Narrative:

Flight was receiving vectors from dayton approach control and was expecting vectors to a visual ILS to runway 18 at day airport. As we got close to the VOR, approach cleared us to 3000 ft. We acknowledged, but they apparently couldn't hear us and again routinely cleared us to 3000 ft and we acknowledged again. They still couldn't hear us, so I switched to our #2 radio and transmitted that we were descending to 3000 ft. Apparently they still couldn't hear us. As I recall they asked us to identify if we heard them and we did so. However, they did not give us any useful instructions. They seemed more intent on trying to establish contact than giving us a heading with our reply being an identify. As an attempt to solve the problem I switched our #2 radio to dayton tower and established good contact. I told the tower we could hear approach fine and asked the tower to tell approach this fact. However, the tower responded by giving us vectors that made no sense and conflicted with what we were hearing from approach. Eventually I told the tower this wasn't going to work and told them we would listen to approach and respond on tower frequency. This worked fine and eventually the approach controller was also on tower frequency. I believe it took approach too long to recognize the problem and, although my contact with the tower may have added confusion to the issue, the tower was too quick to start issuing instructions. After landing I called the approach supervisor to discuss the incident and they basically felt it was our faulty radios that caused the situation. 2 radios going bad on the same frequency at the same time? Next day both the radios checked out ok on the 'problem' frequency 134.45.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH APCH CTLR ON EITHER VHF.

Narrative: FLT WAS RECEIVING VECTORS FROM DAYTON APCH CTL AND WAS EXPECTING VECTORS TO A VISUAL ILS TO RWY 18 AT DAY ARPT. AS WE GOT CLOSE TO THE VOR, APCH CLRED US TO 3000 FT. WE ACKNOWLEDGED, BUT THEY APPARENTLY COULDN'T HEAR US AND AGAIN ROUTINELY CLRED US TO 3000 FT AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED AGAIN. THEY STILL COULDN'T HEAR US, SO I SWITCHED TO OUR #2 RADIO AND XMITTED THAT WE WERE DSNDING TO 3000 FT. APPARENTLY THEY STILL COULDN'T HEAR US. AS I RECALL THEY ASKED US TO IDENT IF WE HEARD THEM AND WE DID SO. HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT GIVE US ANY USEFUL INSTRUCTIONS. THEY SEEMED MORE INTENT ON TRYING TO ESTABLISH CONTACT THAN GIVING US A HDG WITH OUR REPLY BEING AN IDENT. AS AN ATTEMPT TO SOLVE THE PROB I SWITCHED OUR #2 RADIO TO DAYTON TWR AND ESTABLISHED GOOD CONTACT. I TOLD THE TWR WE COULD HEAR APCH FINE AND ASKED THE TWR TO TELL APCH THIS FACT. HOWEVER, THE TWR RESPONDED BY GIVING US VECTORS THAT MADE NO SENSE AND CONFLICTED WITH WHAT WE WERE HEARING FROM APCH. EVENTUALLY I TOLD THE TWR THIS WASN'T GOING TO WORK AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD LISTEN TO APCH AND RESPOND ON TWR FREQ. THIS WORKED FINE AND EVENTUALLY THE APCH CTLR WAS ALSO ON TWR FREQ. I BELIEVE IT TOOK APCH TOO LONG TO RECOGNIZE THE PROB AND, ALTHOUGH MY CONTACT WITH THE TWR MAY HAVE ADDED CONFUSION TO THE ISSUE, THE TWR WAS TOO QUICK TO START ISSUING INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER LNDG I CALLED THE APCH SUPVR TO DISCUSS THE INCIDENT AND THEY BASICALLY FELT IT WAS OUR FAULTY RADIOS THAT CAUSED THE SIT. 2 RADIOS GOING BAD ON THE SAME FREQ AT THE SAME TIME? NEXT DAY BOTH THE RADIOS CHKED OUT OK ON THE 'PROB' FREQ 134.45.

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.