Narrative:

While approaching laughlin/bullhead airport at approximately 7 mi out I noted a problem with the radio. I continued inbound and attempted to establish radio communication with the control tower. I arrived over the airport with approximately 30-35 mins of fuel left in the tank. I circled in the pattern at 500-600 ft above pattern altitude and attempted to remedy the problem with the radio while waiting for a light gun signal. After using 12-15 mins of my remaining fuel I descended into the traffic pattern and executed a landing not in contact with the control tower. I was later informed that the personnel operating the tower never saw me until I was on a base leg on final approach. I was also informed that I had turned in front of another aircraft that had been cleared to land. (This is aircraft #2 in this report.) the controller tower never saw me as the situation is rare and with the left hand pattern they are looking into the afternoon sun. I elected to make a controled landing while I still had fuel on board and the engine was still operating rather than running out of fuel and still having to land on the field after exhausting my fuel. In hindsight, as soon as I noticed the radio was nonfunctional, I should have headed to an uncontrolled field while I still had enough fuel to do so safely, but as my passenger was extremely ill I elected to wait for a light gun signal from the tower.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXPERIMENTAL DRAGONFLY MKII HAS RADIO FAILURE WHEN APCHING CTLED FIELD. CIRCLES OVERHEAD WATCHING FOR LIGHT SIGNAL.

Narrative: WHILE APCHING LAUGHLIN/BULLHEAD ARPT AT APPROX 7 MI OUT I NOTED A PROB WITH THE RADIO. I CONTINUED INBOUND AND ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH RADIO COM WITH THE CTL TWR. I ARRIVED OVER THE ARPT WITH APPROX 30-35 MINS OF FUEL LEFT IN THE TANK. I CIRCLED IN THE PATTERN AT 500-600 FT ABOVE PATTERN ALT AND ATTEMPTED TO REMEDY THE PROB WITH THE RADIO WHILE WAITING FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. AFTER USING 12-15 MINS OF MY REMAINING FUEL I DSNDED INTO THE TFC PATTERN AND EXECUTED A LNDG NOT IN CONTACT WITH THE CTL TWR. I WAS LATER INFORMED THAT THE PERSONNEL OPERATING THE TWR NEVER SAW ME UNTIL I WAS ON A BASE LEG ON FINAL APCH. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT I HAD TURNED IN FRONT OF ANOTHER ACFT THAT HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND. (THIS IS ACFT #2 IN THIS RPT.) THE CTLR TWR NEVER SAW ME AS THE SIT IS RARE AND WITH THE L HAND PATTERN THEY ARE LOOKING INTO THE AFTERNOON SUN. I ELECTED TO MAKE A CTLED LNDG WHILE I STILL HAD FUEL ON BOARD AND THE ENG WAS STILL OPERATING RATHER THAN RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND STILL HAVING TO LAND ON THE FIELD AFTER EXHAUSTING MY FUEL. IN HINDSIGHT, AS SOON AS I NOTICED THE RADIO WAS NONFUNCTIONAL, I SHOULD HAVE HEADED TO AN UNCTLED FIELD WHILE I STILL HAD ENOUGH FUEL TO DO SO SAFELY, BUT AS MY PAX WAS EXTREMELY ILL I ELECTED TO WAIT FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL FROM THE TWR.

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.