Atx small transport had a cockpit speaker failure enroute from las and diverted into VFR alternate.

Attributes
ACN	171989
Time
Date	199102
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : las
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zla
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	171989
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At aircraft 20 mins prior to departure. It was raining in las vegas. I didn't want to get wet, so I was running across the ramp to the aircraft and I slipped. I didn't fall, but lost control of the headset I was carrying. It hit the ground and broke the microphone and 1 side of the speaker. Preflted/supervised cargo loading. Departed. Couldn't get my headset to work--no sound. Unplugged headset and switched to cockpit speaker and used a hand-held microphone and continued. Good reception on speaker. Level at 12000' on the arwy, center called me for a frequency change. I went to acknowledge, but the radios appeared dead. I turned up the vol. I adjusted the audio panel. I tried everything, but with no success. It couldn't be true--the speaker had failed! I knew the microphone was still good, so I transmitted in the blind my intentions and my situation. WX at my destination was 300 overcast and 2 mi visibility in rain. I was not too happy about flying lost communication to minimums on this stormy night. I squawked 7600 and followed the lost communication procedures. 40 mi north of dag I could see dag and knew I could descend VFR to the airport. Squawked 1200 and transmitted intentions and landed dag VFR. A lot better alternative than proceeding lost communications to my original destination. Lesson learned: carry an extra headset. Also, when things go wrong, they go wrong in a big way.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT HAD A COCKPIT SPEAKER FAILURE ENROUTE FROM LAS AND DIVERTED INTO VFR ALTERNATE.

Narrative: AT ACFT 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. IT WAS RAINING IN LAS VEGAS. I DIDN'T WANT TO GET WET, SO I WAS RUNNING ACROSS THE RAMP TO THE ACFT AND I SLIPPED. I DIDN'T FALL, BUT LOST CTL OF THE HEADSET I WAS CARRYING. IT HIT THE GND AND BROKE THE MIC AND 1 SIDE OF THE SPEAKER. PREFLTED/SUPERVISED CARGO LOADING. DEPARTED. COULDN'T GET MY HEADSET TO WORK--NO SOUND. UNPLUGGED HEADSET AND SWITCHED TO COCKPIT SPEAKER AND USED A HAND-HELD MIC AND CONTINUED. GOOD RECEPTION ON SPEAKER. LEVEL AT 12000' ON THE ARWY, CENTER CALLED ME FOR A FREQ CHANGE. I WENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE, BUT THE RADIOS APPEARED DEAD. I TURNED UP THE VOL. I ADJUSTED THE AUDIO PANEL. I TRIED EVERYTHING, BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. IT COULDN'T BE TRUE--THE SPEAKER HAD FAILED! I KNEW THE MIC WAS STILL GOOD, SO I XMITTED IN THE BLIND MY INTENTIONS AND MY SITUATION. WX AT MY DEST WAS 300 OVCST AND 2 MI VISIBILITY IN RAIN. I WAS NOT TOO HAPPY ABOUT FLYING LOST COM TO MINIMUMS ON THIS STORMY NIGHT. I SQUAWKED 7600 AND FOLLOWED THE LOST COM PROCS. 40 MI N OF DAG I COULD SEE DAG AND KNEW I COULD DSND VFR TO THE ARPT. SQUAWKED 1200 AND XMITTED INTENTIONS AND LANDED DAG VFR. A LOT BETTER ALTERNATIVE THAN PROCEEDING LOST COMS TO MY ORIGINAL DEST. LESSON LEARNED: CARRY AN EXTRA HEADSET. ALSO, WHEN THINGS GO WRONG, THEY GO WRONG IN A BIG WAY.

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.