Narrative:

I was IFR in a bonanza between brd and gpz on V161 en route to gpz with plans to continue on to 85D VFR if WX conditions permitted. Approximately 30 mi out from gpz, I lost communication 1 transmitter. I got reestablished with center on communication 2, but xmissions were poor both ways. About 20 mi out of gpz, #2 transmitter quit, I could receive a broken or faint signal from center. Center asked me to change frequencys and acknowledge with identify, which I did. Reception was still faint and I could not transmit. Center gave me some instructions at about 15 mi out to hold but I didn't get all of the instructions. Center again asked me to identify if I could hear them, which I did. I heard nothing more from center. As I approached gpz, I was starting to pick up rime ice. In the next min, the sky broke and I had the airport, so I immediately began a rapid descent, in VMC with about 5 mi, and got down to pattern, circled and observed no traffic, switched on the unicom frequency and was able to contact unicom on #2 radio. I requested the person on unicom to call FSS and notify center that I was ok and to cancel my IFR flight plan. A short while later, this person verified that he had spoken with FSS and requested the cancellation. He said the FSS indicated they would call gpz if they needed anything further. I graciously thanked the guy on unicom and informed him I was leaving gpz (VFR)for 85D and did so. Upon arriving at 85D, approximately 40 NM to the north, I was unable to locate a telephone until arriving in the nearby town. I placed a telephone call to FSS and again requested they verify my cancellation with ZMP. The FSS placed me on hold, called center and in a short while came back saying the center had not received the prior cancellation request via gpz unicom and it was good that I called. I asked if center had any questions, he said he didn't think so and requested my telephone number in event he needed to contact me. While under the circumstances I expected center to give me instructions to hold, I was not able to hear all of the instructions. I was concerned with the rime which had started to build from shortly after the radio problem developed and, upon seeing the chace to get down safely through a break in the clouds, I went for it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL ACFT FAILED TO CANCEL IFR FLT PLAN DUE TO LOST COM AND REQUEST TO AN ARPT UNICOM OPERATOR DID NOT REACH THE ARTCC CTLR.

Narrative: I WAS IFR IN A BONANZA BTWN BRD AND GPZ ON V161 ENRTE TO GPZ WITH PLANS TO CONTINUE ON TO 85D VFR IF WX CONDITIONS PERMITTED. APPROX 30 MI OUT FROM GPZ, I LOST COM 1 XMITTER. I GOT REESTABLISHED WITH CTR ON COM 2, BUT XMISSIONS WERE POOR BOTH WAYS. ABOUT 20 MI OUT OF GPZ, #2 XMITTER QUIT, I COULD RECEIVE A BROKEN OR FAINT SIGNAL FROM CTR. CTR ASKED ME TO CHANGE FREQS AND ACKNOWLEDGE WITH IDENT, WHICH I DID. RECEPTION WAS STILL FAINT AND I COULD NOT XMIT. CTR GAVE ME SOME INSTRUCTIONS AT ABOUT 15 MI OUT TO HOLD BUT I DIDN'T GET ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS. CTR AGAIN ASKED ME TO IDENT IF I COULD HEAR THEM, WHICH I DID. I HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM CTR. AS I APCHED GPZ, I WAS STARTING TO PICK UP RIME ICE. IN THE NEXT MIN, THE SKY BROKE AND I HAD THE ARPT, SO I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN A RAPID DSCNT, IN VMC WITH ABOUT 5 MI, AND GOT DOWN TO PATTERN, CIRCLED AND OBSERVED NO TFC, SWITCHED ON THE UNICOM FREQ AND WAS ABLE TO CONTACT UNICOM ON #2 RADIO. I REQUESTED THE PERSON ON UNICOM TO CALL FSS AND NOTIFY CTR THAT I WAS OK AND TO CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN. A SHORT WHILE LATER, THIS PERSON VERIFIED THAT HE HAD SPOKEN WITH FSS AND REQUESTED THE CANCELLATION. HE SAID THE FSS INDICATED THEY WOULD CALL GPZ IF THEY NEEDED ANYTHING FURTHER. I GRACIOUSLY THANKED THE GUY ON UNICOM AND INFORMED HIM I WAS LEAVING GPZ (VFR)FOR 85D AND DID SO. UPON ARRIVING AT 85D, APPROX 40 NM TO THE N, I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A TELEPHONE UNTIL ARRIVING IN THE NEARBY TOWN. I PLACED A TELEPHONE CALL TO FSS AND AGAIN REQUESTED THEY VERIFY MY CANCELLATION WITH ZMP. THE FSS PLACED ME ON HOLD, CALLED CTR AND IN A SHORT WHILE CAME BACK SAYING THE CTR HAD NOT RECEIVED THE PRIOR CANCELLATION REQUEST VIA GPZ UNICOM AND IT WAS GOOD THAT I CALLED. I ASKED IF CTR HAD ANY QUESTIONS, HE SAID HE DIDN'T THINK SO AND REQUESTED MY TELEPHONE NUMBER IN EVENT HE NEEDED TO CONTACT ME. WHILE UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES I EXPECTED CTR TO GIVE ME INSTRUCTIONS TO HOLD, I WAS NOT ABLE TO HEAR ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE RIME WHICH HAD STARTED TO BUILD FROM SHORTLY AFTER THE RADIO PROB DEVELOPED AND, UPON SEEING THE CHACE TO GET DOWN SAFELY THROUGH A BREAK IN THE CLOUDS, I WENT FOR IT.

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.