Narrative:

I followed the procedures of the lake parker arrival. At the power plant, I followed the aircraft ahead of me, and proceeded as instructed. Communications were essentially 1-WAY, monitoring the arrival frequency. I was able to clearly hear all conversations between the lake parker approach controller and other aircraft he was instructing. After turning toward the airport as the procedure and voice instructions described, I switched to 127.7 MHZ. On that frequency, I began hearing only muffled and distorted communications, and it was very difficult to comprehend what was being said. Since the radio I was using was a portable, I assumed that the signal being received was insufficient, and I continued by following the aircraft ahead. When on downwind, I noted the aircraft ahead turning final, and landing. I heard nothing over the radio, but continued and landed on the prescribed point in the special arrival instructions. On the ground, I checked my radio and still was unable to hear anything on 127.7. A further check showed that the low battery light would illuminate on the portable (it's on the bottom of the unit, and not accessible in-flight, as the portable is mounted in a holder). Afterward, I questioned my own actions regarding completion of the approach to landing without being able to clearly hear tower instructions. A 'no radio' procedure is in the special arrival instructions, but it is intended for those aircraft that are not equipped with a 2-WAY unit, and requires a card be mailed in prior to arrival. I essentially was following the 'no radio' instructions (watching for waveoff signals), and continuing to a touchdown by following aircraft in the pattern. My radio failure was apparently due to low battery, but the radio was on charge for 12 hours the day before, and had only been in use 45 mins when the failure apparently occurred. A true 'lost communications' procedures should be included in the FAA's published special arrival/departure procedures. The current procedure does not address this situation. Considering the number of aircraft that arrive using portable or single radios, my situation probably isn't unique. A simple statement to 'revert to no-radio procedures' if communications is lost would clarify what actions should be taken. The alternative of simply 'discontinuing the approach' (to go elsewhere) after lake parker isn't a good one, considering that the controller instructions are to 'follow the aircraft in front of you.' doing so could lead other aircraft astray as the aircraft with the radio problem leaves the procedure at some point. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this procedure was a temporary one, a fly-in lasting 1 week for the special event. The procedure is similar in nature to the 1 published for arrival traffic at osh. The procedure was published in the aim for that period.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT PLT LOSES HIS RADIO WHILE FOLLOWING A LEAD ACFT ON A SPECIAL PROCS APCH INTO LAL DURING A SPECIAL EVENT. RPTR COMPLAINT REGARDING THE DESIGN FEATURES OF THE APCH PROC FOR ACFT LOSING THEIR 2-WAY COM.

Narrative: I FOLLOWED THE PROCS OF THE LAKE PARKER ARR. AT THE PWR PLANT, I FOLLOWED THE ACFT AHEAD OF ME, AND PROCEEDED AS INSTRUCTED. COMS WERE ESSENTIALLY 1-WAY, MONITORING THE ARR FREQ. I WAS ABLE TO CLRLY HEAR ALL CONVERSATIONS BTWN THE LAKE PARKER APCH CTLR AND OTHER ACFT HE WAS INSTRUCTING. AFTER TURNING TOWARD THE ARPT AS THE PROC AND VOICE INSTRUCTIONS DESCRIBED, I SWITCHED TO 127.7 MHZ. ON THAT FREQ, I BEGAN HEARING ONLY MUFFLED AND DISTORTED COMS, AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND WHAT WAS BEING SAID. SINCE THE RADIO I WAS USING WAS A PORTABLE, I ASSUMED THAT THE SIGNAL BEING RECEIVED WAS INSUFFICIENT, AND I CONTINUED BY FOLLOWING THE ACFT AHEAD. WHEN ON DOWNWIND, I NOTED THE ACFT AHEAD TURNING FINAL, AND LNDG. I HEARD NOTHING OVER THE RADIO, BUT CONTINUED AND LANDED ON THE PRESCRIBED POINT IN THE SPECIAL ARR INSTRUCTIONS. ON THE GND, I CHKED MY RADIO AND STILL WAS UNABLE TO HEAR ANYTHING ON 127.7. A FURTHER CHK SHOWED THAT THE LOW BATTERY LIGHT WOULD ILLUMINATE ON THE PORTABLE (IT'S ON THE BOTTOM OF THE UNIT, AND NOT ACCESSIBLE INFLT, AS THE PORTABLE IS MOUNTED IN A HOLDER). AFTERWARD, I QUESTIONED MY OWN ACTIONS REGARDING COMPLETION OF THE APCH TO LNDG WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO CLRLY HEAR TWR INSTRUCTIONS. A 'NO RADIO' PROC IS IN THE SPECIAL ARR INSTRUCTIONS, BUT IT IS INTENDED FOR THOSE ACFT THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH A 2-WAY UNIT, AND REQUIRES A CARD BE MAILED IN PRIOR TO ARR. I ESSENTIALLY WAS FOLLOWING THE 'NO RADIO' INSTRUCTIONS (WATCHING FOR WAVEOFF SIGNALS), AND CONTINUING TO A TOUCHDOWN BY FOLLOWING ACFT IN THE PATTERN. MY RADIO FAILURE WAS APPARENTLY DUE TO LOW BATTERY, BUT THE RADIO WAS ON CHARGE FOR 12 HRS THE DAY BEFORE, AND HAD ONLY BEEN IN USE 45 MINS WHEN THE FAILURE APPARENTLY OCCURRED. A TRUE 'LOST COMS' PROCS SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE FAA'S PUBLISHED SPECIAL ARR/DEP PROCS. THE CURRENT PROC DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS SIT. CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF ACFT THAT ARRIVE USING PORTABLE OR SINGLE RADIOS, MY SIT PROBABLY ISN'T UNIQUE. A SIMPLE STATEMENT TO 'REVERT TO NO-RADIO PROCS' IF COMS IS LOST WOULD CLARIFY WHAT ACTIONS SHOULD BE TAKEN. THE ALTERNATIVE OF SIMPLY 'DISCONTINUING THE APCH' (TO GO ELSEWHERE) AFTER LAKE PARKER ISN'T A GOOD ONE, CONSIDERING THAT THE CTLR INSTRUCTIONS ARE TO 'FOLLOW THE ACFT IN FRONT OF YOU.' DOING SO COULD LEAD OTHER ACFT ASTRAY AS THE ACFT WITH THE RADIO PROB LEAVES THE PROC AT SOME POINT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS PROC WAS A TEMPORARY ONE, A FLY-IN LASTING 1 WK FOR THE SPECIAL EVENT. THE PROC IS SIMILAR IN NATURE TO THE 1 PUBLISHED FOR ARR TFC AT OSH. THE PROC WAS PUBLISHED IN THE AIM FOR THAT PERIOD.

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.