Private pilot departs airport with transponder in questionable condition, gets in trouble with ATC.

Attributes
ACN	237434
Time
Date	199303
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pbi
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pbi
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff climbout : intermediate altitude ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 400 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	237434
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flying IFR from marsh hebon, bahamas, to pbi, had the transponder fail. The transponder was recycled and a different squawk tried. No return to ATC. Transponder did not light up as it was supposed to when responding to ATC radar. Landed at pbi. Found a loose wire which I believed to be from antenna. When I pushed it in and turned on transponder, the light started to work showing I thought that the transponder was once again responding to ATC radar. Called ground control and asked if he could pick me up on the ramp. Told that plane would have to be airborne to see on radar. No electronic shops open for next 2 days. Felt transponder was working, so filed and took off IFR to sav. ATC not happy when they told me transponder still not working. ATC handled the situation very well and I had an uneventful flight to sav visual approach in VFR WX. Not sure whether I'm in trouble for taking off with a non- functioning transponder, which I though was working at the time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT DEPARTS ARPT WITH XPONDER IN QUESTIONABLE CONDITION, GETS IN TROUBLE WITH ATC.

Narrative: FLYING IFR FROM MARSH HEBON, BAHAMAS, TO PBI, HAD THE XPONDER FAIL. THE XPONDER WAS RECYCLED AND A DIFFERENT SQUAWK TRIED. NO RETURN TO ATC. XPONDER DID NOT LIGHT UP AS IT WAS SUPPOSED TO WHEN RESPONDING TO ATC RADAR. LANDED AT PBI. FOUND A LOOSE WIRE WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE FROM ANTENNA. WHEN I PUSHED IT IN AND TURNED ON XPONDER, THE LIGHT STARTED TO WORK SHOWING I THOUGHT THAT THE XPONDER WAS ONCE AGAIN RESPONDING TO ATC RADAR. CALLED GND CTL AND ASKED IF HE COULD PICK ME UP ON THE RAMP. TOLD THAT PLANE WOULD HAVE TO BE AIRBORNE TO SEE ON RADAR. NO ELECTRONIC SHOPS OPEN FOR NEXT 2 DAYS. FELT XPONDER WAS WORKING, SO FILED AND TOOK OFF IFR TO SAV. ATC NOT HAPPY WHEN THEY TOLD ME XPONDER STILL NOT WORKING. ATC HANDLED THE SIT VERY WELL AND I HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO SAV VISUAL APCH IN VFR WX. NOT SURE WHETHER I'M IN TROUBLE FOR TAKING OFF WITH A NON- FUNCTIONING XPONDER, WHICH I THOUGH WAS WORKING AT THE TIME.

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.