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A PA28R pilot flies an aircraft with a history of radio problems and is confronted with a return of these same problems again. His no communication condition results in a go around for him and another aircraft in the traffic pattern.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 524980 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200109 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hef.airport |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee Arrow IV |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 5.2 flight time total : 3800 flight time type : 325 |
| ASRS Report | 524980 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : executed go around |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
I flew an airplane, against my better judgement, that had recurring maintenance problems. One of the problems was/is radios that don't work as they should work. They have been written up several times by me and others but no real fix has/had occurred. The radios worked ok on this particular flight until my last pattern for landing, then they quit. There were no popped circuit breakers but it appeared that maybe all the electric items might be out momentarily. The radios then returned and I got a landing clearance but quit prior to landing on short final. I couldn't confirm the gear was down (no noise, bad lighting, etc.) until too late in the landing sequence. Therefore, I went around. The radios returned momentarily again and I got a second clearance before they quit again. Unfortunately, I think this second pattern with intermittent radios caused an airplane to have to go around on final while tower and I were trying to communicate. Tower didn't issue any light signals and I didn't leave the pattern for a less crowded airport but there are some very real safety of flight concerns with this situation. There are also no human performance considerations that I know of to discuss.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA28R PLT FLIES AN ACFT WITH A HISTORY OF RADIO PROBS AND IS CONFRONTED WITH A RETURN OF THESE SAME PROBS AGAIN. HIS NO COM CONDITION RESULTS IN A GAR FOR HIM AND ANOTHER ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN.
Narrative: I FLEW AN AIRPLANE, AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT, THAT HAD RECURRING MAINT PROBS. ONE OF THE PROBS WAS/IS RADIOS THAT DON'T WORK AS THEY SHOULD WORK. THEY HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP SEVERAL TIMES BY ME AND OTHERS BUT NO REAL FIX HAS/HAD OCCURRED. THE RADIOS WORKED OK ON THIS PARTICULAR FLT UNTIL MY LAST PATTERN FOR LNDG, THEN THEY QUIT. THERE WERE NO POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKERS BUT IT APPEARED THAT MAYBE ALL THE ELECTRIC ITEMS MIGHT BE OUT MOMENTARILY. THE RADIOS THEN RETURNED AND I GOT A LNDG CLRNC BUT QUIT PRIOR TO LNDG ON SHORT FINAL. I COULDN'T CONFIRM THE GEAR WAS DOWN (NO NOISE, BAD LIGHTING, ETC.) UNTIL TOO LATE IN THE LNDG SEQUENCE. THEREFORE, I WENT AROUND. THE RADIOS RETURNED MOMENTARILY AGAIN AND I GOT A SECOND CLRNC BEFORE THEY QUIT AGAIN. UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THIS SECOND PATTERN WITH INTERMITTENT RADIOS CAUSED AN AIRPLANE TO HAVE TO GO AROUND ON FINAL WHILE TWR AND I WERE TRYING TO COMMUNICATE. TWR DIDN'T ISSUE ANY LIGHT SIGNALS AND I DIDN'T LEAVE THE PATTERN FOR A LESS CROWDED ARPT BUT THERE ARE SOME VERY REAL SAFETY OF FLT CONCERNS WITH THIS SIT. THERE ARE ALSO NO HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS THAT I KNOW OF TO DISCUSS.
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.