Pilot of small aircraft using hand held radio for communication unable to contact tower.

Attributes
ACN	170013
Time
Date	199102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gsp airport : gmu
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 2000 agl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : gsp tower : gmu tower : ind
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 38 flight time total : 120 flight time type : 64
ASRS Report	170013
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : exited adverse environment flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A mechanic was installing an encoder and working on the radio in my aircraft. I left camden airport sunday 2/91 with his hand held radio, to attend the breakfast club in greenville, sc, which at that time worked. Halfway down, tuned into greer approach, I listened to a heavy traffic report around gsp. I started calling greer approach approximately 40 mi out, no response. The controllers were handling a lot of traffic and having problems with VFR traffic. I again called approach and received a reply that I was coming in very weak and broken. The controller advised all VFR aircraft to go to 2000' and contact gmu. I went from 3000' to 2000' and changed frequencys. I tried to contact gsp, there was no response to the call. There had been 15 planes in the pattern to land. I listened as I approached the airport, I didn't see the traffic that was reported earlier. Once I was over the airport, the traffic was out in front about 10 mi. At that time I realized I was over the wrong airport. I received no answers to the calls to gsp. As I approached gsp, I contacted gsp tower and told them of the radio problems I had, the replied with landing instructions. After landing the ground controller advised me to call the greer supervisor. I did. We talked of the radio problems and the range of the hand held. The same problem occurred at departure with 2-WAY communication with ground control, I again advised them of radio problems. There were a number of planes taxiing to active runway for departure. I was third in line, I tried to call tower with no response. At the runway I tried to call again, no response. I turned my plane toward the tower for a signal or response. I received neither. There were planes behind me, so I couldn't turn back. I taxi onto the runway, I looked and listened for the tower, no response. The plane in front of me was in the air and turned right. I started to roll down the runway, again awaiting a signal of some kind, I received none. At this time I decided to follow the plane in front of me out of the area. Once in the air, I called greer, after 6 tries to call, greer replied with some questions and directions out of the area. To avoid future problems, I intend to have better communications with the ground control agent.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA USING HAND HELD RADIO FOR COM UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR.

Narrative: A MECH WAS INSTALLING AN ENCODER AND WORKING ON THE RADIO IN MY ACFT. I LEFT CAMDEN ARPT SUNDAY 2/91 WITH HIS HAND HELD RADIO, TO ATTEND THE BREAKFAST CLUB IN GREENVILLE, SC, WHICH AT THAT TIME WORKED. HALFWAY DOWN, TUNED INTO GREER APCH, I LISTENED TO A HVY TFC RPT AROUND GSP. I STARTED CALLING GREER APCH APPROX 40 MI OUT, NO RESPONSE. THE CTLRS WERE HANDLING A LOT OF TFC AND HAVING PROBS WITH VFR TFC. I AGAIN CALLED APCH AND RECEIVED A REPLY THAT I WAS COMING IN VERY WEAK AND BROKEN. THE CTLR ADVISED ALL VFR ACFT TO GO TO 2000' AND CONTACT GMU. I WENT FROM 3000' TO 2000' AND CHANGED FREQS. I TRIED TO CONTACT GSP, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO THE CALL. THERE HAD BEEN 15 PLANES IN THE PATTERN TO LAND. I LISTENED AS I APCHED THE ARPT, I DIDN'T SEE THE TFC THAT WAS RPTED EARLIER. ONCE I WAS OVER THE ARPT, THE TFC WAS OUT IN FRONT ABOUT 10 MI. AT THAT TIME I REALIZED I WAS OVER THE WRONG ARPT. I RECEIVED NO ANSWERS TO THE CALLS TO GSP. AS I APCHED GSP, I CONTACTED GSP TWR AND TOLD THEM OF THE RADIO PROBS I HAD, THE REPLIED WITH LNDG INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER LNDG THE GND CTLR ADVISED ME TO CALL THE GREER SUPVR. I DID. WE TALKED OF THE RADIO PROBS AND THE RANGE OF THE HAND HELD. THE SAME PROB OCCURRED AT DEP WITH 2-WAY COM WITH GND CTL, I AGAIN ADVISED THEM OF RADIO PROBS. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF PLANES TAXIING TO ACTIVE RWY FOR DEP. I WAS THIRD IN LINE, I TRIED TO CALL TWR WITH NO RESPONSE. AT THE RWY I TRIED TO CALL AGAIN, NO RESPONSE. I TURNED MY PLANE TOWARD THE TWR FOR A SIGNAL OR RESPONSE. I RECEIVED NEITHER. THERE WERE PLANES BEHIND ME, SO I COULDN'T TURN BACK. I TAXI ONTO THE RWY, I LOOKED AND LISTENED FOR THE TWR, NO RESPONSE. THE PLANE IN FRONT OF ME WAS IN THE AIR AND TURNED R. I STARTED TO ROLL DOWN THE RWY, AGAIN AWAITING A SIGNAL OF SOME KIND, I RECEIVED NONE. AT THIS TIME I DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE PLANE IN FRONT OF ME OUT OF THE AREA. ONCE IN THE AIR, I CALLED GREER, AFTER 6 TRIES TO CALL, GREER REPLIED WITH SOME QUESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS OUT OF THE AREA. TO AVOID FUTURE PROBS, I INTEND TO HAVE BETTER COMS WITH THE GND CTL AGENT.

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.