Narrative:

Flight from iah to msp. Under control of msp approach, we were given a descent from 7000 ft to 3000 ft and heading of 320 degrees. The frequency was very busy. Our assigned heading set up an apparent intercept to runway 30L at msp. Approach control frequency became garbled and unreadable. Another flight behind us also reported the approach control's xmissions as garbled. As a result, I stopped descent at the last assigned (3000 ft) but turned from assigned heading to runway heading to avoid flying into any parallel traffic. Communication was re-established over runway 30L. We were sent around and given clearance for a visual approach to runway 30L on downwind. Frequency remained very congested. First officer switched to tower at approximately 2000 ft MSL on GS when approach had not turned us to tower. A departing flight on the runway had failed to lift off when we were at approximately 100 ft, tower send us around. I had slowed to target quickly when I saw the aircraft cleared onto the runway. A garbled transmitter in a very busy approach environment led to delays for our flight, but no degradation of safety. A 2-MAN cockpit with 2 gars means checklists and communication by the pm, a very busy atmosphere. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter contacted ATC from operations and was told they were going to look into the controllers problem with the radio. No further action taken.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF B737-500 ON APCH TO MSP WERE ON DSCNT WHEN RADIO COM BECAME GARBLED AND UNREADABLE. THEY FOLLOWED LAST GIVEN DSCNT ALT AND THEN TURNED INTO RWY TO AVOID POSSIBLE PARALLEL RWY ACFT. RE-ESTABLISHED COM OVER RWY AND WERE SENT AROUND. SECOND APCH HAD ACFT WHICH FAILED TO LIFT OFF PROMPTLY AND THEY WERE SENT AROUND AGAIN.

Narrative: FLT FROM IAH TO MSP. UNDER CTL OF MSP APCH, WE WERE GIVEN A DSCNT FROM 7000 FT TO 3000 FT AND HDG OF 320 DEGS. THE FREQ WAS VERY BUSY. OUR ASSIGNED HDG SET UP AN APPARENT INTERCEPT TO RWY 30L AT MSP. APCH CTL FREQ BECAME GARBLED AND UNREADABLE. ANOTHER FLT BEHIND US ALSO RPTED THE APCH CTL'S XMISSIONS AS GARBLED. AS A RESULT, I STOPPED DSCNT AT THE LAST ASSIGNED (3000 FT) BUT TURNED FROM ASSIGNED HDG TO RWY HDG TO AVOID FLYING INTO ANY PARALLEL TFC. COM WAS RE-ESTABLISHED OVER RWY 30L. WE WERE SENT AROUND AND GIVEN CLRNC FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 30L ON DOWNWIND. FREQ REMAINED VERY CONGESTED. FO SWITCHED TO TWR AT APPROX 2000 FT MSL ON GS WHEN APCH HAD NOT TURNED US TO TWR. A DEPARTING FLT ON THE RWY HAD FAILED TO LIFT OFF WHEN WE WERE AT APPROX 100 FT, TWR SEND US AROUND. I HAD SLOWED TO TARGET QUICKLY WHEN I SAW THE ACFT CLRED ONTO THE RWY. A GARBLED XMITTER IN A VERY BUSY APCH ENVIRONMENT LED TO DELAYS FOR OUR FLT, BUT NO DEGRADATION OF SAFETY. A 2-MAN COCKPIT WITH 2 GARS MEANS CHKLISTS AND COM BY THE PM, A VERY BUSY ATMOSPHERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CONTACTED ATC FROM OPS AND WAS TOLD THEY WERE GOING TO LOOK INTO THE CTLRS PROB WITH THE RADIO. NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN.

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.