Narrative:

I was inbound to salt lake on V32 west. After receiving the ATIS information, I established contact with slc approach. I reported my position and V32 west and 40 DME. I was instructed to remain outside the TCA, and contact approach 120.9. I established contact with approach, was idented and cleared into the TCA to the south tip of antelope island, descend and maintain 6500 ft. At the south tip of antelope island, I was instructed to proceed direct to the slc airport, descend and maintain 6000 ft. At about 5 mi out, I reported the airport in sight and was instructed by approach to contact the tower 119.05. I contacted the tower 119.05 and was cleared to proceed to the airport, descend to pattern altitude. I began a descent and was then cleared to land straight in runway 14. I acknowledged that transmission, looked at my airport diagram for position and statistics for runway 14. I then had a visual on runway 14. I could see that I was too high and too close to make a normal landing on runway 14. I attempted at least 4 times in the next 30-45 seconds to contact the tower 119.05 stating that I would not be able to land, but the tower did not respond. By this time I was over the approach end of runway 14. I checked circuit breakers. I began a 360 to the left at about mid point runway 14. I switched back to approach 120.9 and asked for tower frequency and was given 119.95 and contacted tower 119.95. I was advised by whoever responded that this frequency was not salt lake tower. I immediately tuned up the other slc tower frequency 118.3. The controller on this frequency was issuing a warning for aircraft to use extreme caution for an aircraft circling overhead. I broke in, identing myself as the aircraft in question and asked for the correct tower frequency. The controller acknowledged the transmission and gave me tower frequency 119.05. I tuned 119.05 and established contact with slc tower. I was immediately instructed to fly west. I turned west and was then instructed to turn north and expect a right base to 16L. A few seconds later I was cleared to land straight in runway 14 and hold short 16L. I landed on 14, held short of 16L. About 2-3 mins later I was cleared across 16L and instructed to contact ground .9 on the other side. I was instructed by ground to proceed to parking and asked to call the tower after shutdown. I placed an immediate call to the tower and was handed off to supervisor. I idented myself by aircraft number and name. Supervisor asked me for an explanation of the incident, and I responded with all the above information from the time I was turned over to tower 119.05 from approach 120.9 until I contacted the tower by telephone. After listening to my explanation, supervisor stated that I should not have orbited over the airport, but instead continued west and established communication or initiated lost communication procedures. I asked supervisor if that was an established lost communication procedure for salt lake? I think that his answer was no, but that it would have been safer than disrupting operations by orbiting the field. My explanation was that I felt I was safer and of less danger to other aircraft by remaining over the field and in sight of the tower until I reestablished communications rather than exit in any direction into unknown traffic. Supervisor then stated that after I reestablished communications with the tower on 119.05, that I again left the frequency. I disagreed with him and restated the sequence of events from the time I reestablished contact on 119.05 and the tower turned me west, until the time I was turned over to ground. He again insisted that I did. I'm still wondering how I could have received the instructions, acknowledged them, and followed them. Possible cause for loss of communication: after pondering the situation, the only explanation for the break in communication that has come to mind is the following. Both communications antennas are mounted on top of the wing. Could the position of the aircraft, with relation to the tower have temporarily blocked communications? I have had no radio problems, other than transmitter #2 is slightly stronger than #1.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CORP PLT HAS LOST COM ON FINAL WHEN TOO HIGH, CIRCLES OVERHEAD.

