Narrative:

Operating an aircraft with an MEL for #2 transceiver inoperative, I taxied out for takeoff to runway 8L without incident. We were cleared into position and shortly afterward cleared for takeoff. The controller sounded urgent so the first officer rogered her instructions and asked if this was the first call. She said to start the roll and she would get back to us after takeoff. However, after takeoff the remaining communication and both navigation radios failed. We both attempted contact on the remaining communication without results. I made a decision to return to hnl and turned the aircraft over to the first officer. We squawked 7700 for 1 min, followed by 7600. Using the TCASII, I decided to fly a wide pattern to insure we cleared all traffic, saw a target in the pattern for runway 8L so I elected to use runway 4R. Meanwhile, I was making xmissions in the blind and reporting our intentions while listening on the VOR radio, without success. I asked the flight attendant to inquire if any passenger had a cellular phone, and she brought one up to the cockpit. I had the number to the tower and was able to get clearance to land and explain our situation to the controller. After landing I got clearance to cross the intersecting runway and taxi to parking without further incident. I returned the phone to the passenger with my gratitude. A short in the wiring harness caused the #2 failure and subsequently the total communication/navigation failure. The problem was originally a stuck microphone problem. When I arrived at the aircraft to start my flying day, mechanics were in the cockpit with panels out, cannon plugs pulled and seemed frustrated. I was briefed by the mechanic that the #2 communication was stuck in a keyed position regardless of radio position. So they decided to MEL the #2 communication and continue the flight. I was uncomfortable with this legal degradation of my ability to communicate but told dispatch that I would take the aircraft for 1 round trip and if it was too burdensome would need to either fix the aircraft or get another when I returned. I explained that even in my own small aircraft I have 2 communication radios and carry a hand-held backup. I was secretly wishing I had my hand-held with me. On the taxi out the briefing was normal except that we reviewed lost communications procedures and agreed if we didn't feel comfortable with the situation of having only 1 radio or if we had any communication problems we would return to hnl, preferably before we were turned over to center. 2 legal issues raised from this incident: 1) not continuing on our flight plan route after lost communications: I exercised emergency authority/authorized by using 7700 and could not have continued in any case without some sort of navigation equipment. 2) use of a cellular phone in flight: although it may have given the wrong impression to the passenger when the captain used a cellular phone in flight, however, I did brief the passenger that we had lost all our communications radios before asking if anyone had a cellular phone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DEPARTING WITH #2 TRANSCEIVER INOP AND MEL'ED HAS FAILURE OF SECOND RADIOS.

Narrative: OPERATING AN ACFT WITH AN MEL FOR #2 TRANSCEIVER INOP, I TAXIED OUT FOR TKOF TO RWY 8L WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND SHORTLY AFTERWARD CLRED FOR TKOF. THE CTLR SOUNDED URGENT SO THE FO ROGERED HER INSTRUCTIONS AND ASKED IF THIS WAS THE FIRST CALL. SHE SAID TO START THE ROLL AND SHE WOULD GET BACK TO US AFTER TKOF. HOWEVER, AFTER TKOF THE REMAINING COM AND BOTH NAV RADIOS FAILED. WE BOTH ATTEMPTED CONTACT ON THE REMAINING COM WITHOUT RESULTS. I MADE A DECISION TO RETURN TO HNL AND TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO THE FO. WE SQUAWKED 7700 FOR 1 MIN, FOLLOWED BY 7600. USING THE TCASII, I DECIDED TO FLY A WIDE PATTERN TO INSURE WE CLRED ALL TFC, SAW A TARGET IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 8L SO I ELECTED TO USE RWY 4R. MEANWHILE, I WAS MAKING XMISSIONS IN THE BLIND AND RPTING OUR INTENTIONS WHILE LISTENING ON THE VOR RADIO, WITHOUT SUCCESS. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANT TO INQUIRE IF ANY PAX HAD A CELLULAR PHONE, AND SHE BROUGHT ONE UP TO THE COCKPIT. I HAD THE NUMBER TO THE TWR AND WAS ABLE TO GET CLRNC TO LAND AND EXPLAIN OUR SIT TO THE CTLR. AFTER LNDG I GOT CLRNC TO CROSS THE INTERSECTING RWY AND TAXI TO PARKING WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I RETURNED THE PHONE TO THE PAX WITH MY GRATITUDE. A SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS CAUSED THE #2 FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE TOTAL COM/NAV FAILURE. THE PROB WAS ORIGINALLY A STUCK MIKE PROB. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT TO START MY FLYING DAY, MECHS WERE IN THE COCKPIT WITH PANELS OUT, CANNON PLUGS PULLED AND SEEMED FRUSTRATED. I WAS BRIEFED BY THE MECH THAT THE #2 COM WAS STUCK IN A KEYED POS REGARDLESS OF RADIO POS. SO THEY DECIDED TO MEL THE #2 COM AND CONTINUE THE FLT. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS LEGAL DEGRADATION OF MY ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE BUT TOLD DISPATCH THAT I WOULD TAKE THE ACFT FOR 1 ROUND TRIP AND IF IT WAS TOO BURDENSOME WOULD NEED TO EITHER FIX THE ACFT OR GET ANOTHER WHEN I RETURNED. I EXPLAINED THAT EVEN IN MY OWN SMALL ACFT I HAVE 2 COM RADIOS AND CARRY A HAND-HELD BACKUP. I WAS SECRETLY WISHING I HAD MY HAND-HELD WITH ME. ON THE TAXI OUT THE BRIEFING WAS NORMAL EXCEPT THAT WE REVIEWED LOST COMS PROCS AND AGREED IF WE DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE SIT OF HAVING ONLY 1 RADIO OR IF WE HAD ANY COM PROBS WE WOULD RETURN TO HNL, PREFERABLY BEFORE WE WERE TURNED OVER TO CTR. 2 LEGAL ISSUES RAISED FROM THIS INCIDENT: 1) NOT CONTINUING ON OUR FLT PLAN RTE AFTER LOST COMS: I EXERCISED EMER AUTH BY USING 7700 AND COULD NOT HAVE CONTINUED IN ANY CASE WITHOUT SOME SORT OF NAV EQUIP. 2) USE OF A CELLULAR PHONE IN FLT: ALTHOUGH IT MAY HAVE GIVEN THE WRONG IMPRESSION TO THE PAX WHEN THE CAPT USED A CELLULAR PHONE IN FLT, HOWEVER, I DID BRIEF THE PAX THAT WE HAD LOST ALL OUR COMS RADIOS BEFORE ASKING IF ANYONE HAD A CELLULAR PHONE.

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.