Narrative:

Operating in anc under far 93. On a nice day, departed anc with radio working fine. On return to anc, entered anc airspace from west using west route, over the boat hull. 3 airplanes there at once, I trailed the other 2 aircraft with adequate spacing. Tower acknowledged the other 2 aircraft, but not me. The boat hull (initial reporting point) is only 2 mi from lake hood. With amount of time it takes to get to the strip (about 2 mins), one cannot do much trouble- shooting. My radio worked fine on departure, and I was getting good side tone on transmit, so thought my radio was good. After trying to get another call in on downwind and base, I followed the aircraft that I was behind. I was hearing all of tower's calls, knew where the traffic was and decided on short final that landing and getting out of the way was the safest thing to do. There were numerous airplanes in the area, and I felt that a NORDO pattern looking for a green light in this confined airspace with this amount of traffic was unsafe. After landing, I called the tower and talked to the controller about the situation. Controller seemed to understand and agree, except that maybe the NORDO go around would be best next time. Far 93 works well, but there is not the airspace to do a safe NORDO pattern -- even out of the traffic pattern. An initial call 10 mi out would have given me an idea I was NORDO before I was in the pattern. But this is not local procedure, and ties up the radio unnecessarily.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS RADIO FAILURE, ENTERS PATTERN AND LANDS.

Narrative: OPERATING IN ANC UNDER FAR 93. ON A NICE DAY, DEPARTED ANC WITH RADIO WORKING FINE. ON RETURN TO ANC, ENTERED ANC AIRSPACE FROM W USING W RTE, OVER THE BOAT HULL. 3 AIRPLANES THERE AT ONCE, I TRAILED THE OTHER 2 ACFT WITH ADEQUATE SPACING. TWR ACKNOWLEDGED THE OTHER 2 ACFT, BUT NOT ME. THE BOAT HULL (INITIAL RPTING POINT) IS ONLY 2 MI FROM LAKE HOOD. WITH AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET TO THE STRIP (ABOUT 2 MINS), ONE CANNOT DO MUCH TROUBLE- SHOOTING. MY RADIO WORKED FINE ON DEP, AND I WAS GETTING GOOD SIDE TONE ON XMIT, SO THOUGHT MY RADIO WAS GOOD. AFTER TRYING TO GET ANOTHER CALL IN ON DOWNWIND AND BASE, I FOLLOWED THE ACFT THAT I WAS BEHIND. I WAS HEARING ALL OF TWR'S CALLS, KNEW WHERE THE TFC WAS AND DECIDED ON SHORT FINAL THAT LNDG AND GETTING OUT OF THE WAY WAS THE SAFEST THING TO DO. THERE WERE NUMEROUS AIRPLANES IN THE AREA, AND I FELT THAT A NORDO PATTERN LOOKING FOR A GREEN LIGHT IN THIS CONFINED AIRSPACE WITH THIS AMOUNT OF TFC WAS UNSAFE. AFTER LNDG, I CALLED THE TWR AND TALKED TO THE CTLR ABOUT THE SIT. CTLR SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND AND AGREE, EXCEPT THAT MAYBE THE NORDO GAR WOULD BE BEST NEXT TIME. FAR 93 WORKS WELL, BUT THERE IS NOT THE AIRSPACE TO DO A SAFE NORDO PATTERN -- EVEN OUT OF THE TFC PATTERN. AN INITIAL CALL 10 MI OUT WOULD HAVE GIVEN ME AN IDEA I WAS NORDO BEFORE I WAS IN THE PATTERN. BUT THIS IS NOT LCL PROC, AND TIES UP THE RADIO UNNECESSARILY.

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.