Narrative:

On 1/thu/91, cruising at FL200, approximately 1.5 hours west of the christianshab NDB, #2 engine driven compressor low oil pressure illuminated, requiring immediate descent (as remaining edc cannot maintain cabin altitude). As numerous attempts to contact ATC were to no avail, contact was made with an airliner on 121.5 MHZ. He was requested to contact ATC. After 5 mins, airliner returned and stated, 'gander wants descent to 8000' and squawk 7700.' we were not high frequency equipped. On descent, noted cloud tops at 10000'. At 8000', in IMC, experienced severe icing conditions. Tremendous headwinds and loss of hp due to bleeds open for engine anti-ice and wing/empennage deice. Then contacted a military flight to relay message that we needed 10000', which after delay was approved, and received no other instructions. Then, with no other radio contact or navigation, held heading and altitude monitoring 121.5. No contact, transmit or receive. This medium large transport was an out of maintenance ferry flight and the aircraft had set on ground in europe for 6 months. Began now to attempt to receive ground VOR or NDB signals to effect position. Again totally IMC. Resigned to fact radios/navigation failed. Instructed F/east to rerack radios, reset circuit breaker's. No effect. Again we attempted rerack and weakly received controller. Requested a transponder code and was told we were out of radar range. Radios again failed. Icing again heavy. Reracked. Finally raised controller again. Asked him to pass message to goose bay to assign code for radar contact. Explained situation on radios. Code assigned. Tuned and idented goose VOR, but CDI would not lock on nor any NDB. Finally radio contact goose, radar contact. Requested vectors for ILS approach. Goose stated a PAR is also available which I accepted, as I could not trust navigation or possible sudden loss, 9500 pounds fuel remaining and WX down to mins with blowing snow. The PAR was executed on first attempt uneventfully. I am grateful there was no damage or loss of life. This flight departed iceland XA35Z and finally arrived XJ10Z for a period of 7.6 hours--I was exhausted. I assure you this will never occur again, as I will not make another transatlantic flight in the winter, and never again unless equipped with high frequency radios and a navigation system better than VOR/ADF. I feel that had not the edc failure forced us down, perhaps radio contact could have been prolonged. Perhaps severe icing impacted antenna. This has been 1 experience I never will repeat. At any rate, I am embarrassed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: transport canada had contacted the report and he forwarded a 3 page letter detailing the event. Company had provided a portable LORAN, but it proved to be totally inaccurate and was not used for the entire flight. Company maintenance crew had spent 1 week going over the aircraft, new propeller on #4, and trying to correct last log book entries, DME inoperative and weak radios. Test flight was flown successfully and a ferry permit was issued by FAA frankfurt office. Was picked up by radar when over land and vectored for a PAR approach goose bay. On the approach, the localizer and G/south, used for backup, failed. Never again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FERRY FLT FROM EUROPE LOSES COM WITH CENTER OVER ATLANTIC. DESCENDS TO 8000' ACCOUNT UNABLE TO MAINTAIN CABIN PRESSURE.

