Narrative:

In and out of small cumulus buildups at 9000, after sfd en route to rwf VOR minneapolis center asked if 'direct stp' was acceptable. They noted flight plan called for 'rwf/gep direct stp.' we would accept whatever was convenient. Clearance was recieved, 'direct stp, maintain 9.' after checking charts to be certain clearance was to saint paul airport and not a 'VOR', center confirmed, 'direct to saint paul, holman field...' at about 60 NM out considering asking for lower, center cleared down to 4000. After descending to 4000 we were approaching the city only mins away. I observed a large airport at 12 O'clock, checked the charts and presumed flying cloud airport coming up...I had picked up ATIS, visual, landing 23... Easy! A handoff to approach seemed imminent. Being nearly on top of the 'airport' and having expected a handoff to approach, I called center twice, eliciting no response... Each time waiting at least 15-30 seconds. With no radio chatter. At this point stp was, at maximum, 15 mins out and the plane was slowing to vectoring speed, approximately 150 slowing to 120 KT. Double checked the chart, went through a quick scenario of what I was going to do if radio failure... Proceed direct stp, enter the pattern, descend to 2000 and watch for green lights...time to call someone else! I immediately called minneapolis approach control, 121.1, from the plate and advised, 'level 4000, proceeding direct stp'. The controller gave me an oblique heading to course and came back shortly with clearance to direct minneapolis airport, at which point I advised not in sight. They asked present position, I advised I had just crossed a large airport directly behind, was looking for minneapolis airport, 'standby', not seeing it immediately, I advised negative on the airport. Approach then gave heading of 050 and commented, 'I don't know how you guys do it...' then confirmed I had passed flying cloud as thought from the plates, looked for minneapolis and saw it about 5 mi away. Clearance was given to fly direct, overfly runway 4, then 020. Further clearance given to contact stp tower and to proceed to about 1 mi southwest of stp unless stp tower changes... And was asked, 'when I lost contact.' I advised I was talking. All of this time, original squawk code had not changed...approach was advised it appeared I just did not get the expected handoff... Then was told 'I should listen up and check in once in awhile'... And released to stp. Flight and landing to stp was normal. In summary, I don't know if there is an antenna/radio problem on my aircraft or what. I checked on the ensuing flts upon my return to saint paul, tuesday, through thursday and experienced no problems. Perhaps...someone forgot me; maybe I jumped frequency too soon; maybe it is a quirk in the equipment..., but I did what I thought was prudent and safe being in the vicinity of probable traffic, knowing absolutely airport(south) were immediately ahead visually and time wise, ... And complied with all requests/advisories exactly, but apparently not to approach controls satisfaction as the controller did seem upset and condescending. At no time was safety compromised on my part or the controllers, it did seem the controller was frustrated with me, but if a radio problem did exist, it seems center and approach would have communicated (squawk code) or I would have received a reply. Using both radios on in to stp, no problem was detected... The only and biggest consequence was my fretting and losing sleep over what should/could have been nothing, not knowing if I dropped off of center precipitously, or if it was just a fluke.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMT UNABLE TO COM ATFCM WITH CENTER. MADE CONTACT WITH APCH CTLR FOR CLRNC TO STP.

