Narrative:

I filed an IFR plan, departing toa to loreto, mexico. The clearance was runway heading (270 degree), climb to 3000 ft, vectors to sli, then V-23 etc. I called toa ground, got my clearance, tower cleared for takeoff. Tower handed me off to la departure on 124.3. I called departure, no answer. Waited possibly 30 seconds and called again, no answer. This occasionally happens on toa departure, so I wasn't alarmed. Third call, no answer, so I switched to communication #2, three calls, no answer. Went back to toa tower, no answer. Switched to another microphone, no answer. All the while maintaining 270 degree and 3000 ft as last cleared. A 'heavy' departing lax was approximately 1 mi in front and approximately 1500 ft below. I broke off the assigned heading and turned back towards toa airport, called toa on a hand-held and re-established communications. I asked toa tower to cancel my IFR plan and I would continue VFR while trying to determine the cause of the radios failing. I requested flight following and got the usual several handoffs before entering mexico. One of them requested a phone call when I landed. I advised them I would be out of the country for 10 days and no phones at my destination and would call when I returned to the USA. While talking to san diego approach on the hand-held, I tuned #1 communication to the same frequency and I heard my own transmission! Turned off the hand-held and used #1 communication. It worked perfectly. Went to #2 communication, perfect! I have absolutely no explanation why 2 communications, both transmit and receive, were not working for approximately 30 mins, then came back on-line, and continued to work perfectly for over 11 hours of flying until I returned to toa yesterday. I will talk to my radio shop later this week. I assume the call to FSS is in regards to the lax TCA. I will phone them today.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF LAX TCA AFTER TKOF FROM TOA. PLT RPTR SAYS HE WAS TRYING TO SOLVE A COM RADIO FAILURE AT THE TIME.

Narrative: I FILED AN IFR PLAN, DEPARTING TOA TO LORETO, MEXICO. THE CLRNC WAS RWY HDG (270 DEG), CLB TO 3000 FT, VECTORS TO SLI, THEN V-23 ETC. I CALLED TOA GND, GOT MY CLRNC, TWR CLRED FOR TKOF. TWR HANDED ME OFF TO LA DEP ON 124.3. I CALLED DEP, NO ANSWER. WAITED POSSIBLY 30 SECONDS AND CALLED AGAIN, NO ANSWER. THIS OCCASIONALLY HAPPENS ON TOA DEP, SO I WASN'T ALARMED. THIRD CALL, NO ANSWER, SO I SWITCHED TO COM #2, THREE CALLS, NO ANSWER. WENT BACK TO TOA TWR, NO ANSWER. SWITCHED TO ANOTHER MIC, NO ANSWER. ALL THE WHILE MAINTAINING 270 DEG AND 3000 FT AS LAST CLRED. A 'HVY' DEPARTING LAX WAS APPROX 1 MI IN FRONT AND APPROX 1500 FT BELOW. I BROKE OFF THE ASSIGNED HDG AND TURNED BACK TOWARDS TOA ARPT, CALLED TOA ON A HAND-HELD AND RE-ESTABLISHED COMS. I ASKED TOA TWR TO CANCEL MY IFR PLAN AND I WOULD CONTINUE VFR WHILE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE RADIOS FAILING. I REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING AND GOT THE USUAL SEVERAL HDOFS BEFORE ENTERING MEXICO. ONE OF THEM REQUESTED A PHONE CALL WHEN I LANDED. I ADVISED THEM I WOULD BE OUT OF THE COUNTRY FOR 10 DAYS AND NO PHONES AT MY DEST AND WOULD CALL WHEN I RETURNED TO THE USA. WHILE TALKING TO SAN DIEGO APCH ON THE HAND-HELD, I TUNED #1 COM TO THE SAME FREQ AND I HEARD MY OWN XMISSION! TURNED OFF THE HAND-HELD AND USED #1 COM. IT WORKED PERFECTLY. WENT TO #2 COM, PERFECT! I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO EXPLANATION WHY 2 COMS, BOTH XMIT AND RECEIVE, WERE NOT WORKING FOR APPROX 30 MINS, THEN CAME BACK ON-LINE, AND CONTINUED TO WORK PERFECTLY FOR OVER 11 HRS OF FLYING UNTIL I RETURNED TO TOA YESTERDAY. I WILL TALK TO MY RADIO SHOP LATER THIS WK. I ASSUME THE CALL TO FSS IS IN REGARDS TO THE LAX TCA. I WILL PHONE THEM TODAY.

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.