of tower instructions was due to the speaker starting to go out. However, I should have also requested clarification of tower instructions when what I interpreted did not make sense. It could have also been that the tower did give me some strange instructions. I wrote up a squawk on the speaker back at the FBO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTER HAS COMS PROBLEM WITH BFI ATCT LCL AND GND CTLR DUE SPEAKER PROBLEMS IN THE AFT.

Narrative: BOEING TWR WAS BUSY WITH PLANES LNDG 13L AND 13R, PLANES IN THE PATTERN AND ON THE LOC. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO ENTER RIGHT TFC, DOWNWIND 13R BEHIND A TWIN ALREADY ON DOWNWIND. AFTER THE TWIN ENTERED RIGHT BASE I QUERIED TWR IF HE WANTED ME TO FOLLOW THE TWIN. I HEARD THE FOLLOWING REPLY: 'TURN RIGHT...REMAIN W OF THE LOC CENTERLINE...' THIS DID NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME BECAUSE THE DOWNWIND LEG WAS SO CLOSE THAT IF I TURNED RIGHT (HDG EBND) IT WOULDN'T TAKE LONG UNTIL I CROSS 13R'S LOC, SO I ELECTED TO CONTINUE DOWNWIND. TWR THEN ASKED ME TO TURN ON MY LNDG LIGHT. I REPLIED THAT I WAS STILL ON DOWNWIND (IMPLYING THAT HE WON'T SEE THEM IF I TURNED THEM ON). HE THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO 'TURN RIGHT...SEBND...' AT THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 6 ME NW OF BOEING FIELD AT ABOUT 900'. IT WASN'T LONG UNTIL I WAS BOUT TO CROSS 13R'S CENTERLINE AND I INFORMED TWR OF THIS. HE THEN REPLIED SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT THAT HE WANTED ME TO TURN TO SW AND REMAIN W OF THE LOC (THEREFORE I WOULD BE PROCEEDING UPWIND ON 13R'S DOWNWIND LEG). I COMPLIED AND EVENTUALLY WAS SIDESTEPPED AND CLRED TO LAND ON 13L. AFTER COMPLETING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST I CALLED BOEING GND (ON 121.9). THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I TRIED AGAIN ON THE OTHER RADIO AND AGAIN ON RESPONSE. I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY TIMES I TRIED TO REACH GND AND NOT GET A RESPONSE, BUT I SUSPECTED SPEAKER FAILURE AFTER TUNING BOEING'S ATIS (127.75) ON BOTH RADIOS AND STILL NO RESPONSE. I PROCEEDED TO PLUG MY HEADSET INTO THE SMA INTERCOM SYS. THIS DID THE TRICK. APPARENTLY BOEING GND HAD BEEN TRYING TO REACH ME. THEY COULD HEAR ME, BUT COULD NOT HEAR THEM. TAXI TO PARKING WAS UNEVENTFUL. ANY MISUNDERSTANDING ON MY PART OF TWR INSTRUCTIONS WAS DUE TO THE SPEAKER STARTING TO GO OUT. HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE ALSO REQUESTED CLARIFICATION OF TWR INSTRUCTIONS WHEN WHAT I INTERPRETED DID NOT MAKE SENSE. IT COULD HAVE ALSO BEEN THAT THE TWR DID GIVE ME SOME STRANGE INSTRUCTIONS. I WROTE UP A SQUAWK ON THE SPEAKER BACK AT THE FBO.

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.