Narrative:

Instrument competency training flight. Pilot IFR rated and current. On published missed approach from VOR-a approach to oceanside, ca, municipal airport. Checked in with san diego approach control while climbing through 1500'. (Prior request was made for ILS to crq after ocn VOR-a). Approach control very broken and unreadable but pilot determined that they wanted us to depart vista intersection on 080 degree heading. While on that heading we heard several badly broken xmissions from approach control. Xmissions from aircraft in vicinity on same frequency were heard loud and clear. Switching to #2 radio did nothing to improve communication from approach control. Pilot, who spoke with french accent, indicated to approach control that he could not here them. Understood, by piecing together xmissions, that approach control wanted us to turn to 150 degree. While in turn approach control asked 'what heading?' pilot answered 'passing 120 degree.' approach control said 'forget that heading, turn left to 020 degree.' 020 degree heading turned us directly toward 6140' palomar mountain. (Our altitude 3800'). I declined to play 'chicken' with approach control due to poor xmissions and with marginal WX due haze. I asked pilot to cancel IFR and we would return to base VFR. Pilot made 3 xmissions before we heard acknowledgement from approach control. Talked with 2 towers and one ground facility upon return west/O communication difficulty. When we landed, ground control requested we contact TRACON supervisor by phone. I called supervisor. He said we were not answering calls. Told him I had flown those approachs as a full-time CFI for past two yrs, was familiar with communication situation in sector and that I heard our pilot answer every call. Additionally, after we cancelled IFR I was monitoring 127.3 and heard controller tell other pilots 'listen up, you're missing calls.' I contend that 'missed calls' largely due to inadequate FAA communication equipment at san diego TRACON. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Procedures specialist at facility stated that oceanside airport is only approximately 15 mi from the TRACON and not aware of any radio problems. He said they are able to talk to certain aircraft on the ground at palomar airport, depending on where their antenna is located. Stated that aircraft over vista intersection at 3800' should be no problem. Suspects maybe an aircraft radio problem, or an intermittent problem with their equipment. Oceanside airport is close to palomar airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR REPORTER COMPLAINS ABOUT ATC RADIO COVERAGE WHILE ON A MISSED APCH AT OCEANSIDE ARPT.

Narrative: INSTRUMENT COMPETENCY TRNING FLT. PLT IFR RATED AND CURRENT. ON PUBLISHED MISSED APCH FROM VOR-A APCH TO OCEANSIDE, CA, MUNICIPAL ARPT. CHKED IN WITH SAN DIEGO APCH CTL WHILE CLBING THROUGH 1500'. (PRIOR REQUEST WAS MADE FOR ILS TO CRQ AFTER OCN VOR-A). APCH CTL VERY BROKEN AND UNREADABLE BUT PLT DETERMINED THAT THEY WANTED US TO DEPART VISTA INTXN ON 080 DEG HDG. WHILE ON THAT HDG WE HEARD SEVERAL BADLY BROKEN XMISSIONS FROM APCH CTL. XMISSIONS FROM ACFT IN VICINITY ON SAME FREQ WERE HEARD LOUD AND CLR. SWITCHING TO #2 RADIO DID NOTHING TO IMPROVE COM FROM APCH CTL. PLT, WHO SPOKE WITH FRENCH ACCENT, INDICATED TO APCH CTL THAT HE COULD NOT HERE THEM. UNDERSTOOD, BY PIECING TOGETHER XMISSIONS, THAT APCH CTL WANTED US TO TURN TO 150 DEG. WHILE IN TURN APCH CTL ASKED 'WHAT HDG?' PLT ANSWERED 'PASSING 120 DEG.' APCH CTL SAID 'FORGET THAT HDG, TURN L TO 020 DEG.' 020 DEG HDG TURNED US DIRECTLY TOWARD 6140' PALOMAR MOUNTAIN. (OUR ALT 3800'). I DECLINED TO PLAY 'CHICKEN' WITH APCH CTL DUE TO POOR XMISSIONS AND WITH MARGINAL WX DUE HAZE. I ASKED PLT TO CANCEL IFR AND WE WOULD RETURN TO BASE VFR. PLT MADE 3 XMISSIONS BEFORE WE HEARD ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM APCH CTL. TALKED WITH 2 TWRS AND ONE GND FAC UPON RETURN W/O COM DIFFICULTY. WHEN WE LANDED, GND CTL REQUESTED WE CONTACT TRACON SUPVR BY PHONE. I CALLED SUPVR. HE SAID WE WERE NOT ANSWERING CALLS. TOLD HIM I HAD FLOWN THOSE APCHS AS A FULL-TIME CFI FOR PAST TWO YRS, WAS FAMILIAR WITH COM SITUATION IN SECTOR AND THAT I HEARD OUR PLT ANSWER EVERY CALL. ADDITIONALLY, AFTER WE CANCELLED IFR I WAS MONITORING 127.3 AND HEARD CTLR TELL OTHER PLTS 'LISTEN UP, YOU'RE MISSING CALLS.' I CONTEND THAT 'MISSED CALLS' LARGELY DUE TO INADEQUATE FAA COM EQUIP AT SAN DIEGO TRACON. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. PROCS SPECIALIST AT FAC STATED THAT OCEANSIDE ARPT IS ONLY APPROX 15 MI FROM THE TRACON AND NOT AWARE OF ANY RADIO PROBS. HE SAID THEY ARE ABLE TO TALK TO CERTAIN ACFT ON THE GND AT PALOMAR ARPT, DEPENDING ON WHERE THEIR ANTENNA IS LOCATED. STATED THAT ACFT OVER VISTA INTXN AT 3800' SHOULD BE NO PROB. SUSPECTS MAYBE AN ACFT RADIO PROB, OR AN INTERMITTENT PROB WITH THEIR EQUIP. OCEANSIDE ARPT IS CLOSE TO PALOMAR ARPT.

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.