Small aircraft on IFR flight has lost communication.

Attributes
ACN	305743
Time
Date	199505
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : eno
State Reference	DE
Altitude	msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : wri
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 841 flight time type : 612
ASRS Report	305743
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On an IFR flight from gon to dca. Approaching swann intersection, either maguire approach or another plane on 120.25 had a stuck microphone. (My intercom has a red transmit light, which was not on, so I don't think my microphone was stuck.) for the next 5-10 mins all communications on this frequency were unusable. About 10 mins later the stuck microphone was cleared. At this time I was no longer able to hear maguire approach but could hear other aircraft talking to maguire. I attempted to contact maguire or other aircraft on 120.25 without success. By this time I was approximately 25 NM northeast of dca on V123, my cleared route. I attempted to raise dca approach on 118.75 (nearest frequency printed on L26 chart) without success. Since communications were lost I squawked 7600 and immediately raised dca on emergency frequency 121.50. Dca shifted me to 124.20 and had me return to original transponder code. The flight was then completed without incident. After landing I contacted leesburg FSS to see if any information on this incident was needed. After checking with dca approach, leesburg FSS said no further information was required. Lesson learned: lost communications procedure, drilled in yrs ago by my cfii, worked smoothly and quickly.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ON IFR FLT HAS LOST COM.

Narrative: ON AN IFR FLT FROM GON TO DCA. APCHING SWANN INTXN, EITHER MAGUIRE APCH OR ANOTHER PLANE ON 120.25 HAD A STUCK MIKE. (MY INTERCOM HAS A RED XMIT LIGHT, WHICH WAS NOT ON, SO I DON'T THINK MY MIKE WAS STUCK.) FOR THE NEXT 5-10 MINS ALL COMS ON THIS FREQ WERE UNUSABLE. ABOUT 10 MINS LATER THE STUCK MIKE WAS CLRED. AT THIS TIME I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO HEAR MAGUIRE APCH BUT COULD HEAR OTHER ACFT TALKING TO MAGUIRE. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MAGUIRE OR OTHER ACFT ON 120.25 WITHOUT SUCCESS. BY THIS TIME I WAS APPROX 25 NM NE OF DCA ON V123, MY CLRED RTE. I ATTEMPTED TO RAISE DCA APCH ON 118.75 (NEAREST FREQ PRINTED ON L26 CHART) WITHOUT SUCCESS. SINCE COMS WERE LOST I SQUAWKED 7600 AND IMMEDIATELY RAISED DCA ON EMER FREQ 121.50. DCA SHIFTED ME TO 124.20 AND HAD ME RETURN TO ORIGINAL XPONDER CODE. THE FLT WAS THEN COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. AFTER LNDG I CONTACTED LEESBURG FSS TO SEE IF ANY INFO ON THIS INCIDENT WAS NEEDED. AFTER CHKING WITH DCA APCH, LEESBURG FSS SAID NO FURTHER INFO WAS REQUIRED. LESSON LEARNED: LOST COMS PROC, DRILLED IN YRS AGO BY MY CFII, WORKED SMOOTHLY AND QUICKLY.

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.