Narrative:

I was departing bur in an small aircraft, VFR to oxnard. At 4500' in the arsa, ATC instructed me to change from one frequency to another. When I switched from communication 2 to communication 1, I lost all communications. The #south in the radios remained lit, but I couldn't receive or transmit. I noticed that the transponder reply lights was no longer lighting, either. I switched the transponder to 7700 anyway, and set about trying to make the radios work. I could not regain any functions and decided to turn back to the airport. I reset the transponder to 7600 just in case it was working, and broadcast in the blind to bur approach my identify, location, situation and intentions. I repeated this procedure 3 times. I decided that it was too risky for me to approach the tower at 1000' above the traffic pattern to try to attract attention and take light signals because of the heavy jetliner traffic. I stayed at 4500' and flew circles in a region of space that was out of the normal pattern. WX was clear skies. Due to my position, the tower was directly in front of the parking structure and main traffic artery. I was far enough away that it was difficult to instantly pick out the tower from the associated visibility clutter. Several times I thought I saw white flashes very near the tower, but not from inside the tower, not from behind the tower window. I couldn't be sure if I saw a light gun or flashes from an automatic windshield (sun location made that distinctly possible). After about 10-15 mins, not having positively seen a light signal from the tower, I departed bur for whp. I flew past the tower at 1000' above pattern altitude, got a definite white light from the tower, joined the pattern and landed. A fuel worker handed me a slip of paper with a phone #, and led me to a phone. I called bur approach and the controller said they had seen me, and had received my squawk code of lost communication. He asked if I had seen their lights signals that cleared me to return to the airport. I told him what I saw and my reason for not returning. He told me that I had done everything right, by the book, and asked if I wanted to return to bur. I chose to return. He told me to clear it was whp tower, wait a few mins, and return. When I restarted the aircraft and tried the radios, they worked. I called the tower and let them know. We decided to stay with our agreed-on procedure in case I lost avionics again. I flew to and landed at bur with no further incidents.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST RADIO COM WITH BUR IN THE ARSA.

Narrative: I WAS DEPARTING BUR IN AN SMA, VFR TO OXNARD. AT 4500' IN THE ARSA, ATC INSTRUCTED ME TO CHANGE FROM ONE FREQ TO ANOTHER. WHEN I SWITCHED FROM COM 2 TO COM 1, I LOST ALL COMS. THE #S IN THE RADIOS REMAINED LIT, BUT I COULDN'T RECEIVE OR XMIT. I NOTICED THAT THE XPONDER REPLY LIGHTS WAS NO LONGER LIGHTING, EITHER. I SWITCHED THE XPONDER TO 7700 ANYWAY, AND SET ABOUT TRYING TO MAKE THE RADIOS WORK. I COULD NOT REGAIN ANY FUNCTIONS AND DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO THE ARPT. I RESET THE XPONDER TO 7600 JUST IN CASE IT WAS WORKING, AND BROADCAST IN THE BLIND TO BUR APCH MY IDENT, LOCATION, SITUATION AND INTENTIONS. I REPEATED THIS PROC 3 TIMES. I DECIDED THAT IT WAS TOO RISKY FOR ME TO APCH THE TWR AT 1000' ABOVE THE TFC PATTERN TO TRY TO ATTRACT ATTN AND TAKE LIGHT SIGNALS BECAUSE OF THE HEAVY JETLINER TFC. I STAYED AT 4500' AND FLEW CIRCLES IN A REGION OF SPACE THAT WAS OUT OF THE NORMAL PATTERN. WX WAS CLR SKIES. DUE TO MY POS, THE TWR WAS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE PARKING STRUCTURE AND MAIN TFC ARTERY. I WAS FAR ENOUGH AWAY THAT IT WAS DIFFICULT TO INSTANTLY PICK OUT THE TWR FROM THE ASSOCIATED VIS CLUTTER. SEVERAL TIMES I THOUGHT I SAW WHITE FLASHES VERY NEAR THE TWR, BUT NOT FROM INSIDE THE TWR, NOT FROM BEHIND THE TWR WINDOW. I COULDN'T BE SURE IF I SAW A LIGHT GUN OR FLASHES FROM AN AUTO WINDSHIELD (SUN LOCATION MADE THAT DISTINCTLY POSSIBLE). AFTER ABOUT 10-15 MINS, NOT HAVING POSITIVELY SEEN A LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR, I DEPARTED BUR FOR WHP. I FLEW PAST THE TWR AT 1000' ABOVE PATTERN ALT, GOT A DEFINITE WHITE LIGHT FROM THE TWR, JOINED THE PATTERN AND LANDED. A FUEL WORKER HANDED ME A SLIP OF PAPER WITH A PHONE #, AND LED ME TO A PHONE. I CALLED BUR APCH AND THE CTLR SAID THEY HAD SEEN ME, AND HAD RECEIVED MY SQUAWK CODE OF LOST COM. HE ASKED IF I HAD SEEN THEIR LIGHTS SIGNALS THAT CLRED ME TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. I TOLD HIM WHAT I SAW AND MY REASON FOR NOT RETURNING. HE TOLD ME THAT I HAD DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT, BY THE BOOK, AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO RETURN TO BUR. I CHOSE TO RETURN. HE TOLD ME TO CLR IT WAS WHP TWR, WAIT A FEW MINS, AND RETURN. WHEN I RESTARTED THE ACFT AND TRIED THE RADIOS, THEY WORKED. I CALLED THE TWR AND LET THEM KNOW. WE DECIDED TO STAY WITH OUR AGREED-ON PROC IN CASE I LOST AVIONICS AGAIN. I FLEW TO AND LANDED AT BUR WITH NO FURTHER INCIDENTS.

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.