Narrative:

I planned to do 3 full stop takeoffs and lndgs. Fixed base was closed, so I didn't do a radio check with them. I didn't hear any other aircraft transmitting on CTAF. Saw helicopter's maneuvering over the airport. Did not hear any radio xmissions from them. Thought they must be on their own frequency because there has been at least 1 other time when I've seen them maneuvering over the airport west/O announcing their intentions, so this didn't seem too unusual. Listened to military ATIS on #2 radio. I transmitted my position on #1 radio on the CTAF and advised I would taxiing to runway 21. I did my runup, checked for traffic and announced my intentions. I took off, stayed right in traffic pattern, announced entering downwind, base and final and landed. I took off, repeated the procedures. On downwind noticed helicopter hovering over approach end of runway 21. At this time I did wonder why they weren't transmitting their intentions on CTAF, but I continued on the pattern because in the past they haven't always transmitted their intentions, so it didn't seem totally unusual. I announced turning base and on base saw a helicopter with his light facing me in the distance. I announced entering final, then saw the other helicopter moving away from the runway. I continued my approach and landed, taxied to midfield intersection, made my turn back down the taxiway to runway 21, and halfway down stopped because there was a helicopter hovering between me and the runup area. At this point I knew my #1 radio must not be working, so I switched to #2 and made radio contact with helicopter pilot. He advised me that I was not announcing my intentions on the radio and was disregarding their advisories. I advised him I had been transmitting my intentions on #1 radio not realizing it wasn't transmitting or receiving. The next morning one of our flying club senior pilots and I checked out the radio. The problem seems to have been the radio selector switch was not making contact. We cycled it several times and then both radios transmitted and received. I know that even after a radio check this could have happened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA TRAINING FLT IN PATTERN HAS CONFLICT WITH MIL HELICOPTER MANEUVERING IN PATTERN.

Narrative: I PLANNED TO DO 3 FULL STOP TKOFS AND LNDGS. FIXED BASE WAS CLOSED, SO I DIDN'T DO A RADIO CHK WITH THEM. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OTHER ACFT XMITTING ON CTAF. SAW HELI'S MANEUVERING OVER THE ARPT. DID NOT HEAR ANY RADIO XMISSIONS FROM THEM. THOUGHT THEY MUST BE ON THEIR OWN FREQ BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 1 OTHER TIME WHEN I'VE SEEN THEM MANEUVERING OVER THE ARPT W/O ANNOUNCING THEIR INTENTIONS, SO THIS DIDN'T SEEM TOO UNUSUAL. LISTENED TO MIL ATIS ON #2 RADIO. I XMITTED MY POS ON #1 RADIO ON THE CTAF AND ADVISED I WOULD TAXIING TO RWY 21. I DID MY RUNUP, CHKED FOR TFC AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS. I TOOK OFF, STAYED RIGHT IN TFC PATTERN, ANNOUNCED ENTERING DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL AND LANDED. I TOOK OFF, REPEATED THE PROCS. ON DOWNWIND NOTICED HELI HOVERING OVER APCH END OF RWY 21. AT THIS TIME I DID WONDER WHY THEY WEREN'T XMITTING THEIR INTENTIONS ON CTAF, BUT I CONTINUED ON THE PATTERN BECAUSE IN THE PAST THEY HAVEN'T ALWAYS XMITTED THEIR INTENTIONS, SO IT DIDN'T SEEM TOTALLY UNUSUAL. I ANNOUNCED TURNING BASE AND ON BASE SAW A HELI WITH HIS LIGHT FACING ME IN THE DISTANCE. I ANNOUNCED ENTERING FINAL, THEN SAW THE OTHER HELI MOVING AWAY FROM THE RWY. I CONTINUED MY APCH AND LANDED, TAXIED TO MIDFIELD INTXN, MADE MY TURN BACK DOWN THE TXWY TO RWY 21, AND HALFWAY DOWN STOPPED BECAUSE THERE WAS A HELI HOVERING BTWN ME AND THE RUNUP AREA. AT THIS POINT I KNEW MY #1 RADIO MUST NOT BE WORKING, SO I SWITCHED TO #2 AND MADE RADIO CONTACT WITH HELI PLT. HE ADVISED ME THAT I WAS NOT ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS ON THE RADIO AND WAS DISREGARDING THEIR ADVISORIES. I ADVISED HIM I HAD BEEN XMITTING MY INTENTIONS ON #1 RADIO NOT REALIZING IT WASN'T XMITTING OR RECEIVING. THE NEXT MORNING ONE OF OUR FLYING CLUB SENIOR PLTS AND I CHKED OUT THE RADIO. THE PROB SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN THE RADIO SELECTOR SWITCH WAS NOT MAKING CONTACT. WE CYCLED IT SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN BOTH RADIOS XMITTED AND RECEIVED. I KNOW THAT EVEN AFTER A RADIO CHK THIS COULD HAVE HAPPENED.

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.