Narrative:

My wife and I had rented a plane from the school to make a VFR flight to igm and return to vgt. We had an uneventful flight to igm with the exception that when my wife's rented headset was plugged in, the ATC at vgt couldn't hear me clearly. We unplugged my wife's headset and shouted to each other during the flight to igm. I contacted igm unicom for an advisory and had good radio communications with them. Due to stronger than predicted winds, we had consumed more than the calculated fuel burn getting to igm. I recalculated the fuel to return to vgt and saw that we would have enough, but with less than 1 hour's fuel in the tanks when we would land. Returning to vgt, I tried to contact vgt ATC at the appropriate distance for permission to enter the class B airspace. I tried 6 or 7 times. I could hear her talking to other aircraft, so I checked my radio and could find nothing wrong. I then tried to contact the controller of the adjacent segment of class B airspace. After multiple tries, I heard part of his transmission to 'unknown' aircraft, to stop interrupting his xmissions, and to remain clear of class B airspace. Then I was sure that I could not establish contact with ATC. In accord with far 91.131 I turned away from the class B boundary, consulted my chart, and saw where the floor of class B near lake mead was 4500 ft MSL. I descended to 4000 ft MSL and proceeded to vgt, following vectors that I had been assigned on previous VFR flts. I chose this course of action because I was concerned for my fuel reserve, knowing that if I tried to fly around the class B airspace, I would have to land with less than 1/2 hour reserve. On approach to vgt, I tried to contact the tower, but with no success. I squawked 7600 and the tower told me to switch my transponder to 'standby,' if I could receive his transmission. I did and descended to pattern altitude to the left as was the usual with the runway in use. The tower told me to watch for the light gun. I did, and the light shone steady green. I landed and taxied with caution back to the ramp. I was met by the chief instructor of the school who handed me a note to call the ATC supervisor at vgt. The supervisor and I discussed my violation and my options, which should have been: 1) land at boulder city, 2) fly over the class B airspace at 10000 ft to vgt. The supervisor took my name and address and I am awaiting further contact with him. The school has grounded me until I hear. I don't remember being taught what to do outside class B airspace if I were to have a radio failure. This was my first flight as a certified private pilot.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF C152 HAS RADIO COM PROB AND ENTERS CLASS B AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC. HE EXITS THE AREA, DSNDS BENEATH THE CLASS B AND SQUAWKS 7600 FOR CLRNC TO LAND AND NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I HAD RENTED A PLANE FROM THE SCHOOL TO MAKE A VFR FLT TO IGM AND RETURN TO VGT. WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL FLT TO IGM WITH THE EXCEPTION THAT WHEN MY WIFE'S RENTED HEADSET WAS PLUGGED IN, THE ATC AT VGT COULDN'T HEAR ME CLRLY. WE UNPLUGGED MY WIFE'S HEADSET AND SHOUTED TO EACH OTHER DURING THE FLT TO IGM. I CONTACTED IGM UNICOM FOR AN ADVISORY AND HAD GOOD RADIO COMS WITH THEM. DUE TO STRONGER THAN PREDICTED WINDS, WE HAD CONSUMED MORE THAN THE CALCULATED FUEL BURN GETTING TO IGM. I RECALCULATED THE FUEL TO RETURN TO VGT AND SAW THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENOUGH, BUT WITH LESS THAN 1 HR'S FUEL IN THE TANKS WHEN WE WOULD LAND. RETURNING TO VGT, I TRIED TO CONTACT VGT ATC AT THE APPROPRIATE DISTANCE FOR PERMISSION TO ENTER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I TRIED 6 OR 7 TIMES. I COULD HEAR HER TALKING TO OTHER ACFT, SO I CHKED MY RADIO AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. I THEN TRIED TO CONTACT THE CTLR OF THE ADJACENT SEGMENT OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER MULTIPLE TRIES, I HEARD PART OF HIS XMISSION TO 'UNKNOWN' ACFT, TO STOP INTERRUPTING HIS XMISSIONS, AND TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. THEN I WAS SURE THAT I COULD NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH ATC. IN ACCORD WITH FAR 91.131 I TURNED AWAY FROM THE CLASS B BOUNDARY, CONSULTED MY CHART, AND SAW WHERE THE FLOOR OF CLASS B NEAR LAKE MEAD WAS 4500 FT MSL. I DSNDED TO 4000 FT MSL AND PROCEEDED TO VGT, FOLLOWING VECTORS THAT I HAD BEEN ASSIGNED ON PREVIOUS VFR FLTS. I CHOSE THIS COURSE OF ACTION BECAUSE I WAS CONCERNED FOR MY FUEL RESERVE, KNOWING THAT IF I TRIED TO FLY AROUND THE CLASS B AIRSPACE, I WOULD HAVE TO LAND WITH LESS THAN 1/2 HR RESERVE. ON APCH TO VGT, I TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR, BUT WITH NO SUCCESS. I SQUAWKED 7600 AND THE TWR TOLD ME TO SWITCH MY XPONDER TO 'STANDBY,' IF I COULD RECEIVE HIS XMISSION. I DID AND DSNDED TO PATTERN ALT TO THE L AS WAS THE USUAL WITH THE RWY IN USE. THE TWR TOLD ME TO WATCH FOR THE LIGHT GUN. I DID, AND THE LIGHT SHONE STEADY GREEN. I LANDED AND TAXIED WITH CAUTION BACK TO THE RAMP. I WAS MET BY THE CHIEF INSTRUCTOR OF THE SCHOOL WHO HANDED ME A NOTE TO CALL THE ATC SUPVR AT VGT. THE SUPVR AND I DISCUSSED MY VIOLATION AND MY OPTIONS, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN: 1) LAND AT BOULDER CITY, 2) FLY OVER THE CLASS B AIRSPACE AT 10000 FT TO VGT. THE SUPVR TOOK MY NAME AND ADDRESS AND I AM AWAITING FURTHER CONTACT WITH HIM. THE SCHOOL HAS GNDED ME UNTIL I HEAR. I DON'T REMEMBER BEING TAUGHT WHAT TO DO OUTSIDE CLASS B AIRSPACE IF I WERE TO HAVE A RADIO FAILURE. THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT AS A CERTIFIED PVT PLT.

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.