Narrative:

Before takeoff and during flight, radios and all navigation working fine. After handoff to ZAU on IFR flight plan, all radios went dead. I could not listen to dsm or ZAU or dsm ATIS or tower. Although radios appeared dead, I continued to broadcast my intentions to dsm approach control and tower in hopes the transmitter portion of radios were working. Due to headwinds, my arrival time of flight plan was late, so I continued straight in for landing. After checking gear down and several anxious moments, a green light from tower was given and a safe landing. I was met by several fire trucks off runways awaiting my arrival. Obviously, the tower could hear my xmissions and the radios were transmitting but not receiving. I closed my flight plan by phone and asked them to thank the tower for their help. Avionics repair determined that the speakers had went dead and some wires were corroded on avionics relay. The reason for writing is to share with other pilots how a supposedly routine flight can turn into some very anxious moments during the last 8 mins of flight on final approach to land. 2 safety features which would have made this flight less anxious: 1) hand-held backup radio. 2) mobile phone left in glove box of car.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INST RATED COMMERCIAL PLT OF AN SMT SEL EXPERIENCE TOTAL RADIO FAILURE LAST 8 MINS OF AN IFR FLT AFTER BEING HANDED OFF TO CTR. RPTR CONTINUED TO CALL ATC IN THE BLIND AND CONTINUED ON TO MAKE AN APCH AND LNDG IN VFR CONDITIONS. HE OBSERVED A GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR FOR LNDG CAUSING HIM TO REALIZE THAT HIS XMISSIONS HAD BEEN HEARD.

Narrative: BEFORE TKOF AND DURING FLT, RADIOS AND ALL NAV WORKING FINE. AFTER HDOF TO ZAU ON IFR FLT PLAN, ALL RADIOS WENT DEAD. I COULD NOT LISTEN TO DSM OR ZAU OR DSM ATIS OR TWR. ALTHOUGH RADIOS APPEARED DEAD, I CONTINUED TO BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS TO DSM APCH CTL AND TWR IN HOPES THE XMITTER PORTION OF RADIOS WERE WORKING. DUE TO HEADWINDS, MY ARR TIME OF FLT PLAN WAS LATE, SO I CONTINUED STRAIGHT IN FOR LNDG. AFTER CHKING GEAR DOWN AND SEVERAL ANXIOUS MOMENTS, A GREEN LIGHT FROM TWR WAS GIVEN AND A SAFE LNDG. I WAS MET BY SEVERAL FIRE TRUCKS OFF RWYS AWAITING MY ARR. OBVIOUSLY, THE TWR COULD HEAR MY XMISSIONS AND THE RADIOS WERE XMITTING BUT NOT RECEIVING. I CLOSED MY FLT PLAN BY PHONE AND ASKED THEM TO THANK THE TWR FOR THEIR HELP. AVIONICS REPAIR DETERMINED THAT THE SPEAKERS HAD WENT DEAD AND SOME WIRES WERE CORRODED ON AVIONICS RELAY. THE REASON FOR WRITING IS TO SHARE WITH OTHER PLTS HOW A SUPPOSEDLY ROUTINE FLT CAN TURN INTO SOME VERY ANXIOUS MOMENTS DURING THE LAST 8 MINS OF FLT ON FINAL APCH TO LAND. 2 SAFETY FEATURES WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE THIS FLT LESS ANXIOUS: 1) HAND-HELD BACKUP RADIO. 2) MOBILE PHONE LEFT IN GLOVE BOX OF CAR.

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.