Narrative:

On descent into wichita both communication and both navigation were lost. We used our LORAN-bf goodrich 6000 to find the ict VOR, and descending to VFR conditions, squawking first 1200, then 7600, we approached the airport, although unable to see green light from tower, saw emergency vehicles along runway, proceeded to land. Suggestion -- a green light at the beginning of runway angled up the GS would give uncertain pilot confidence to land in emergency. A red light in a different confign than the runway approach lights would also work. Both of them could be controled by the tower. Upon landing were able to see a green light from the tower for us to taxi in. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: aircraft type was citation 1. The LORAN-bf goodrich 6000 reporter used for navigation is a long range navigation system. Reporter was bringing the aircraft to cessna service center for service and tried to find the cause of their communication and navigation failures. The company either didn't know or was reluctant to tell him. It may have been related to a relay on the emergency bus. Reporter didn't know the procedure for establishing contact with the tower with lost communication. He wasn't sure that anyone knew about their problem because, though squawking emergency transponder code, he didn't know if it was working. They assumed that the airport knew of their problem when they saw the emergency equipment standing by the runway. But, then reporter assumed that the tower should have given them a green light to land. This analyst advised the reporter that, though the tower may be alerted that he was coming, they may not have had transponder information in the tower and consequently probably didn't really know he was there until after he landed. After landing the tower did give the green light for taxi. Reporter was counseled that the procedure for lost communication would be to fly by the tower with the landing gear down and waggle the wings. Then the aircraft turns downwind and watches the tower for a green light. He said he didn't feel comfortable flying by the tower in a high performance aircraft, but again he was assured that it is not a problem and is the only way that both the flight crew and tower know that they have landing clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST COM AND NAV RADIOS IN VICINITY OF DEST ARPT. RPTR ACFT WAS SQUAWKING APPROPRIATE CODES ON XPONDER, BUT RPTR NOT SURE THEY WERE WORKING EITHER. RPTR DIDN'T KNOW LOST COM PROC FOR TWR FLY-BY AND GREEN LIGHT.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO WICHITA BOTH COM AND BOTH NAV WERE LOST. WE USED OUR LORAN-BF GOODRICH 6000 TO FIND THE ICT VOR, AND DSNDING TO VFR CONDITIONS, SQUAWKING FIRST 1200, THEN 7600, WE APCHED THE ARPT, ALTHOUGH UNABLE TO SEE GREEN LIGHT FROM TWR, SAW EMER VEHICLES ALONG RWY, PROCEEDED TO LAND. SUGGESTION -- A GREEN LIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF RWY ANGLED UP THE GS WOULD GIVE UNCERTAIN PLT CONFIDENCE TO LAND IN EMER. A RED LIGHT IN A DIFFERENT CONFIGN THAN THE RWY APCH LIGHTS WOULD ALSO WORK. BOTH OF THEM COULD BE CTLED BY THE TWR. UPON LNDG WERE ABLE TO SEE A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR FOR US TO TAXI IN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ACFT TYPE WAS CITATION 1. THE LORAN-BF GOODRICH 6000 RPTR USED FOR NAV IS A LONG RANGE NAV SYS. RPTR WAS BRINGING THE ACFT TO CESSNA SVC CTR FOR SVC AND TRIED TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THEIR COM AND NAV FAILURES. THE COMPANY EITHER DIDN'T KNOW OR WAS RELUCTANT TO TELL HIM. IT MAY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO A RELAY ON THE EMER BUS. RPTR DIDN'T KNOW THE PROC FOR ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH THE TWR WITH LOST COM. HE WASN'T SURE THAT ANYONE KNEW ABOUT THEIR PROB BECAUSE, THOUGH SQUAWKING EMER XPONDER CODE, HE DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS WORKING. THEY ASSUMED THAT THE ARPT KNEW OF THEIR PROB WHEN THEY SAW THE EMER EQUIP STANDING BY THE RWY. BUT, THEN RPTR ASSUMED THAT THE TWR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM A GREEN LIGHT TO LAND. THIS ANALYST ADVISED THE RPTR THAT, THOUGH THE TWR MAY BE ALERTED THAT HE WAS COMING, THEY MAY NOT HAVE HAD XPONDER INFO IN THE TWR AND CONSEQUENTLY PROBABLY DIDN'T REALLY KNOW HE WAS THERE UNTIL AFTER HE LANDED. AFTER LNDG THE TWR DID GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT FOR TAXI. RPTR WAS COUNSELED THAT THE PROC FOR LOST COM WOULD BE TO FLY BY THE TWR WITH THE LNDG GEAR DOWN AND WAGGLE THE WINGS. THEN THE ACFT TURNS DOWNWIND AND WATCHES THE TWR FOR A GREEN LIGHT. HE SAID HE DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE FLYING BY THE TWR IN A HIGH PERFORMANCE ACFT, BUT AGAIN HE WAS ASSURED THAT IT IS NOT A PROB AND IS THE ONLY WAY THAT BOTH THE FLC AND TWR KNOW THAT THEY HAVE LNDG CLRNC.

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.