Narrative: I WAS INBOUND TO SALT LAKE ON V32 W. AFTER RECEIVING THE ATIS INFO, I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH SLC APCH. I RPTED MY POS AND V32 W AND 40 DME. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE TCA, AND CONTACT APCH 120.9. I ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH APCH, WAS IDENTED AND CLRED INTO THE TCA TO THE S TIP OF ANTELOPE ISLAND, DSND AND MAINTAIN 6500 FT. AT THE S TIP OF ANTELOPE ISLAND, I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED DIRECT TO THE SLC ARPT, DSND AND MAINTAIN 6000 FT. AT ABOUT 5 MI OUT, I RPTED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WAS INSTRUCTED BY APCH TO CONTACT THE TWR 119.05. I CONTACTED THE TWR 119.05 AND WAS CLRED TO PROCEED TO THE ARPT, DSND TO PATTERN ALT. I BEGAN A DSCNT AND WAS THEN CLRED TO LAND STRAIGHT IN RWY 14. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT XMISSION, LOOKED AT MY ARPT DIAGRAM FOR POS AND STATISTICS FOR RWY 14. I THEN HAD A VISUAL ON RWY 14. I COULD SEE THAT I WAS TOO HIGH AND TOO CLOSE TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG ON RWY 14. I ATTEMPTED AT LEAST 4 TIMES IN THE NEXT 30-45 SECONDS TO CONTACT THE TWR 119.05 STATING THAT I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO LAND, BUT THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND. BY THIS TIME I WAS OVER THE APCH END OF RWY 14. I CHKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS. I BEGAN A 360 TO THE L AT ABOUT MID POINT RWY 14. I SWITCHED BACK TO APCH 120.9 AND ASKED FOR TWR FREQ AND WAS GIVEN 119.95 AND CONTACTED TWR 119.95. I WAS ADVISED BY WHOEVER RESPONDED THAT THIS FREQ WAS NOT SALT LAKE TWR. I IMMEDIATELY TUNED UP THE OTHER SLC TWR FREQ 118.3. THE CTLR ON THIS FREQ WAS ISSUING A WARNING FOR ACFT TO USE EXTREME CAUTION FOR AN ACFT CIRCLING OVERHEAD. I BROKE IN, IDENTING MYSELF AS THE ACFT IN QUESTION AND ASKED FOR THE CORRECT TWR FREQ. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION AND GAVE ME TWR FREQ 119.05. I TUNED 119.05 AND ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH SLC TWR. I WAS IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED TO FLY W. I TURNED W AND WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO TURN N AND EXPECT A R BASE TO 16L. A FEW SECONDS LATER I WAS CLRED TO LAND STRAIGHT IN RWY 14 AND HOLD SHORT 16L. I LANDED ON 14, HELD SHORT OF 16L. ABOUT 2-3 MINS LATER I WAS CLRED ACROSS 16L AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND .9 ON THE OTHER SIDE. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY GND TO PROCEED TO PARKING AND ASKED TO CALL THE TWR AFTER SHUTDOWN. I PLACED AN IMMEDIATE CALL TO THE TWR AND WAS HANDED OFF TO SUPVR. I IDENTED MYSELF BY ACFT NUMBER AND NAME. SUPVR ASKED ME FOR AN EXPLANATION OF THE INCIDENT, AND I RESPONDED WITH ALL THE ABOVE INFO FROM THE TIME I WAS TURNED OVER TO TWR 119.05 FROM APCH 120.9 UNTIL I CONTACTED THE TWR BY TELEPHONE. AFTER LISTENING TO MY EXPLANATION, SUPVR STATED THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE ORBITED OVER THE ARPT, BUT INSTEAD CONTINUED W AND ESTABLISHED COM OR INITIATED LOST COM PROCS. I ASKED SUPVR IF THAT WAS AN ESTABLISHED LOST COM PROC FOR SALT LAKE? I THINK THAT HIS ANSWER WAS NO, BUT THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SAFER THAN DISRUPTING OPS BY ORBITING THE FIELD. MY EXPLANATION WAS THAT I FELT I WAS SAFER AND OF LESS DANGER TO OTHER ACFT BY REMAINING OVER THE FIELD AND IN SIGHT OF THE TWR UNTIL I REESTABLISHED COMS RATHER THAN EXIT IN ANY DIRECTION INTO UNKNOWN TFC. SUPVR THEN STATED THAT AFTER I REESTABLISHED COMS WITH THE TWR ON 119.05, THAT I AGAIN LEFT THE FREQ. I DISAGREED WITH HIM AND RESTATED THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS FROM THE TIME I REESTABLISHED CONTACT ON 119.05 AND THE TWR TURNED ME W, UNTIL THE TIME I WAS TURNED OVER TO GND. HE AGAIN INSISTED THAT I DID. I'M STILL WONDERING HOW I COULD HAVE RECEIVED THE INSTRUCTIONS, ACKNOWLEDGED THEM, AND FOLLOWED THEM. POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR LOSS OF COM: AFTER PONDERING THE SITUATION, THE ONLY EXPLANATION FOR THE BREAK IN COM THAT HAS COME TO MIND IS THE FOLLOWING. BOTH COMS ANTENNAS ARE MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE WING. COULD THE POS OF THE ACFT, WITH RELATION TO THE TWR HAVE TEMPORARILY BLOCKED COMS? I HAVE HAD NO RADIO PROBLEMS, OTHER THAN XMITTER #2 IS SLIGHTLY STRONGER THAN #1.

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.