Small aircraft on IFR flight plan has radio problems. Diverts to land at grass strip.

Attributes
ACN	276512
Time
Date	199407
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zmp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 33
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : zmp
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 9 flight time total : 450
ASRS Report	276512
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : radar
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

IFR arv-auw, cleared in the air to 5000 ft, direct rhi VORTAC, V63, auw. Lost avionics en route. Used hand-held radio, but center very broken. Saw ground, went lower, landed at grass strip, repaired avionics switch, flew VFR to destination. Called center upon leaving grass strip to advise VFR. Got message at destination requesting phone to center. Left at FBO, no good. Green bay FSS said no need to call ZMP, xyz is not a good number. ZMP reported no mode C when I departed arv. Can ground equipment be upgraded for hand-held use? Suspect avionics master switch trouble. This aircraft, be-33, has no avionics master switch by-pass switch, as the club's other be-33 does. Perhaps all aircraft should have bypass switch.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS RADIO PROBS. DIVERTS TO LAND AT GRASS STRIP.

Narrative: IFR ARV-AUW, CLRED IN THE AIR TO 5000 FT, DIRECT RHI VORTAC, V63, AUW. LOST AVIONICS ENRTE. USED HAND-HELD RADIO, BUT CTR VERY BROKEN. SAW GND, WENT LOWER, LANDED AT GRASS STRIP, REPAIRED AVIONICS SWITCH, FLEW VFR TO DEST. CALLED CTR UPON LEAVING GRASS STRIP TO ADVISE VFR. GOT MESSAGE AT DEST REQUESTING PHONE TO CTR. LEFT AT FBO, NO GOOD. GREEN BAY FSS SAID NO NEED TO CALL ZMP, XYZ IS NOT A GOOD NUMBER. ZMP RPTED NO MODE C WHEN I DEPARTED ARV. CAN GND EQUIP BE UPGRADED FOR HAND-HELD USE? SUSPECT AVIONICS MASTER SWITCH TROUBLE. THIS ACFT, BE-33, HAS NO AVIONICS MASTER SWITCH BY-PASS SWITCH, AS THE CLUB'S OTHER BE-33 DOES. PERHAPS ALL ACFT SHOULD HAVE BYPASS SWITCH.

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.