An atx frt pilot had trouble completing an NDB approach because of a faulty antenna coupler.

Attributes
ACN	245849
Time
Date	199307
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ciu
State Reference	MI
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1400 msl bound upper : 1400
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : czyz
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Navigation In Use	other ndb
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 4200 flight time type : 1452
ASRS Report	245849
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other spatial deviation other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation
Situations
Navigational Aid	Unspecified

Narrative:

In sum: an atx pilot made an NDB approach to runway 34 at ciu, being under control of czyz. He lost contact with czyz at very low altitude, as was to be expected by both parties. Due to navigation difficulties, the pilot was well off course when he broke out below and made a circling approach to runway 16 and landed successfully. Czyz lectured him very harshly when he departed later. A phone call to a czyz supervisor straightened things out. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: further investigation by the reporter centered on one of the alternators but then a bad antenna coupler was found on the ADF. The general consensus of the pilots that fly into ciu regularly, is that the NDB is rather weak. Only 3 mi away is an ILS running parallel to this NDB approach at cyam. Czyz controls both airports, and, in this incident, was very concerned that there was an aircraft groping around that it had no control over or communication with. The czyz controller that talked with the reporter over the air was not as polite as the manual says that he should be.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATX FRT PLT HAD TROUBLE COMPLETING AN NDB APCH BECAUSE OF A FAULTY ANTENNA COUPLER.

Narrative: IN SUM: AN ATX PLT MADE AN NDB APCH TO RWY 34 AT CIU, BEING UNDER CTL OF CZYZ. HE LOST CONTACT WITH CZYZ AT VERY LOW ALT, AS WAS TO BE EXPECTED BY BOTH PARTIES. DUE TO NAV DIFFICULTIES, THE PLT WAS WELL OFF COURSE WHEN HE BROKE OUT BELOW AND MADE A CIRCLING APCH TO RWY 16 AND LANDED SUCCESSFULLY. CZYZ LECTURED HIM VERY HARSHLY WHEN HE DEPARTED LATER. A PHONE CALL TO A CZYZ SUPVR STRAIGHTENED THINGS OUT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: FURTHER INVESTIGATION BY THE RPTR CENTERED ON ONE OF THE ALTERNATORS BUT THEN A BAD ANTENNA COUPLER WAS FOUND ON THE ADF. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS OF THE PLTS THAT FLY INTO CIU REGULARLY, IS THAT THE NDB IS RATHER WEAK. ONLY 3 MI AWAY IS AN ILS RUNNING PARALLEL TO THIS NDB APCH AT CYAM. CZYZ CTLS BOTH ARPTS, AND, IN THIS INCIDENT, WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THERE WAS AN ACFT GROPING AROUND THAT IT HAD NO CTL OVER OR COM WITH. THE CZYZ CTLR THAT TALKED WITH THE RPTR OVER THE AIR WAS NOT AS POLITE AS THE MANUAL SAYS THAT HE SHOULD BE.

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.