Narrative:

The XXX was having a practice mission at pueblo. My mission was to take pictures of the school at avondale. There were 2 other people on the plane, I was training as a mission pilot. The pilot in the right seat was a qualified mission pilot who was training me. We took off on runway 26R and were cleared to depart downwind to the east. The right seat pilot was having trouble getting his headset to work and was working with the audio control panel to solve the problem. The radio situation was that we were monitoring 2 frequencys and trying to communicate amongst ourselves as how best to take the pictures. The overhead speaker was on. Somewhere in the process, the radios were turned down to reduce the constant chatter from the 2 radios, intercom, and speaker. We then concentrated on navigation and picture taking, we had on board and it was monitored so as to stay out of the class D airspace. After we were finished, we returned to pueblo, contacted approach and made a normal landing. We were then told that radar had been trying to contact us. I was told their radar went out 24 mi. We were inside that but outside the class D airspace at about 1000 ft AGL. Avondale is a short distance from pueblo airport, in the confusion of ATC and cap communications and the headset not working and arriving at avondale quickly, I think the right seat pilot got the radios too low or off. We got caught up in the mission and didn't think about the radios until we were headed back. There was too much happening too quickly. We rushed in and in the process lost communication. One other pressure we had was that we could only fly 1 hour or less because of money. We flew .9 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WITH MULTIPLE RADIOS BEING MONITORED AND BECOMING A DISTR THEY WERE TURNED DOWN TO FACILITATE TRAINING. CALLS FROM ATC WERE MISSED UNTIL TRAINING WAS OVER.

Narrative: THE XXX WAS HAVING A PRACTICE MISSION AT PUEBLO. MY MISSION WAS TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE SCHOOL AT AVONDALE. THERE WERE 2 OTHER PEOPLE ON THE PLANE, I WAS TRAINING AS A MISSION PLT. THE PLT IN THE R SEAT WAS A QUALIFIED MISSION PLT WHO WAS TRAINING ME. WE TOOK OFF ON RWY 26R AND WERE CLRED TO DEPART DOWNWIND TO THE E. THE R SEAT PLT WAS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING HIS HEADSET TO WORK AND WAS WORKING WITH THE AUDIO CTL PANEL TO SOLVE THE PROB. THE RADIO SIT WAS THAT WE WERE MONITORING 2 FREQS AND TRYING TO COMMUNICATE AMONGST OURSELVES AS HOW BEST TO TAKE THE PICTURES. THE OVERHEAD SPEAKER WAS ON. SOMEWHERE IN THE PROCESS, THE RADIOS WERE TURNED DOWN TO REDUCE THE CONSTANT CHATTER FROM THE 2 RADIOS, INTERCOM, AND SPEAKER. WE THEN CONCENTRATED ON NAV AND PICTURE TAKING, WE HAD ON BOARD AND IT WAS MONITORED SO AS TO STAY OUT OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. AFTER WE WERE FINISHED, WE RETURNED TO PUEBLO, CONTACTED APCH AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. WE WERE THEN TOLD THAT RADAR HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US. I WAS TOLD THEIR RADAR WENT OUT 24 MI. WE WERE INSIDE THAT BUT OUTSIDE THE CLASS D AIRSPACE AT ABOUT 1000 FT AGL. AVONDALE IS A SHORT DISTANCE FROM PUEBLO ARPT, IN THE CONFUSION OF ATC AND CAP COMS AND THE HEADSET NOT WORKING AND ARRIVING AT AVONDALE QUICKLY, I THINK THE R SEAT PLT GOT THE RADIOS TOO LOW OR OFF. WE GOT CAUGHT UP IN THE MISSION AND DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THE RADIOS UNTIL WE WERE HEADED BACK. THERE WAS TOO MUCH HAPPENING TOO QUICKLY. WE RUSHED IN AND IN THE PROCESS LOST COM. ONE OTHER PRESSURE WE HAD WAS THAT WE COULD ONLY FLY 1 HR OR LESS BECAUSE OF MONEY. WE FLEW .9 HRS.

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.