Narrative:

While attempting to depart the class B airport, I was cleared by ground to follow another aircraft, taxi to, and hold short of the active. While taxiing I noted several transport aircraft making final approachs and lndgs. When the aircraft in front of me took the active, I moved to the #1 position in preparation for takeoff. At this point, I was monitoring ground on #1 radio and tower on #2 radio. While in the #1 position I experienced what I believe to be a temporary failure of my tower radio. Unfortunately, it took a while to realize a problem had developed. I first noted a build up of traffic behind me waiting for departure and additional aircraft landing on the active. I reasoned I was being held for arriving traffic. After several aircraft landed I simultaneously realized I could not hear tower xmissions and that traffic behind me was now taking the parallel taxiway to a midfield intersection for departure. Subsequently, I realized a problem had developed and attempted to contact tower using both radios. Upon receiving no response I called ground on the #1 radio and asked for instruction. I asked ground if I should contact tower and was told to remain on the ground frequency. I complied but continued to monitor both frequencys. After the traffic behind me cleared by midfield departures I noted that I could now hear tower xmissions. I contacted tower and was cleared for takeoff. As a 400 hour GA pilot I am aware of my lack of experience. One of the first things I learned in my flying career is to always read back instructions and clrncs. I follow this rule without fail and this occasion was no exception. I do not recall hearing ground tell me to contact tower prior to situational development, however, it is possible they did. I know that I did not read back to ground that I was going to tower. I feel I should have recognized my radio problem sooner but I also feel ground should have been more aware of potentiality because my readbacks were precise and I was a GA aircraft on a class B field. I experienced a delay but that is only a small part of the problem. Several transport aircraft which burn a lot of fuel while idling engines also experienced a delay. In addition, the passenger of these aircraft were inconvenienced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAS RADIO PROB. UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR. TFC LINED UP BEHIND HIM.

Narrative: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DEPART THE CLASS B ARPT, I WAS CLRED BY GND TO FOLLOW ANOTHER ACFT, TAXI TO, AND HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE. WHILE TAXIING I NOTED SEVERAL TRANSPORT ACFT MAKING FINAL APCHS AND LNDGS. WHEN THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME TOOK THE ACTIVE, I MOVED TO THE #1 POS IN PREPARATION FOR TKOF. AT THIS POINT, I WAS MONITORING GND ON #1 RADIO AND TWR ON #2 RADIO. WHILE IN THE #1 POS I EXPERIENCED WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE A TEMPORARY FAILURE OF MY TWR RADIO. UNFORTUNATELY, IT TOOK A WHILE TO REALIZE A PROB HAD DEVELOPED. I FIRST NOTED A BUILD UP OF TFC BEHIND ME WAITING FOR DEP AND ADDITIONAL ACFT LNDG ON THE ACTIVE. I REASONED I WAS BEING HELD FOR ARRIVING TFC. AFTER SEVERAL ACFT LANDED I SIMULTANEOUSLY REALIZED I COULD NOT HEAR TWR XMISSIONS AND THAT TFC BEHIND ME WAS NOW TAKING THE PARALLEL TXWY TO A MIDFIELD INTXN FOR DEP. SUBSEQUENTLY, I REALIZED A PROB HAD DEVELOPED AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT TWR USING BOTH RADIOS. UPON RECEIVING NO RESPONSE I CALLED GND ON THE #1 RADIO AND ASKED FOR INSTRUCTION. I ASKED GND IF I SHOULD CONTACT TWR AND WAS TOLD TO REMAIN ON THE GND FREQ. I COMPLIED BUT CONTINUED TO MONITOR BOTH FREQS. AFTER THE TFC BEHIND ME CLRED BY MIDFIELD DEPS I NOTED THAT I COULD NOW HEAR TWR XMISSIONS. I CONTACTED TWR AND WAS CLRED FOR TKOF. AS A 400 HR GA PLT I AM AWARE OF MY LACK OF EXPERIENCE. ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I LEARNED IN MY FLYING CAREER IS TO ALWAYS READ BACK INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNCS. I FOLLOW THIS RULE WITHOUT FAIL AND THIS OCCASION WAS NO EXCEPTION. I DO NOT RECALL HEARING GND TELL ME TO CONTACT TWR PRIOR TO SITUATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THEY DID. I KNOW THAT I DID NOT READ BACK TO GND THAT I WAS GOING TO TWR. I FEEL I SHOULD HAVE RECOGNIZED MY RADIO PROB SOONER BUT I ALSO FEEL GND SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF POTENTIALITY BECAUSE MY READBACKS WERE PRECISE AND I WAS A GA ACFT ON A CLASS B FIELD. I EXPERIENCED A DELAY BUT THAT IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE PROB. SEVERAL TRANSPORT ACFT WHICH BURN A LOT OF FUEL WHILE IDLING ENGS ALSO EXPERIENCED A DELAY. IN ADDITION, THE PAX OF THESE ACFT WERE INCONVENIENCED.

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.