Narrative: IN AND OUT OF SMALL CUMULUS BUILDUPS AT 9000, AFTER SFD ENRTE TO RWF VOR MINNEAPOLIS CTR ASKED IF 'DIRECT STP' WAS ACCEPTABLE. THEY NOTED FLT PLAN CALLED FOR 'RWF/GEP DIRECT STP.' WE WOULD ACCEPT WHATEVER WAS CONVENIENT. CLRNC WAS RECIEVED, 'DIRECT STP, MAINTAIN 9.' AFTER CHKING CHARTS TO BE CERTAIN CLRNC WAS TO SAINT PAUL ARPT AND NOT A 'VOR', CTR CONFIRMED, 'DIRECT TO SAINT PAUL, HOLMAN FIELD...' AT ABOUT 60 NM OUT CONSIDERING ASKING FOR LOWER, CTR CLRED DOWN TO 4000. AFTER DSNDING TO 4000 WE WERE APCHING THE CITY ONLY MINS AWAY. I OBSERVED A LARGE ARPT AT 12 O'CLOCK, CHKED THE CHARTS AND PRESUMED FLYING CLOUD ARPT COMING UP...I HAD PICKED UP ATIS, VISUAL, LNDG 23... EASY! A HDOF TO APCH SEEMED IMMINENT. BEING NEARLY ON TOP OF THE 'ARPT' AND HAVING EXPECTED A HDOF TO APCH, I CALLED CTR TWICE, ELICITING NO RESPONSE... EACH TIME WAITING AT LEAST 15-30 SECONDS. WITH NO RADIO CHATTER. AT THIS POINT STP WAS, AT MAX, 15 MINS OUT AND THE PLANE WAS SLOWING TO VECTORING SPD, APPROX 150 SLOWING TO 120 KT. DOUBLE CHKED THE CHART, WENT THROUGH A QUICK SCENARIO OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO IF RADIO FAILURE... PROCEED DIRECT STP, ENTER THE PATTERN, DSND TO 2000 AND WATCH FOR GREEN LIGHTS...TIME TO CALL SOMEONE ELSE! I IMMEDIATELY CALLED MINNEAPOLIS APCH CTL, 121.1, FROM THE PLATE AND ADVISED, 'LEVEL 4000, PROCEEDING DIRECT STP'. THE CTLR GAVE ME AN OBLIQUE HDG TO COURSE AND CAME BACK SHORTLY WITH CLRNC TO DIRECT MINNEAPOLIS ARPT, AT WHICH POINT I ADVISED NOT IN SIGHT. THEY ASKED PRESENT POS, I ADVISED I HAD JUST CROSSED A LARGE ARPT DIRECTLY BEHIND, WAS LOOKING FOR MINNEAPOLIS ARPT, 'STANDBY', NOT SEEING IT IMMEDIATELY, I ADVISED NEGATIVE ON THE ARPT. APCH THEN GAVE HDG OF 050 AND COMMENTED, 'I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS DO IT...' THEN CONFIRMED I HAD PASSED FLYING CLOUD AS THOUGHT FROM THE PLATES, LOOKED FOR MINNEAPOLIS AND SAW IT ABOUT 5 MI AWAY. CLRNC WAS GIVEN TO FLY DIRECT, OVERFLY RWY 4, THEN 020. FURTHER CLRNC GIVEN TO CONTACT STP TWR AND TO PROCEED TO ABOUT 1 MI SW OF STP UNLESS STP TWR CHANGES... AND WAS ASKED, 'WHEN I LOST CONTACT.' I ADVISED I WAS TALKING. ALL OF THIS TIME, ORIGINAL SQUAWK CODE HAD NOT CHANGED...APCH WAS ADVISED IT APPEARED I JUST DID NOT GET THE EXPECTED HDOF... THEN WAS TOLD 'I SHOULD LISTEN UP AND CHK IN ONCE IN AWHILE'... AND RELEASED TO STP. FLT AND LNDG TO STP WAS NORMAL. IN SUMMARY, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS AN ANTENNA/RADIO PROBLEM ON MY ACFT OR WHAT. I CHKED ON THE ENSUING FLTS UPON MY RETURN TO SAINT PAUL, TUESDAY, THROUGH THURSDAY AND EXPERIENCED NO PROBLEMS. PERHAPS...SOMEONE FORGOT ME; MAYBE I JUMPED FREQ TOO SOON; MAYBE IT IS A QUIRK IN THE EQUIP..., BUT I DID WHAT I THOUGHT WAS PRUDENT AND SAFE BEING IN THE VICINITY OF PROBABLE TFC, KNOWING ABSOLUTELY ARPT(S) WERE IMMEDIATELY AHEAD VISUALLY AND TIME WISE, ... AND COMPLIED WITH ALL REQUESTS/ADVISORIES EXACTLY, BUT APPARENTLY NOT TO APCH CTLS SATISFACTION AS THE CTLR DID SEEM UPSET AND CONDESCENDING. AT NO TIME WAS SAFETY COMPROMISED ON MY PART OR THE CTLRS, IT DID SEEM THE CTLR WAS FRUSTRATED WITH ME, BUT IF A RADIO PROBLEM DID EXIST, IT SEEMS CTR AND APCH WOULD HAVE COMMUNICATED (SQUAWK CODE) OR I WOULD HAVE RECEIVED A REPLY. USING BOTH RADIOS ON IN TO STP, NO PROBLEM WAS DETECTED... THE ONLY AND BIGGEST CONSEQUENCE WAS MY FRETTING AND LOSING SLEEP OVER WHAT SHOULD/COULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING, NOT KNOWING IF I DROPPED OFF OF CTR PRECIPITOUSLY, OR IF IT WAS JUST A FLUKE.

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.