Narrative:

While flying from santa teresa airport east to el paso (elp), I encountered a communication blackout due to broadcast station just west of elp. I departed santa teresa airport in MVFR conditions with winds of 260 degrees at 30 KTS, gusting to 50 KTS. MVFR was due to blowing sand. I contacted el paso approach, was given a transponder code, and proceeded into the class B airspace. As I was unfamiliar with the location of the airport with the lack of forward visibility, I was given vectors to fly. After crossing a common reporting point (asarco smoke stacks), the controller was 'drowned out' by a commercial radio station playing mexican music. It interfered with the radio to the point that I could not 'squelch' it out. I was finally able to locate the airport and line up using a runway which best utilized the winds. I was also able to hear the controller once I was directly over the airport. Due to the winds, I had to be moved to a different runway for landing. My disorientation was attributed to the WX (blowing dust) and to the commercial radio station interference. Upon departing the el paso airport 2 days later in good VFR conditions, I noted where the interference specifically was. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that he broadcast in the blind to approach control 'be advised that I cannot hear you due to broadcast station interference.' the controllers were wonderful in handling the situation. Apparently they simply listened as he broadcast and when out of the interfering area they guided him into the proper runway. 2 days later when departing the same interference occurred again. Reporter is a ham operator and believes that the situation is one of frequency overload causing a harmonic to develop. He strongly believes the FCC would never allow such a harmonic and feels the station may well be located in mexico since all broadcasting was in spanish. Because of WX conditions the reporter was somewhat disoriented and the loss of communication was very distressing. The reporter was told by several pilots that they fly in this stuff all the time, go ahead and fly on in. This is why he is especially grateful to the ATC approach controller who was exceptional.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS BROADCAST STATION INTERFERENCE WHEN MAKING APCH INTO EL PASO.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING FROM SANTA TERESA ARPT E TO EL PASO (ELP), I ENCOUNTERED A COM BLACKOUT DUE TO BROADCAST STATION JUST W OF ELP. I DEPARTED SANTA TERESA ARPT IN MVFR CONDITIONS WITH WINDS OF 260 DEGS AT 30 KTS, GUSTING TO 50 KTS. MVFR WAS DUE TO BLOWING SAND. I CONTACTED EL PASO APCH, WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE, AND PROCEEDED INTO THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. AS I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION OF THE ARPT WITH THE LACK OF FORWARD VISIBILITY, I WAS GIVEN VECTORS TO FLY. AFTER XING A COMMON RPTING POINT (ASARCO SMOKE STACKS), THE CTLR WAS 'DROWNED OUT' BY A COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION PLAYING MEXICAN MUSIC. IT INTERFERED WITH THE RADIO TO THE POINT THAT I COULD NOT 'SQUELCH' IT OUT. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO LOCATE THE ARPT AND LINE UP USING A RWY WHICH BEST UTILIZED THE WINDS. I WAS ALSO ABLE TO HEAR THE CTLR ONCE I WAS DIRECTLY OVER THE ARPT. DUE TO THE WINDS, I HAD TO BE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT RWY FOR LNDG. MY DISORIENTATION WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE WX (BLOWING DUST) AND TO THE COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION INTERFERENCE. UPON DEPARTING THE EL PASO ARPT 2 DAYS LATER IN GOOD VFR CONDITIONS, I NOTED WHERE THE INTERFERENCE SPECIFICALLY WAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT HE BROADCAST IN THE BLIND TO APCH CTL 'BE ADVISED THAT I CANNOT HEAR YOU DUE TO BROADCAST STATION INTERFERENCE.' THE CTLRS WERE WONDERFUL IN HANDLING THE SIT. APPARENTLY THEY SIMPLY LISTENED AS HE BROADCAST AND WHEN OUT OF THE INTERFERING AREA THEY GUIDED HIM INTO THE PROPER RWY. 2 DAYS LATER WHEN DEPARTING THE SAME INTERFERENCE OCCURRED AGAIN. RPTR IS A HAM OPERATOR AND BELIEVES THAT THE SIT IS ONE OF FREQ OVERLOAD CAUSING A HARMONIC TO DEVELOP. HE STRONGLY BELIEVES THE FCC WOULD NEVER ALLOW SUCH A HARMONIC AND FEELS THE STATION MAY WELL BE LOCATED IN MEXICO SINCE ALL BROADCASTING WAS IN SPANISH. BECAUSE OF WX CONDITIONS THE RPTR WAS SOMEWHAT DISORIENTED AND THE LOSS OF COM WAS VERY DISTRESSING. THE RPTR WAS TOLD BY SEVERAL PLTS THAT THEY FLY IN THIS STUFF ALL THE TIME, GO AHEAD AND FLY ON IN. THIS IS WHY HE IS ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO THE ATC APCH CTLR WHO WAS EXCEPTIONAL.

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.