Narrative:

Coming from mht to 39N, IFR, my transponder was unreadable by mht departure and later by bradley. I cancelled IFR and proceeded VFR below clouds. Nearing dxr, I called to get through the air traffic area and noticed the transponder emit several flashes as if it were being polled again. This continued and I decided to continue to sax under the 30 mi TCA veil. About 1/2 way between cmk and sax, and approximately on V188, the polling stopped. The ny controllers were too busy to talk to VFR traffic, so I headed northwest to exit the 30 mi veil as rapidly as possible. The WX was coming in from the south and because of this detour I was delayed long enough for rain to move into mmu and 39N areas. I landed at N63 and spent the night. Completing the flight to 39N in the morning, I stayed clear of the 30 mi veil until downwind at 39N. There the transponder was determined to have finally failed in a 'hard' fashion. A transistor was dead, I think. If the transponder really was dead, it would have helped to be able to get in to talk to ny, but they were too busy and were refusing VFR calls except at landing airports. Instead I had to rely on the polling light which may have been giving a false reading. As I read about mode-south, I hope there will be a way to verify the operation west/O having to talk to ATC. Finally, in this area, when I am sure the transponder is working, ny has been unable to see the transponder at low altitudes. Why is the veil there then if they can't see it? Please note that at 2500' (after check) I was never in danger of entering the TCA, just under the veil with a possibly dead transponder.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAD INTERMITTENT TRANSPONDER BUT FLIES INTO 30 MILE VEIL OF TCA.

Narrative: COMING FROM MHT TO 39N, IFR, MY XPONDER WAS UNREADABLE BY MHT DEP AND LATER BY BRADLEY. I CANCELLED IFR AND PROCEEDED VFR BELOW CLOUDS. NEARING DXR, I CALLED TO GET THROUGH THE ATA AND NOTICED THE XPONDER EMIT SEVERAL FLASHES AS IF IT WERE BEING POLLED AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED AND I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO SAX UNDER THE 30 MI TCA VEIL. ABOUT 1/2 WAY BTWN CMK AND SAX, AND APPROX ON V188, THE POLLING STOPPED. THE NY CTLRS WERE TOO BUSY TO TALK TO VFR TFC, SO I HEADED NW TO EXIT THE 30 MI VEIL AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. THE WX WAS COMING IN FROM THE S AND BECAUSE OF THIS DETOUR I WAS DELAYED LONG ENOUGH FOR RAIN TO MOVE INTO MMU AND 39N AREAS. I LANDED AT N63 AND SPENT THE NIGHT. COMPLETING THE FLT TO 39N IN THE MORNING, I STAYED CLR OF THE 30 MI VEIL UNTIL DOWNWIND AT 39N. THERE THE XPONDER WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE FINALLY FAILED IN A 'HARD' FASHION. A TRANSISTOR WAS DEAD, I THINK. IF THE XPONDER REALLY WAS DEAD, IT WOULD HAVE HELPED TO BE ABLE TO GET IN TO TALK TO NY, BUT THEY WERE TOO BUSY AND WERE REFUSING VFR CALLS EXCEPT AT LNDG ARPTS. INSTEAD I HAD TO RELY ON THE POLLING LIGHT WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN GIVING A FALSE READING. AS I READ ABOUT MODE-S, I HOPE THERE WILL BE A WAY TO VERIFY THE OPERATION W/O HAVING TO TALK TO ATC. FINALLY, IN THIS AREA, WHEN I AM SURE THE XPONDER IS WORKING, NY HAS BEEN UNABLE TO SEE THE XPONDER AT LOW ALTS. WHY IS THE VEIL THERE THEN IF THEY CAN'T SEE IT? PLEASE NOTE THAT AT 2500' (AFTER CHK) I WAS NEVER IN DANGER OF ENTERING THE TCA, JUST UNDER THE VEIL WITH A POSSIBLY DEAD XPONDER.

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.