Homebuilt aircraft has radio failure, enters class C airspace without contact.

Attributes
ACN	279003
Time
Date	199407
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : grb
State Reference	WI
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : grb
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach descent other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 1350 flight time type : 750
ASRS Report	279003
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Incident happened while en route to the oshkosh. I departed my private airstrip (10 DME on 278 degrees radial off esc VOR) with my kitfox homebuilt and called up ZMP and asked for VFR flight following. ZMP came right back with 'kitfox stand by.' the frequency was very very busy due to the airshow traffic and I didn't think anything of it when they didn't get back to me. I next tried green bay approach (grb) on 119.4 while still 25 mi outside the class C airspace (arsa) and received no reply. Tried repeatedly but no answer. I know they had an avionics shop on the field, with the next one being imt, 100 mi away in the opposite direction, so I squawked 7700 ft for one min, then 7600 to let them know I was NORDO. They shot me a green light from the tower when about 5 mi out, so I came on in. Green bay had rolled their 2 crash-rescue trucks for me and I filed a report with one of their drivers, indicating that my only problem was with the radio. I had also been trying to use a handheld transceiver, but couldn't reach them with it either! The avionics shop could find nothing wrong with voltages or transmit power, etc., so I took the kitfox back home (100 mi and 2 hours north) and got out the comanche and flew to osh without further incident. I should have turned around and gone back home when I couldn't reach grb approach from outside class C airspace, but I was anxious to display my recently completed homebuilt at the convention.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HOMEBUILT ACFT HAS RADIO FAILURE, ENTERS CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT CONTACT.

Narrative: INCIDENT HAPPENED WHILE ENRTE TO THE OSHKOSH. I DEPARTED MY PVT AIRSTRIP (10 DME ON 278 DEGS RADIAL OFF ESC VOR) WITH MY KITFOX HOMEBUILT AND CALLED UP ZMP AND ASKED FOR VFR FLT FOLLOWING. ZMP CAME RIGHT BACK WITH 'KITFOX STAND BY.' THE FREQ WAS VERY VERY BUSY DUE TO THE AIRSHOW TFC AND I DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT WHEN THEY DIDN'T GET BACK TO ME. I NEXT TRIED GREEN BAY APCH (GRB) ON 119.4 WHILE STILL 25 MI OUTSIDE THE CLASS C AIRSPACE (ARSA) AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. TRIED REPEATEDLY BUT NO ANSWER. I KNOW THEY HAD AN AVIONICS SHOP ON THE FIELD, WITH THE NEXT ONE BEING IMT, 100 MI AWAY IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION, SO I SQUAWKED 7700 FT FOR ONE MIN, THEN 7600 TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS NORDO. THEY SHOT ME A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR WHEN ABOUT 5 MI OUT, SO I CAME ON IN. GREEN BAY HAD ROLLED THEIR 2 CRASH-RESCUE TRUCKS FOR ME AND I FILED A RPT WITH ONE OF THEIR DRIVERS, INDICATING THAT MY ONLY PROB WAS WITH THE RADIO. I HAD ALSO BEEN TRYING TO USE A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER, BUT COULDN'T REACH THEM WITH IT EITHER! THE AVIONICS SHOP COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH VOLTAGES OR XMIT PWR, ETC., SO I TOOK THE KITFOX BACK HOME (100 MI AND 2 HRS N) AND GOT OUT THE COMANCHE AND FLEW TO OSH WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. I SHOULD HAVE TURNED AROUND AND GONE BACK HOME WHEN I COULDN'T REACH GRB APCH FROM OUTSIDE CLASS C AIRSPACE, BUT I WAS ANXIOUS TO DISPLAY MY RECENTLY COMPLETED HOMEBUILT AT THE CONVENTION.

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.