Instructor with instrument student on IFR flight plan has radio communication problem.

Attributes
ACN	284629
Time
Date	199410
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : f61
State Reference	OK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct enroute airway : v163
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 1120 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	284629
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
ATC Facility	other physical facility

Narrative:

We filed an IFR flight plan with the FAA. This was an IFR training flight. The WX was VFR and clear through 12000 ft (we had unlimited ceiling) and visibility greater than 15 mi. This was round robin from T47 to law to pwa to musks intersection direct to pauls valley municipal direct to duc direct to T47 using skb. At musks intersection we were with ZFW on 128.1 at 5000 ft. We began to have intermittent communication. Center could not receive us but we could receive them. Center asked us to identify if we could hear them, which we did. At that time we lost communication with center altogether. We continued on our flight plan to pauls valley municipal and then direct to duncan VOR. As we were climbing through 3500 ft we regained contact with ZFW on 128.1 and finished our flight. Center asked us to call them when we landed, which we did. We flew the whole flight with no radio problems until that point and did not have any radio problems after. We feel there could be a safety problem in that area with radio communication. If we were IFR we would have had to land at pauls valley municipal and the problem would have still been there. We recommend that the signal boosters (repeaters) from ZFW be checked for the area around musks intersection for signal strength. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states when he landed he contacted the center supervisor who seemed more concerned that reporter had not made a full stop landing that there might be an equipment problem. Reporter was 2000 ft above the MEA when contact began to be a problem. They regained communication at a lower altitude on climb out but were southwest of the airport at that time. Reporter works on communication and navigation equipment for the military and is aware of the problems of such equipment. He feels that there was certainly a problem with the repeaters or the specific repeater being used in that area that day. Aircraft equipment checked out ok.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH INST STUDENT ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS RADIO COM PROB.

Narrative: WE FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN WITH THE FAA. THIS WAS AN IFR TRAINING FLT. THE WX WAS VFR AND CLR THROUGH 12000 FT (WE HAD UNLIMITED CEILING) AND VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 15 MI. THIS WAS ROUND ROBIN FROM T47 TO LAW TO PWA TO MUSKS INTXN DIRECT TO PAULS VALLEY MUNI DIRECT TO DUC DIRECT TO T47 USING SKB. AT MUSKS INTXN WE WERE WITH ZFW ON 128.1 AT 5000 FT. WE BEGAN TO HAVE INTERMITTENT COM. CTR COULD NOT RECEIVE US BUT WE COULD RECEIVE THEM. CTR ASKED US TO IDENT IF WE COULD HEAR THEM, WHICH WE DID. AT THAT TIME WE LOST COM WITH CTR ALTOGETHER. WE CONTINUED ON OUR FLT PLAN TO PAULS VALLEY MUNI AND THEN DIRECT TO DUNCAN VOR. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 3500 FT WE REGAINED CONTACT WITH ZFW ON 128.1 AND FINISHED OUR FLT. CTR ASKED US TO CALL THEM WHEN WE LANDED, WHICH WE DID. WE FLEW THE WHOLE FLT WITH NO RADIO PROBS UNTIL THAT POINT AND DID NOT HAVE ANY RADIO PROBS AFTER. WE FEEL THERE COULD BE A SAFETY PROB IN THAT AREA WITH RADIO COM. IF WE WERE IFR WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO LAND AT PAULS VALLEY MUNI AND THE PROB WOULD HAVE STILL BEEN THERE. WE RECOMMEND THAT THE SIGNAL BOOSTERS (REPEATERS) FROM ZFW BE CHKED FOR THE AREA AROUND MUSKS INTXN FOR SIGNAL STRENGTH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES WHEN HE LANDED HE CONTACTED THE CTR SUPVR WHO SEEMED MORE CONCERNED THAT RPTR HAD NOT MADE A FULL STOP LNDG THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN EQUIP PROB. RPTR WAS 2000 FT ABOVE THE MEA WHEN CONTACT BEGAN TO BE A PROB. THEY REGAINED COM AT A LOWER ALT ON CLBOUT BUT WERE SW OF THE ARPT AT THAT TIME. RPTR WORKS ON COM AND NAV EQUIP FOR THE MIL AND IS AWARE OF THE PROBS OF SUCH EQUIP. HE FEELS THAT THERE WAS CERTAINLY A PROB WITH THE REPEATERS OR THE SPECIFIC REPEATER BEING USED IN THAT AREA THAT DAY. ACFT EQUIP CHKED OUT OK.

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.