Narrative:

En route from dal to hou, on a lifeguard mission to pick up and a medical team, we lost total communications with ZHU. We were at FL290 so we maintained FL290 and squawked 7600. About 3-4 mins later the #2 engine spooled back and we lost about 50% power or so. At this point 2 things had gone wrong in a short period of time so I decided to squawk 7700 and start a descent into houston and land VFR with a visual approach to runway 4. I know the descent probably affected houston's and other high altitude work, but being VMC at FL290, and it being VFR at hou, and with an engine producing partial power, it was the safest and quickest solution to mine and approach's problem. The descent, approach and landing occurred without incident. The radios had to be replaced, the #2 engine regained power in the descent and was not a factor after that, except that I didn't know if it would remain operating properly. It was inspected and found to be undamaged and garrett corporation talked to my maintenance about the engine. It was a problem that required attention, but one that didn't prove to be any problems to me or houston approach and hou tower. I talked to ZHU's supervisor, mr XXX, on the phone and the incident was discussed in full. He had no problems with the occurrence. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the dual radio failure was caused by the audio selector panel causing the #1 transmitter to be constantly keyed. This blocked all radio reception into the airplane. The reporter further states that when their company maintenance department contacted garrett regarding the engine problem they advised: do a general inspection of the engine and if nothing is found sign it off as ok. In the reporter's 800 hours flying the garret engine he has had 3 flameouts and this power loss incident. He is of the opinion that garret does not provide proper technical support for their engines, nor do they take seriously reports of problems coming in from the field.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LR35 CREW HAD TOTAL RADIO FAILURE AND LOSS OF THRUST IN #2 ENG. THEY DECLARED AN EMER BY SQUAWKING THE APPROPRIATE XPONDER CODE AND MADE AN EMER LNDG.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM DAL TO HOU, ON A LIFEGUARD MISSION TO PICK UP AND A MEDICAL TEAM, WE LOST TOTAL COMS WITH ZHU. WE WERE AT FL290 SO WE MAINTAINED FL290 AND SQUAWKED 7600. ABOUT 3-4 MINS LATER THE #2 ENG SPOOLED BACK AND WE LOST ABOUT 50% PWR OR SO. AT THIS POINT 2 THINGS HAD GONE WRONG IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME SO I DECIDED TO SQUAWK 7700 AND START A DSCNT INTO HOUSTON AND LAND VFR WITH A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 4. I KNOW THE DSCNT PROBABLY AFFECTED HOUSTON'S AND OTHER HIGH ALT WORK, BUT BEING VMC AT FL290, AND IT BEING VFR AT HOU, AND WITH AN ENG PRODUCING PARTIAL PWR, IT WAS THE SAFEST AND QUICKEST SOLUTION TO MINE AND APCH'S PROB. THE DSCNT, APCH AND LNDG OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE RADIOS HAD TO BE REPLACED, THE #2 ENG REGAINED PWR IN THE DSCNT AND WAS NOT A FACTOR AFTER THAT, EXCEPT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WOULD REMAIN OPERATING PROPERLY. IT WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO BE UNDAMAGED AND GARRETT CORPORATION TALKED TO MY MAINT ABOUT THE ENG. IT WAS A PROB THAT REQUIRED ATTN, BUT ONE THAT DIDN'T PROVE TO BE ANY PROBS TO ME OR HOUSTON APCH AND HOU TWR. I TALKED TO ZHU'S SUPVR, MR XXX, ON THE PHONE AND THE INCIDENT WAS DISCUSSED IN FULL. HE HAD NO PROBS WITH THE OCCURRENCE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DUAL RADIO FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE AUDIO SELECTOR PANEL CAUSING THE #1 XMITTER TO BE CONSTANTLY KEYED. THIS BLOCKED ALL RADIO RECEPTION INTO THE AIRPLANE. THE RPTR FURTHER STATES THAT WHEN THEIR COMPANY MAINT DEPT CONTACTED GARRETT REGARDING THE ENG PROB THEY ADVISED: DO A GENERAL INSPECTION OF THE ENG AND IF NOTHING IS FOUND SIGN IT OFF AS OK. IN THE RPTR'S 800 HRS FLYING THE GARRET ENG HE HAS HAD 3 FLAMEOUTS AND THIS PWR LOSS INCIDENT. HE IS OF THE OPINION THAT GARRET DOES NOT PROVIDE PROPER TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR THEIR ENGS, NOR DO THEY TAKE SERIOUSLY RPTS OF PROBS COMING IN FROM THE FIELD.

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.