Atx frt pilot on night mail run loses communication on vector direct lit and flies past destination.

Attributes
ACN	174380
Time
Date	199103
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lit
State Reference	AR
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme tower : cdg
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	174380
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After departing mem, an IFR flight to lit was assigned a heading for direct to lit. After being handed off from mem approach control to ZME, I flew west/O hearing any further communications, which is not unusual at this time of the night. After flying for what I believed to be sufficient time to be handed off to lit approach and having no positive indication of VOR or DME from lit VOR, I attempted communications with ZME ARTCC with no success. I then tried lit approach, again with no success. I then started tuning in other VOR stations and immediately was able to identify my position relative to the hot VOR and determined that I had flown past the lit airport. I was then able to contact center on their frequency for that area. They immediately gave me a heading and clearance to fly direct to lit. I had exceeded my IFR clearance limit. I did not declare an emergency or squawk 7700 because I didn't feel this was an emergency situation because I was in VMC and was able to regain communications once I realize they had been lost. I discovered the reason for this on the next flight because the #1 communication radio was found to have a range of less than 15 mi, which I failed to recognize on the flight. In the future, I will consider no communications as possible lost communications and will call in for a radio check more often during long periods of radio silence.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX FRT PLT ON NIGHT MAIL RUN LOSES COM ON VECTOR DIRECT LIT AND FLIES PAST DEST.

Narrative: AFTER DEPARTING MEM, AN IFR FLT TO LIT WAS ASSIGNED A HDG FOR DIRECT TO LIT. AFTER BEING HANDED OFF FROM MEM APCH CTL TO ZME, I FLEW W/O HEARING ANY FURTHER COMS, WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL AT THIS TIME OF THE NIGHT. AFTER FLYING FOR WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE SUFFICIENT TIME TO BE HANDED OFF TO LIT APCH AND HAVING NO POSITIVE INDICATION OF VOR OR DME FROM LIT VOR, I ATTEMPTED COMS WITH ZME ARTCC WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN TRIED LIT APCH, AGAIN WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN STARTED TUNING IN OTHER VOR STATIONS AND IMMEDIATELY WAS ABLE TO IDENT MY POS RELATIVE TO THE HOT VOR AND DETERMINED THAT I HAD FLOWN PAST THE LIT ARPT. I WAS THEN ABLE TO CONTACT CENTER ON THEIR FREQ FOR THAT AREA. THEY IMMEDIATELY GAVE ME A HDG AND CLRNC TO FLY DIRECT TO LIT. I HAD EXCEEDED MY IFR CLRNC LIMIT. I DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER OR SQUAWK 7700 BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL THIS WAS AN EMER SITUATION BECAUSE I WAS IN VMC AND WAS ABLE TO REGAIN COMS ONCE I REALIZE THEY HAD BEEN LOST. I DISCOVERED THE REASON FOR THIS ON THE NEXT FLT BECAUSE THE #1 COM RADIO WAS FOUND TO HAVE A RANGE OF LESS THAN 15 MI, WHICH I FAILED TO RECOGNIZE ON THE FLT. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL CONSIDER NO COMS AS POSSIBLE LOST COMS AND WILL CALL IN FOR A RADIO CHK MORE OFTEN DURING LONG PERIODS OF RADIO SILENCE.

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.