Narrative:

On taxi of our scheduled passenger flight departing lindbergh field, san diego, the tower was having intermittent communications failure on all frequencys. (ATIS, ground control, and tower). We received taxi clearance to runway 27. By the time we were #1 for takeoff all tower communications were out. No one was able to contact any san frequencys including about 10 aircraft behind us. Approach control was clearing landing aircraft but was unreachable from our position on the field. After 46 mins of trying to contact someone by radio (other than the other aircraft waiting for takeoff) I turned the aircraft to better see tower. We finally got a flashing green light followed by a steady green light. I then taxied onto runway 27 and took off. We contacted san departure within 1 min and continued the rest of the flight to slc. The light signal from the tower was difficult to see because of the distance and possibly the dark tint of the tower windows. Also taking off from a major international airport with a large turbo jet carrying passengers using only light signals from a tower is very unnerving to say the least. In this situation I guess there was no alternative. After 27 yrs as a professional pilot I thought I had seen it all. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The san tower quality assurance specialist was called about the transmitter failure. He stated that on 8/91 construction equipment had cut the cables to the transmitter site. The tower reverted to 2 emergency transceivers. They found that when the ground controller and local controller transmitted at the same time they blocked each other out even though they were on separate frequency's. After about 30 mins the batteries failed and they had no transmitters. FAA maintenance is looking for new emergency transceivers that don't block each other out when transmitting simultaneously. As of 11/90 this problem has not been corrected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC EQUIP PROBLEM TMTR FAILURE.

Narrative: ON TAXI OF OUR SCHEDULED PAX FLT DEPARTING LINDBERGH FIELD, SAN DIEGO, THE TWR WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT COMS FAILURE ON ALL FREQS. (ATIS, GND CTL, AND TWR). WE RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 27. BY THE TIME WE WERE #1 FOR TKOF ALL TWR COMS WERE OUT. NO ONE WAS ABLE TO CONTACT ANY SAN FREQS INCLUDING ABOUT 10 ACFT BEHIND US. APCH CTL WAS CLRING LNDG ACFT BUT WAS UNREACHABLE FROM OUR POS ON THE FIELD. AFTER 46 MINS OF TRYING TO CONTACT SOMEONE BY RADIO (OTHER THAN THE OTHER ACFT WAITING FOR TKOF) I TURNED THE ACFT TO BETTER SEE TWR. WE FINALLY GOT A FLASHING GREEN LIGHT FOLLOWED BY A STEADY GREEN LIGHT. I THEN TAXIED ONTO RWY 27 AND TOOK OFF. WE CONTACTED SAN DEP WITHIN 1 MIN AND CONTINUED THE REST OF THE FLT TO SLC. THE LIGHT SIGNAL FROM THE TWR WAS DIFFICULT TO SEE BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE AND POSSIBLY THE DARK TINT OF THE TWR WINDOWS. ALSO TAKING OFF FROM A MAJOR INTL ARPT WITH A LARGE TURBO JET CARRYING PAXS USING ONLY LIGHT SIGNALS FROM A TWR IS VERY UNNERVING TO SAY THE LEAST. IN THIS SITUATION I GUESS THERE WAS NO ALTERNATIVE. AFTER 27 YRS AS A PROFESSIONAL PLT I THOUGHT I HAD SEEN IT ALL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE SAN TWR QUALITY ASSURANCE SPECIALIST WAS CALLED ABOUT THE XMITTER FAILURE. HE STATED THAT ON 8/91 CONSTRUCTION EQUIP HAD CUT THE CABLES TO THE XMITTER SITE. THE TWR REVERTED TO 2 EMER TRANSCEIVERS. THEY FOUND THAT WHEN THE GND CTLR AND LCL CTLR XMITTED AT THE SAME TIME THEY BLOCKED EACH OTHER OUT EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE ON SEPARATE FREQ'S. AFTER ABOUT 30 MINS THE BATTERIES FAILED AND THEY HAD NO XMITTERS. FAA MAINT IS LOOKING FOR NEW EMER TRANSCEIVERS THAT DON'T BLOCK EACH OTHER OUT WHEN XMITTING SIMULTANEOUSLY. AS OF 11/90 THIS PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED.

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.