Narrative:

I departed harvard for my return trip VFR to dbq. I climbed to and maintained 4500' flying inbound on the 084 degree right of the dbq VOR. About 45 NM out from dbq I began experiencing a problem with reception. I had selected 127.25, dbq ATIS. I waited, it seemed, 2 or 3 mins before I heard anything. I wasn't overly concerned. My thoughts were a new sequence in progress. I finally got the WX. They were reporting clear with 2 1/2 mi haze. I called dbq tower, since they do not have approach frequency. I called a few times until they responded. This is when I realized I had a communication problem. I might add, this never happened before in this aircraft. By this time I was over galena, il. I began to circle maintaining VFR. I requested an IFR clearance. We finally communicated. They gave me ZAU frequency. Now my reception became progressively worse. After several calls I heard chi. I requested clearance but never heard from them again. After several calls I made a call in the blind, telling chi I was going to land at galena and call someone on the phone. I made a pass over the strip to check the condition of the runway and also check the windsock. After landing to the south I parked the aircraft and wandered to the bldg area looking for a phone. Everything was locked up--there wasn't a soul in sight. However, I waited knowing how these country airports operate. I was sure someone saw me making a pass over the runway. After about 15 mins I noticed the visibility improving to the northwest. I decided to continue, I made my takeoff to the south and circled to the northwest, planning to climb to 4500'. At 3000' I was over the haze. I began a turn toward the dbq VOR, I had good forward visibility and ground contact. I was now over the mississippi river inbound on the 060 degree right and at this point I could see the dbq airport in clear view. From the river to the airport is 5 NM. I called dbq several times, both on tower and ground frequency west/O any response from them. I also tried to get the official WX from ATIS, but I was sure it was VFR. I was close enough to the airport to ask for a green light. They gave me the green light. Then I asked if I was cleared to land. They again responded with a green light. I said I was going to land to the south. They again responded with a green light. Now I was sure that everything was normal, except of course for my receiver. I did not declare an emergency, and I was not on an IFR clearance. Since I received a clearance to land I was sure the haze close to the surface was at least 3 mi. After landing, I cleared the runway at the first taxiway. I received another green light to cross the southeast runway. The line boy at FBO aviation, who is a pilot, said 'they are calling it 2 1/2 mi, the controller wants you to call the tower.' on the phone the controller asked me if I knew the visibility was 2 1/2 mi. I said yes, meaning of course what I had learned from the line boy. I realized later he may have taken it in another way. However, he did say they would be filing an incident report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT WITH COM PROBLEM PUSHES ON TO BELOW VFR WRONGLY LNDG AT DBQ.

Narrative: I DEPARTED HARVARD FOR MY RETURN TRIP VFR TO DBQ. I CLBED TO AND MAINTAINED 4500' FLYING INBND ON THE 084 DEG R OF THE DBQ VOR. ABOUT 45 NM OUT FROM DBQ I BEGAN EXPERIENCING A PROB WITH RECEPTION. I HAD SELECTED 127.25, DBQ ATIS. I WAITED, IT SEEMED, 2 OR 3 MINS BEFORE I HEARD ANYTHING. I WASN'T OVERLY CONCERNED. MY THOUGHTS WERE A NEW SEQUENCE IN PROGRESS. I FINALLY GOT THE WX. THEY WERE RPTING CLR WITH 2 1/2 MI HAZE. I CALLED DBQ TWR, SINCE THEY DO NOT HAVE APCH FREQ. I CALLED A FEW TIMES UNTIL THEY RESPONDED. THIS IS WHEN I REALIZED I HAD A COM PROB. I MIGHT ADD, THIS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE IN THIS ACFT. BY THIS TIME I WAS OVER GALENA, IL. I BEGAN TO CIRCLE MAINTAINING VFR. I REQUESTED AN IFR CLRNC. WE FINALLY COMMUNICATED. THEY GAVE ME ZAU FREQ. NOW MY RECEPTION BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS I HEARD CHI. I REQUESTED CLRNC BUT NEVER HEARD FROM THEM AGAIN. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS I MADE A CALL IN THE BLIND, TELLING CHI I WAS GOING TO LAND AT GALENA AND CALL SOMEONE ON THE PHONE. I MADE A PASS OVER THE STRIP TO CHK THE CONDITION OF THE RWY AND ALSO CHK THE WINDSOCK. AFTER LNDG TO THE S I PARKED THE ACFT AND WANDERED TO THE BLDG AREA LOOKING FOR A PHONE. EVERYTHING WAS LOCKED UP--THERE WASN'T A SOUL IN SIGHT. HOWEVER, I WAITED KNOWING HOW THESE COUNTRY ARPTS OPERATE. I WAS SURE SOMEONE SAW ME MAKING A PASS OVER THE RWY. AFTER ABOUT 15 MINS I NOTICED THE VISIBILITY IMPROVING TO THE NW. I DECIDED TO CONTINUE, I MADE MY TKOF TO THE S AND CIRCLED TO THE NW, PLANNING TO CLB TO 4500'. AT 3000' I WAS OVER THE HAZE. I BEGAN A TURN TOWARD THE DBQ VOR, I HAD GOOD FORWARD VISIBILITY AND GND CONTACT. I WAS NOW OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER INBND ON THE 060 DEG R AND AT THIS POINT I COULD SEE THE DBQ ARPT IN CLR VIEW. FROM THE RIVER TO THE ARPT IS 5 NM. I CALLED DBQ SEVERAL TIMES, BOTH ON TWR AND GND FREQ W/O ANY RESPONSE FROM THEM. I ALSO TRIED TO GET THE OFFICIAL WX FROM ATIS, BUT I WAS SURE IT WAS VFR. I WAS CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE ARPT TO ASK FOR A GREEN LIGHT. THEY GAVE ME THE GREEN LIGHT. THEN I ASKED IF I WAS CLRED TO LAND. THEY AGAIN RESPONDED WITH A GREEN LIGHT. I SAID I WAS GOING TO LAND TO THE S. THEY AGAIN RESPONDED WITH A GREEN LIGHT. NOW I WAS SURE THAT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL, EXCEPT OF COURSE FOR MY RECEIVER. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER, AND I WAS NOT ON AN IFR CLRNC. SINCE I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO LAND I WAS SURE THE HAZE CLOSE TO THE SURFACE WAS AT LEAST 3 MI. AFTER LNDG, I CLRED THE RWY AT THE FIRST TXWY. I RECEIVED ANOTHER GREEN LIGHT TO CROSS THE SE RWY. THE LINE BOY AT FBO AVIATION, WHO IS A PLT, SAID 'THEY ARE CALLING IT 2 1/2 MI, THE CTLR WANTS YOU TO CALL THE TWR.' ON THE PHONE THE CTLR ASKED ME IF I KNEW THE VISIBILITY WAS 2 1/2 MI. I SAID YES, MEANING OF COURSE WHAT I HAD LEARNED FROM THE LINE BOY. I REALIZED LATER HE MAY HAVE TAKEN IT IN ANOTHER WAY. HOWEVER, HE DID SAY THEY WOULD BE FILING AN INCIDENT RPT.

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.