Narrative:

The pilot of departed altoona, PA, for a VFR flight at night. The pilot expected 4,500 ft ceilings, scattered clouds, and 8 mi of visibility. However, 5 mi west of the destination, frederick, md, the pilot encountered a dense cloud layer beneath him at 2,000 ft, although precipitation had occurred earlier, the cloud layer was not explicitly indicated during the WX briefing and in the opinion of the pilot formed as the temperature dropped and neared the dew point. The incident occurred when the pilot descended in an attempt to fly under the layer. Although the pilot had interstate 70 as a visual reference and could have followed it to the airport, he was unable to clearly see a mountain ridge and was unwilling to follow the interstate at a low altitude knowing that the ridge was in front. The pilot decided to ascend and attempt to land at the designated alternate airport, hagerstown. The pilot then became disoriented as visual references diminished and felt it necessary to report his condition. The pilot then discovered that the radio was unable to receive. The partial radio failure was overcome by contacting leesburg radio while listening over frederick's VOR. The flight service operator handled the situation appropriately, by instructing the pilot to squawk 7700, establishing the pilot's location, and directing the pilot to dulles airport. The pilot was then instructed to contact approach. The pilot attempted to establish communication and gain clearance into the TCA, but was unable. The pilot attempted to correct the partial radio failure by changing microphones, changing various plugs and jacks, and assuring correct volume. Communication with approach and leesburg radio was attempted after each possible correction, but to no avail. When the pilot approached dulles airport, he began looking for light gun signals. However, the pilot was able to establish communication and was given clearance to land as he approached the airport. After safely landing, safety personnel asked if assistance was required before escorting the plane to the FBO. There were no injuries, damage to property, or known re-routing of traffic. The partial radio failure was caused by a dislodging of its electrical plug. The pilot believes that all operators functioned swiftly and appropriately. He recommends that if pilots need assistance that they do not wait. Additionally, the leesburg radio operator instructed that the pilot assure full volume which is an excellent suggestion. He also suggested pressing the radio back into its slot or other corrective actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA ACFT BECAME DISORIENTED DURING A NIGHT XCOUNTRY FLT AND REQUESTED A FLT ASSIST RESULTING IN ENTERING A TCA WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: THE PLT OF DEPARTED ALTOONA, PA, FOR A VFR FLT AT NIGHT. THE PLT EXPECTED 4,500 FT CEILINGS, SCATTERED CLOUDS, AND 8 MI OF VISIBILITY. HOWEVER, 5 MI W OF THE DEST, FREDERICK, MD, THE PLT ENCOUNTERED A DENSE CLOUD LAYER BENEATH HIM AT 2,000 FT, ALTHOUGH PRECIPITATION HAD OCCURRED EARLIER, THE CLOUD LAYER WAS NOT EXPLICITLY INDICATED DURING THE WX BRIEFING AND IN THE OPINION OF THE PLT FORMED AS THE TEMP DROPPED AND NEARED THE DEW POINT. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WHEN THE PLT DSNDED IN AN ATTEMPT TO FLY UNDER THE LAYER. ALTHOUGH THE PLT HAD INTERSTATE 70 AS A VISUAL REF AND COULD HAVE FOLLOWED IT TO THE ARPT, HE WAS UNABLE TO CLRLY SEE A MOUNTAIN RIDGE AND WAS UNWILLING TO FOLLOW THE INTERSTATE AT A LOW ALT KNOWING THAT THE RIDGE WAS IN FRONT. THE PLT DECIDED TO ASCEND AND ATTEMPT TO LAND AT THE DESIGNATED ALTERNATE ARPT, HAGERSTOWN. THE PLT THEN BECAME DISORIENTED AS VISUAL REFS DIMINISHED AND FELT IT NECESSARY TO RPT HIS CONDITION. THE PLT THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE RADIO WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE. THE PARTIAL RADIO FAILURE WAS OVERCOME BY CONTACTING LEESBURG RADIO WHILE LISTENING OVER FREDERICK'S VOR. THE FLT SVC OPERATOR HANDLED THE SITUATION APPROPRIATELY, BY INSTRUCTING THE PLT TO SQUAWK 7700, ESTABLISHING THE PLT'S LOCATION, AND DIRECTING THE PLT TO DULLES ARPT. THE PLT WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT APCH. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH COM AND GAIN CLRNC INTO THE TCA, BUT WAS UNABLE. THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO CORRECT THE PARTIAL RADIO FAILURE BY CHANGING MICROPHONES, CHANGING VARIOUS PLUGS AND JACKS, AND ASSURING CORRECT VOLUME. COM WITH APCH AND LEESBURG RADIO WAS ATTEMPTED AFTER EACH POSSIBLE CORRECTION, BUT TO NO AVAIL. WHEN THE PLT APCHED DULLES ARPT, HE BEGAN LOOKING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. HOWEVER, THE PLT WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COM AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND AS HE APCHED THE ARPT. AFTER SAFELY LNDG, SAFETY PERSONNEL ASKED IF ASSISTANCE WAS REQUIRED BEFORE ESCORTING THE PLANE TO THE FBO. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, DAMAGE TO PROPERTY, OR KNOWN RE-ROUTING OF TFC. THE PARTIAL RADIO FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY A DISLODGING OF ITS ELECTRICAL PLUG. THE PLT BELIEVES THAT ALL OPERATORS FUNCTIONED SWIFTLY AND APPROPRIATELY. HE RECOMMENDS THAT IF PLTS NEED ASSISTANCE THAT THEY DO NOT WAIT. ADDITIONALLY, THE LEESBURG RADIO OPERATOR INSTRUCTED THAT THE PLT ASSURE FULL VOLUME WHICH IS AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION. HE ALSO SUGGESTED PRESSING THE RADIO BACK INTO ITS SLOT OR OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTIONS.

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.