Narrative: ON 1/THU/91, CRUISING AT FL200, APPROX 1.5 HRS W OF THE CHRISTIANSHAB NDB, #2 ENG DRIVEN COMPRESSOR LOW OIL PRESSURE ILLUMINATED, REQUIRING IMMEDIATE DSNT (AS REMAINING EDC CANNOT MAINTAIN CABIN ALT). AS NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT ATC WERE TO NO AVAIL, CONTACT WAS MADE WITH AN AIRLINER ON 121.5 MHZ. HE WAS REQUESTED TO CONTACT ATC. AFTER 5 MINS, AIRLINER RETURNED AND STATED, 'GANDER WANTS DSNT TO 8000' AND SQUAWK 7700.' WE WERE NOT HIGH FREQ EQUIPPED. ON DSNT, NOTED CLOUD TOPS AT 10000'. AT 8000', IN IMC, EXPERIENCED SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS. TREMENDOUS HEADWINDS AND LOSS OF HP DUE TO BLEEDS OPEN FOR ENG ANTI-ICE AND WING/EMPENNAGE DEICE. THEN CONTACTED A MIL FLT TO RELAY MESSAGE THAT WE NEEDED 10000', WHICH AFTER DELAY WAS APPROVED, AND RECEIVED NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS. THEN, WITH NO OTHER RADIO CONTACT OR NAV, HELD HDG AND ALT MONITORING 121.5. NO CONTACT, XMIT OR RECEIVE. THIS MLG WAS AN OUT OF MAINT FERRY FLT AND THE ACFT HAD SET ON GND IN EUROPE FOR 6 MONTHS. BEGAN NOW TO ATTEMPT TO RECEIVE GND VOR OR NDB SIGNALS TO EFFECT POS. AGAIN TOTALLY IMC. RESIGNED TO FACT RADIOS/NAV FAILED. INSTRUCTED F/E TO RERACK RADIOS, RESET CB'S. NO EFFECT. AGAIN WE ATTEMPTED RERACK AND WEAKLY RECEIVED CTLR. REQUESTED A XPONDER CODE AND WAS TOLD WE WERE OUT OF RADAR RANGE. RADIOS AGAIN FAILED. ICING AGAIN HEAVY. RERACKED. FINALLY RAISED CTLR AGAIN. ASKED HIM TO PASS MESSAGE TO GOOSE BAY TO ASSIGN CODE FOR RADAR CONTACT. EXPLAINED SITUATION ON RADIOS. CODE ASSIGNED. TUNED AND IDENTED GOOSE VOR, BUT CDI WOULD NOT LOCK ON NOR ANY NDB. FINALLY RADIO CONTACT GOOSE, RADAR CONTACT. REQUESTED VECTORS FOR ILS APCH. GOOSE STATED A PAR IS ALSO AVAILABLE WHICH I ACCEPTED, AS I COULD NOT TRUST NAV OR POSSIBLE SUDDEN LOSS, 9500 LBS FUEL REMAINING AND WX DOWN TO MINS WITH BLOWING SNOW. THE PAR WAS EXECUTED ON FIRST ATTEMPT UNEVENTFULLY. I AM GRATEFUL THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR LOSS OF LIFE. THIS FLT DEPARTED ICELAND XA35Z AND FINALLY ARRIVED XJ10Z FOR A PERIOD OF 7.6 HRS--I WAS EXHAUSTED. I ASSURE YOU THIS WILL NEVER OCCUR AGAIN, AS I WILL NOT MAKE ANOTHER TRANSATLANTIC FLT IN THE WINTER, AND NEVER AGAIN UNLESS EQUIPPED WITH HIGH FREQ RADIOS AND A NAV SYS BETTER THAN VOR/ADF. I FEEL THAT HAD NOT THE EDC FAILURE FORCED US DOWN, PERHAPS RADIO CONTACT COULD HAVE BEEN PROLONGED. PERHAPS SEVERE ICING IMPACTED ANTENNA. THIS HAS BEEN 1 EXPERIENCE I NEVER WILL REPEAT. AT ANY RATE, I AM EMBARRASSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: TRANSPORT CANADA HAD CONTACTED THE RPT AND HE FORWARDED A 3 PAGE LETTER DETAILING THE EVENT. COMPANY HAD PROVIDED A PORTABLE LORAN, BUT IT PROVED TO BE TOTALLY INACCURATE AND WAS NOT USED FOR THE ENTIRE FLT. COMPANY MAINT CREW HAD SPENT 1 WK GOING OVER THE ACFT, NEW PROP ON #4, AND TRYING TO CORRECT LAST LOG BOOK ENTRIES, DME INOP AND WEAK RADIOS. TEST FLT WAS FLOWN SUCCESSFULLY AND A FERRY PERMIT WAS ISSUED BY FAA FRANKFURT OFFICE. WAS PICKED UP BY RADAR WHEN OVER LAND AND VECTORED FOR A PAR APCH GOOSE BAY. ON THE APCH, THE LOC AND G/S, USED FOR BACKUP, FAILED. NEVER AGAIN.

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.