Narrative:

On jul/xx/96, at approximately XA30 hours I was preparing to depart M88. After completing my preflight and making a communications check with cornelia unicom on 123.3, I initially had some difficulty with the communications, but thought I had the difficulty resolved. A local pilot indicated I could probably pick up my IFR clearance on the ground by contacting bna approach on frequency 119.35 or 120.6. This I was unable to do, so departed runway 22 at M88 climbing to approximately 500 ft AGL initially, with a left turn and with the idea of climbing to 2000 ft MSL nwbound. After departing M88, I soon realized I had communication problems again and could not contact bna approach, so decided to return to M88 and land. Approach and unicom could hear me, but I could not hear them. When I decided to return and land, I was basically already on a left downwind for runway 22, which I thought I had in sight. I started my descent for a close base leg (down to approximately 300 ft AGL) and final, when I realized it was not the runway and was too close to safely land. I then decided to circle and land crossing over the airport at midfield and approximately 300 ft AGL and entered a left downwind again with turn to base and final for runway 22 and landed. I announced my intentions in the blind for each phase of the flight. After landing, the same local pilot indicated that bna approach was getting excited because they could hear me, but could not talk to me. When I resolved my communication problems, the local pilot handed me a squawk code from bna approach which I used. On departure from M88, I contacted bna approach with no problems, who informed me that they had heard all my communications and observed my theatrics. (I apologized for any problems I may have caused, due to the communications problem or my circle to land, but I also informed him that I was unaware of any theatrics on my part.) during this time I believe I stayed within 2-3 mi of the airport announcing my intentions in the blind, not knowing if anyone could hear me or not. The controller's final response was basically don't worry about it. I stayed low because I did not want to interfere with traffic coming off of bna, plus there was no known or observed traffic in the pattern at M88. In the future, I would do everything the same announcing my intentions as I did (crossing over the airport at midfield, entering downwind, base and final) except I would climb to pattern altitude in lieu of staying low.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB. LOST COM. RPTR PLT TOOK OFF, LOST COM RECEIVER, FLEW NONSTANDARD PATTERN AND RETURNED TO LAND. ATC FAULTS PLT FOR PROCS.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/96, AT APPROX XA30 HRS I WAS PREPARING TO DEPART M88. AFTER COMPLETING MY PREFLT AND MAKING A COMS CHK WITH CORNELIA UNICOM ON 123.3, I INITIALLY HAD SOME DIFFICULTY WITH THE COMS, BUT THOUGHT I HAD THE DIFFICULTY RESOLVED. A LCL PLT INDICATED I COULD PROBABLY PICK UP MY IFR CLRNC ON THE GND BY CONTACTING BNA APCH ON FREQ 119.35 OR 120.6. THIS I WAS UNABLE TO DO, SO DEPARTED RWY 22 AT M88 CLBING TO APPROX 500 FT AGL INITIALLY, WITH A L TURN AND WITH THE IDEA OF CLBING TO 2000 FT MSL NWBOUND. AFTER DEPARTING M88, I SOON REALIZED I HAD COM PROBS AGAIN AND COULD NOT CONTACT BNA APCH, SO DECIDED TO RETURN TO M88 AND LAND. APCH AND UNICOM COULD HEAR ME, BUT I COULD NOT HEAR THEM. WHEN I DECIDED TO RETURN AND LAND, I WAS BASICALLY ALREADY ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 22, WHICH I THOUGHT I HAD IN SIGHT. I STARTED MY DSCNT FOR A CLOSE BASE LEG (DOWN TO APPROX 300 FT AGL) AND FINAL, WHEN I REALIZED IT WAS NOT THE RWY AND WAS TOO CLOSE TO SAFELY LAND. I THEN DECIDED TO CIRCLE AND LAND XING OVER THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD AND APPROX 300 FT AGL AND ENTERED A L DOWNWIND AGAIN WITH TURN TO BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 22 AND LANDED. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND FOR EACH PHASE OF THE FLT. AFTER LNDG, THE SAME LCL PLT INDICATED THAT BNA APCH WAS GETTING EXCITED BECAUSE THEY COULD HEAR ME, BUT COULD NOT TALK TO ME. WHEN I RESOLVED MY COM PROBS, THE LCL PLT HANDED ME A SQUAWK CODE FROM BNA APCH WHICH I USED. ON DEP FROM M88, I CONTACTED BNA APCH WITH NO PROBS, WHO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD HEARD ALL MY COMS AND OBSERVED MY THEATRICS. (I APOLOGIZED FOR ANY PROBS I MAY HAVE CAUSED, DUE TO THE COMS PROB OR MY CIRCLE TO LAND, BUT I ALSO INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY THEATRICS ON MY PART.) DURING THIS TIME I BELIEVE I STAYED WITHIN 2-3 MI OF THE ARPT ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND, NOT KNOWING IF ANYONE COULD HEAR ME OR NOT. THE CTLR'S FINAL RESPONSE WAS BASICALLY DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. I STAYED LOW BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO INTERFERE WITH TFC COMING OFF OF BNA, PLUS THERE WAS NO KNOWN OR OBSERVED TFC IN THE PATTERN AT M88. IN THE FUTURE, I WOULD DO EVERYTHING THE SAME ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS AS I DID (XING OVER THE ARPT AT MIDFIELD, ENTERING DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL) EXCEPT I WOULD CLB TO PATTERN ALT IN LIEU OF STAYING LOW.

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.