Narrative:

Returning from flight to and back from uki, was handed off from sfo tower controller to sql tower as I departed class B airspace into sql class D airspace. Directed to overfly sql at 1200 ft MSL. I acknowledged ATC and proceeded to do so. Directly over sql, I attempted to call sql tower to report over the field. When I keyed the microphone, I could not hear my broadcast, nor could my passenger. I attempted again to transmit with similar results. I realized I was not hearing any radio traffic. I could, however, talk to my passenger without problem, and set transponder to 7600. I was overflying the pattern at 1200 ft MSL without communication headed east out over the bay. When clear of the pattern, I did a left 180 degree turn so that I could see the tower for light signals. Seeing no signal, I again overflew the field at 1200 ft MSL and went to bay meadows to circle and troubleshoot communication. I checked both radios set to proper frequency, checked for volume settings, checked for popped circuit breakers and found no problems. Again, I was able to have communication with passenger, but was hearing nothing from tower and when I triggered my microphone, I would not hear my broadcast. Facing back towards sql, I was again unable to see light signals from tower. I crossed back over sql at 1200 ft MSL repeatedly attempting to contact tower though I did not believe I was being heard. I saw that the downwind leg of right traffic for runway 30 -- runway I knew to be in use as idented by tower before loss of radio -- was available so I made my turn downwind. I saw traffic ahead turning from downwind to base and followed. Still not seeing light signals, I made my base and final turns. Again, both me and my passenger were looking for light signals without seeing anything. I assumed that either the signals were at the wrong angle or that I could not see them due to late afternoon glare on my windshield. I idented traffic holding short for takeoff on runway 30 and determined that it was being held for my landing. I made my landing and cleared the active. Finally, after taxiing clear of the active. Finally, after taxiing clear of the active, I saw light signal for the first time -- flashing green light -- clearing me for taxi back to parking. After parking, a ground vehicle asked me to call tower, which I did. I also immediately discussed what happened with a CFI in my club. We walked out to the plane and discovered that the communication selected switch had been toggled out of the automatic position. After reviewing the whole situation, I have concluded the following: 1) I do not know how the switch was toggled out of automatic. That is a switch that I never touch or any radios -- consequently, I did not think to check that switch while troubleshooting. 2) I am not sure why I could not see lights from the tower. I never had to look for them before. I do intend to ask tower to gun me with lights on my next flight just to see -- this would have been helpful during my training. 3) I wish I had extended my first overflt out into the bay further rather than doing a 180 degree turn and overflying the airport again. My intent was to get a look at the tower, but I did not give myself a lot of time to do so. Would have had more by flying further out and then back in. 4) rather than dropping in from 1200 ft MSL to the downwind leg of pattern, I should have used uncontrolled airport entry. However, I saw that pattern was clear and I was making decisions without a lot of time to do so. 5) I do not fault unfamiliarity with radio procedure of use of radios, except that I was only familiar with use of radios in 'automatic' mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SELF INDUCED NORDO SIT IN CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM FLT TO AND BACK FROM UKI, WAS HANDED OFF FROM SFO TWR CTLR TO SQL TWR AS I DEPARTED CLASS B AIRSPACE INTO SQL CLASS D AIRSPACE. DIRECTED TO OVERFLY SQL AT 1200 FT MSL. I ACKNOWLEDGED ATC AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO. DIRECTLY OVER SQL, I ATTEMPTED TO CALL SQL TWR TO RPT OVER THE FIELD. WHEN I KEYED THE MIKE, I COULD NOT HEAR MY BROADCAST, NOR COULD MY PAX. I ATTEMPTED AGAIN TO XMIT WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. I REALIZED I WAS NOT HEARING ANY RADIO TFC. I COULD, HOWEVER, TALK TO MY PAX WITHOUT PROB, AND SET XPONDER TO 7600. I WAS OVERFLYING THE PATTERN AT 1200 FT MSL WITHOUT COM HEADED E OUT OVER THE BAY. WHEN CLR OF THE PATTERN, I DID A L 180 DEG TURN SO THAT I COULD SEE THE TWR FOR LIGHT SIGNALS. SEEING NO SIGNAL, I AGAIN OVERFLEW THE FIELD AT 1200 FT MSL AND WENT TO BAY MEADOWS TO CIRCLE AND TROUBLESHOOT COM. I CHKED BOTH RADIOS SET TO PROPER FREQ, CHKED FOR VOLUME SETTINGS, CHKED FOR POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND FOUND NO PROBS. AGAIN, I WAS ABLE TO HAVE COM WITH PAX, BUT WAS HEARING NOTHING FROM TWR AND WHEN I TRIGGERED MY MIKE, I WOULD NOT HEAR MY BROADCAST. FACING BACK TOWARDS SQL, I WAS AGAIN UNABLE TO SEE LIGHT SIGNALS FROM TWR. I CROSSED BACK OVER SQL AT 1200 FT MSL REPEATEDLY ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT TWR THOUGH I DID NOT BELIEVE I WAS BEING HEARD. I SAW THAT THE DOWNWIND LEG OF R TFC FOR RWY 30 -- RWY I KNEW TO BE IN USE AS IDENTED BY TWR BEFORE LOSS OF RADIO -- WAS AVAILABLE SO I MADE MY TURN DOWNWIND. I SAW TFC AHEAD TURNING FROM DOWNWIND TO BASE AND FOLLOWED. STILL NOT SEEING LIGHT SIGNALS, I MADE MY BASE AND FINAL TURNS. AGAIN, BOTH ME AND MY PAX WERE LOOKING FOR LIGHT SIGNALS WITHOUT SEEING ANYTHING. I ASSUMED THAT EITHER THE SIGNALS WERE AT THE WRONG ANGLE OR THAT I COULD NOT SEE THEM DUE TO LATE AFTERNOON GLARE ON MY WINDSHIELD. I IDENTED TFC HOLDING SHORT FOR TKOF ON RWY 30 AND DETERMINED THAT IT WAS BEING HELD FOR MY LNDG. I MADE MY LNDG AND CLRED THE ACTIVE. FINALLY, AFTER TAXIING CLR OF THE ACTIVE. FINALLY, AFTER TAXIING CLR OF THE ACTIVE, I SAW LIGHT SIGNAL FOR THE FIRST TIME -- FLASHING GREEN LIGHT -- CLRING ME FOR TAXI BACK TO PARKING. AFTER PARKING, A GND VEHICLE ASKED ME TO CALL TWR, WHICH I DID. I ALSO IMMEDIATELY DISCUSSED WHAT HAPPENED WITH A CFI IN MY CLUB. WE WALKED OUT TO THE PLANE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE COM SELECTED SWITCH HAD BEEN TOGGLED OUT OF THE AUTO POS. AFTER REVIEWING THE WHOLE SIT, I HAVE CONCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: 1) I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE SWITCH WAS TOGGLED OUT OF AUTO. THAT IS A SWITCH THAT I NEVER TOUCH OR ANY RADIOS -- CONSEQUENTLY, I DID NOT THINK TO CHK THAT SWITCH WHILE TROUBLESHOOTING. 2) I AM NOT SURE WHY I COULD NOT SEE LIGHTS FROM THE TWR. I NEVER HAD TO LOOK FOR THEM BEFORE. I DO INTEND TO ASK TWR TO GUN ME WITH LIGHTS ON MY NEXT FLT JUST TO SEE -- THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL DURING MY TRAINING. 3) I WISH I HAD EXTENDED MY FIRST OVERFLT OUT INTO THE BAY FURTHER RATHER THAN DOING A 180 DEG TURN AND OVERFLYING THE ARPT AGAIN. MY INTENT WAS TO GET A LOOK AT THE TWR, BUT I DID NOT GIVE MYSELF A LOT OF TIME TO DO SO. WOULD HAVE HAD MORE BY FLYING FURTHER OUT AND THEN BACK IN. 4) RATHER THAN DROPPING IN FROM 1200 FT MSL TO THE DOWNWIND LEG OF PATTERN, I SHOULD HAVE USED UNCTLED ARPT ENTRY. HOWEVER, I SAW THAT PATTERN WAS CLR AND I WAS MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT A LOT OF TIME TO DO SO. 5) I DO NOT FAULT UNFAMILIARITY WITH RADIO PROC OF USE OF RADIOS, EXCEPT THAT I WAS ONLY FAMILIAR WITH USE OF RADIOS IN 'AUTO' MODE.

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.