Narrative:

I was going to remain in the centennial airport pattern. I had not had any sort of radio problem/abnormality during receipt of ATIS, contacting ground control, nor during takeoff clearance from the tower. I had heard only 1 other aircraft in the class D airspace, a learjet, landing on runway 35R. I acknowledged my takeoff clearance which included 'fly left traffic for runway 35R.' I turned crosswind at just beyond midfield upon reaching 400 ft AGL. I turned downwind within a few seconds staying east of I-25 which is the normal traffic pattern. There had been no xmissions on the radio since my takeoff clearance. On downwind, I observed the learjet on final. I continued downwind to just north of lincoln ave, which is the normal southern boundary for the traffic pattern. There still had been no radio xmissions, so I looked down the final for runway 35R. I turned base just north of lincoln ave. Within a few seconds, I turned final. Still no radio xmissions. This was not out of the ordinary and having heard no one else make an initial call-up, I was the only known aircraft to myself besides the learjet rolling out, in the class D airspace. Upon turning final, I queried the tower as to my landing (touch- and-go) clearance on runway 35R. I received no response. After 2 or 3 seconds, I queried again as I was approaching short final to runway 35R. As I was calling I looked to the tower for a light gun signal as I wondered if the radio had failed. As I finished my transmission, the radio garbled to life with the end of another aircraft's landing clearance. A short pause and then the tower cleared me for a full stop landing. I responded that I was supposed to be touch-and-go and the tower responded for me to make a full stop. I did so and upon contacting ground control I was instructed not to taxi back to runway 35R as requested but to taxi to the ramp and call the tower via telephone. The tower wanted me to write down the number while taxiing, but I responded I would be ready to copy upon stopping on the ramp. Factors: failure of the tower to provide light gun signals to an unresponsive aircraft. Failure of the tower to abandon the citation from its approach when the unresponding aircraft in the pattern failed to receive its instructions and was continuing to fly the normal touch-and-go pattern. Unfortunately, I perceived a normal situation by the tower not providing landing clearance prior to short final as this had happened numerous times during the previous 8 yrs that I have flown at apa. As a result I flew my last received clearance which was left traffic for touch-and-goes on runway 35R. At no time did I receive any transmission to fly anything different than the normal pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT HAS A RADIO FAILURE SHORTLY AFTER TKOF AND IS UNABLE TO RECEIVE TFC PATTERN INFO FROM THE TWR. HE DID NOT REALIZE THAT HE HAD THE RADIO PROB UNTIL ON SHORT FINAL APCH WHEN THE RADIO AGAIN STARTED TO FUNCTION.

Narrative: I WAS GOING TO REMAIN IN THE CENTENNIAL ARPT PATTERN. I HAD NOT HAD ANY SORT OF RADIO PROB/ABNORMALITY DURING RECEIPT OF ATIS, CONTACTING GND CTL, NOR DURING TKOF CLRNC FROM THE TWR. I HAD HEARD ONLY 1 OTHER ACFT IN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE, A LEARJET, LNDG ON RWY 35R. I ACKNOWLEDGED MY TKOF CLRNC WHICH INCLUDED 'FLY L TFC FOR RWY 35R.' I TURNED XWIND AT JUST BEYOND MIDFIELD UPON REACHING 400 FT AGL. I TURNED DOWNWIND WITHIN A FEW SECONDS STAYING E OF I-25 WHICH IS THE NORMAL TFC PATTERN. THERE HAD BEEN NO XMISSIONS ON THE RADIO SINCE MY TKOF CLRNC. ON DOWNWIND, I OBSERVED THE LEARJET ON FINAL. I CONTINUED DOWNWIND TO JUST N OF LINCOLN AVE, WHICH IS THE NORMAL SOUTHERN BOUNDARY FOR THE TFC PATTERN. THERE STILL HAD BEEN NO RADIO XMISSIONS, SO I LOOKED DOWN THE FINAL FOR RWY 35R. I TURNED BASE JUST N OF LINCOLN AVE. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS, I TURNED FINAL. STILL NO RADIO XMISSIONS. THIS WAS NOT OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND HAVING HEARD NO ONE ELSE MAKE AN INITIAL CALL-UP, I WAS THE ONLY KNOWN ACFT TO MYSELF BESIDES THE LEARJET ROLLING OUT, IN THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. UPON TURNING FINAL, I QUERIED THE TWR AS TO MY LNDG (TOUCH- AND-GO) CLRNC ON RWY 35R. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AFTER 2 OR 3 SECONDS, I QUERIED AGAIN AS I WAS APCHING SHORT FINAL TO RWY 35R. AS I WAS CALLING I LOOKED TO THE TWR FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL AS I WONDERED IF THE RADIO HAD FAILED. AS I FINISHED MY XMISSION, THE RADIO GARBLED TO LIFE WITH THE END OF ANOTHER ACFT'S LNDG CLRNC. A SHORT PAUSE AND THEN THE TWR CLRED ME FOR A FULL STOP LNDG. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TOUCH-AND-GO AND THE TWR RESPONDED FOR ME TO MAKE A FULL STOP. I DID SO AND UPON CONTACTING GND CTL I WAS INSTRUCTED NOT TO TAXI BACK TO RWY 35R AS REQUESTED BUT TO TAXI TO THE RAMP AND CALL THE TWR VIA TELEPHONE. THE TWR WANTED ME TO WRITE DOWN THE NUMBER WHILE TAXIING, BUT I RESPONDED I WOULD BE READY TO COPY UPON STOPPING ON THE RAMP. FACTORS: FAILURE OF THE TWR TO PROVIDE LIGHT GUN SIGNALS TO AN UNRESPONSIVE ACFT. FAILURE OF THE TWR TO ABANDON THE CITATION FROM ITS APCH WHEN THE UNRESPONDING ACFT IN THE PATTERN FAILED TO RECEIVE ITS INSTRUCTIONS AND WAS CONTINUING TO FLY THE NORMAL TOUCH-AND-GO PATTERN. UNFORTUNATELY, I PERCEIVED A NORMAL SIT BY THE TWR NOT PROVIDING LNDG CLRNC PRIOR TO SHORT FINAL AS THIS HAD HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES DURING THE PREVIOUS 8 YRS THAT I HAVE FLOWN AT APA. AS A RESULT I FLEW MY LAST RECEIVED CLRNC WHICH WAS L TFC FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES ON RWY 35R. AT NO TIME DID I RECEIVE ANY XMISSION TO FLY ANYTHING DIFFERENT THAN THE NORMAL PATTERN.

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.