Narrative:

Received aircraft with no squawks. (Aircraft used for aerial survey and photography). While in class C airspace, transponder reported intermittent or out by ATC. Cycled transponder, no more complaints by ATC, 35 mins later, when approaching class B transponder again intermittent by ATC. I declined my class B survey request, transponder began normal operations again. I departed area towards harris ranch for survey flight, away from class C and B airspace, approach control monitored transponder, seemed ok. Next sector (stockton arsa) radar was out of service. Tried flight following with center, they could not read my squawk from us, only primary. Lemoore NAS radar did pick up our transponder for remainder of flight, including survey work at huron, ca. Landed and refueled at harris ranch, filed VFR flight plan back to oak. Lemoore approach again worked us, as did castle AFB approach with no transponder problems, though collision avoidance device kept faulting...would notice reply light staying on, or not cycling at mins at a time. Transponder took about 2 mins for reply light normal indication when approaching oakland with bay approach. Did not receive any complaints from them about transponder the second time. Received phone call message on saturday, told not have to fly sunday, as transponder quit while ia/chief pilot and other photo-member were flying saturday. I find out monday ia did not replace transponder or trouble-shoot my write-up. Other ia was tearing panel apart looking for source of 'acrid' burning smell ia reported during saturday's flight. Other ia finds loose connector with incipient short that probably burned out the transponder. Aircraft had been recently converted from 14 to 28 volts. Human factors elements: ia chief pilot thinks he can carry weight of world on his shoulders, not easily given to feed- back from co-workers. Ia/chief pilot violated FARS and common sense, this is second similar incident in 1 1/2 yrs where other pilot writes something up and ia/chief pilot ignores it and busts FARS. Creates tense and unprofessional work atmosphere, this pilot worries about job security if confronting ia/chief pilot or management (they ignored previous incident). I feel for everyone's benefit I should report this trend and far violation(south) to FAA so company can receive some regulatory guidance. Return flight made to oakland because first intended destination had no repair facilities, (harris ranch).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB XPONDER INOP INTERMITTENTLY.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT WITH NO SQUAWKS. (ACFT USED FOR AERIAL SURVEY AND PHOTOGRAPHY). WHILE IN CLASS C AIRSPACE, XPONDER RPTED INTERMITTENT OR OUT BY ATC. CYCLED XPONDER, NO MORE COMPLAINTS BY ATC, 35 MINS LATER, WHEN APCHING CLASS B XPONDER AGAIN INTERMITTENT BY ATC. I DECLINED MY CLASS B SURVEY REQUEST, XPONDER BEGAN NORMAL OPS AGAIN. I DEPARTED AREA TOWARDS HARRIS RANCH FOR SURVEY FLT, AWAY FROM CLASS C AND B AIRSPACE, APCH CTL MONITORED XPONDER, SEEMED OK. NEXT SECTOR (STOCKTON ARSA) RADAR WAS OUT OF SVC. TRIED FLT FOLLOWING WITH CTR, THEY COULD NOT READ MY SQUAWK FROM US, ONLY PRIMARY. LEMOORE NAS RADAR DID PICK UP OUR XPONDER FOR REMAINDER OF FLT, INCLUDING SURVEY WORK AT HURON, CA. LANDED AND REFUELED AT HARRIS RANCH, FILED VFR FLT PLAN BACK TO OAK. LEMOORE APCH AGAIN WORKED US, AS DID CASTLE AFB APCH WITH NO XPONDER PROBS, THOUGH COLLISION AVOIDANCE DEVICE KEPT FAULTING...WOULD NOTICE REPLY LIGHT STAYING ON, OR NOT CYCLING AT MINS AT A TIME. XPONDER TOOK ABOUT 2 MINS FOR REPLY LIGHT NORMAL INDICATION WHEN APCHING OAKLAND WITH BAY APCH. DID NOT RECEIVE ANY COMPLAINTS FROM THEM ABOUT XPONDER THE SECOND TIME. RECEIVED PHONE CALL MESSAGE ON SATURDAY, TOLD NOT HAVE TO FLY SUNDAY, AS XPONDER QUIT WHILE IA/CHIEF PLT AND OTHER PHOTO-MEMBER WERE FLYING SATURDAY. I FIND OUT MONDAY IA DID NOT REPLACE XPONDER OR TROUBLE-SHOOT MY WRITE-UP. OTHER IA WAS TEARING PANEL APART LOOKING FOR SOURCE OF 'ACRID' BURNING SMELL IA RPTED DURING SATURDAY'S FLT. OTHER IA FINDS LOOSE CONNECTOR WITH INCIPIENT SHORT THAT PROBABLY BURNED OUT THE XPONDER. ACFT HAD BEEN RECENTLY CONVERTED FROM 14 TO 28 VOLTS. HUMAN FACTORS ELEMENTS: IA CHIEF PLT THINKS HE CAN CARRY WT OF WORLD ON HIS SHOULDERS, NOT EASILY GIVEN TO FEED- BACK FROM CO-WORKERS. IA/CHIEF PLT VIOLATED FARS AND COMMON SENSE, THIS IS SECOND SIMILAR INCIDENT IN 1 1/2 YRS WHERE OTHER PLT WRITES SOMETHING UP AND IA/CHIEF PLT IGNORES IT AND BUSTS FARS. CREATES TENSE AND UNPROFESSIONAL WORK ATMOSPHERE, THIS PLT WORRIES ABOUT JOB SECURITY IF CONFRONTING IA/CHIEF PLT OR MGMNT (THEY IGNORED PREVIOUS INCIDENT). I FEEL FOR EVERYONE'S BENEFIT I SHOULD RPT THIS TREND AND FAR VIOLATION(S) TO FAA SO COMPANY CAN RECEIVE SOME REGULATORY GUIDANCE. RETURN FLT MADE TO OAKLAND BECAUSE FIRST INTENDED DEST HAD NO REPAIR FACILITIES, (HARRIS RANCH).

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.