Narrative:

I was flying a C172XP from nashville, tn, to smyrna, tn, for avionics work to be performed at smyrna airport. I was in VFR in marginal conditions, so elected to use radar advisories from nashville approach and also requested the ILS approach into smyrna for added safety. While being vectored to the final approach path for the ILS, I noticed a very quiet few seconds on nashville's otherwise very busy frequency. All radios looked to be functioning properly, so I paid little attention to the moment of silence. After being cleared for the approach, I noticed another very quiet period for a few seconds (no static either). I was getting very close to the OM on the smyrna ILS, and from past experience I knew that nashville approach usually turned aircraft over the smyrna tower prior to the OM. I called nashville approach and told them I was at the OM and received no response. Knowing I was very close to smyrna's airspace, I switched frequencys to tell tower I was on the ILS and that nashville had not responded to my query. No response came back from smyrna tower, and a few seconds later I tried again with nothing but silence in return. I was established on the ILS and continued to fly the approach. I looked for any traffic in the pattern at smyrna and did not see any conflicting traffic. I called smyrna tower again as I was getting much closer to the approach end of runway 32, and did not get a response, so began looking for light gun signals and began slowing down and setting up for landing. Just as I was about to set 7600 in my transponder, my radios came alive and smyrna established radio communications and cleared me to land. (I do not recall if they called me or I called them one last time when the radios began to work.) I remember smyrna tower saying something like (to all aircraft), 'nashville is not doing their job, and any aircraft shooting multiple approachs should call smyrna tower prior to the OM if nashville had not handed them off yet.' about the time I was crossing over the runway threshold, I saw a C130 performing a go around a few hundred ft above. I cleared the runway and tower told me to monitor ground on 'point 4' and taxi to the ramp. After selecting 121.4, I believe the radios temporarily quit again because there was a king air taxiing out in front of me and tower had not given me any instructions. Eventually, smyrna ground came over the radios and asked if I was on frequency. I confirmed and separation was established with the king air. After parking, I immediately went to the avionics shop and reported the problem. I believe one thing that contributed to the in-flight conflict between me and the C130 (besides radio failure) was, I do not think nashville handed me over to smyrna tower, so tower never knew to look out for me and warn other aircraft of the problem. This is only speculation. Also, I never saw the C130 until he was going around, and I assume he never saw me until his TCASII warned him (the C130 said they had me on TCASII). I do not know if he was on the ILS behind me and was much faster, or in the pattern at smyrna. The visibility was probably around 4-7 mi, with haze, which was why I requested radar services and the ILS approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT LOST RADIO CONTACT INTERMITTENTLY IN MARGINAL WX CONDITIONS IN BNA CLASS C AIRSPACE AND MQY CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A C172XP FROM NASHVILLE, TN, TO SMYRNA, TN, FOR AVIONICS WORK TO BE PERFORMED AT SMYRNA ARPT. I WAS IN VFR IN MARGINAL CONDITIONS, SO ELECTED TO USE RADAR ADVISORIES FROM NASHVILLE APCH AND ALSO REQUESTED THE ILS APCH INTO SMYRNA FOR ADDED SAFETY. WHILE BEING VECTORED TO THE FINAL APCH PATH FOR THE ILS, I NOTICED A VERY QUIET FEW SECONDS ON NASHVILLE'S OTHERWISE VERY BUSY FREQ. ALL RADIOS LOOKED TO BE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, SO I PAID LITTLE ATTN TO THE MOMENT OF SILENCE. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE APCH, I NOTICED ANOTHER VERY QUIET PERIOD FOR A FEW SECONDS (NO STATIC EITHER). I WAS GETTING VERY CLOSE TO THE OM ON THE SMYRNA ILS, AND FROM PAST EXPERIENCE I KNEW THAT NASHVILLE APCH USUALLY TURNED ACFT OVER THE SMYRNA TWR PRIOR TO THE OM. I CALLED NASHVILLE APCH AND TOLD THEM I WAS AT THE OM AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. KNOWING I WAS VERY CLOSE TO SMYRNA'S AIRSPACE, I SWITCHED FREQS TO TELL TWR I WAS ON THE ILS AND THAT NASHVILLE HAD NOT RESPONDED TO MY QUERY. NO RESPONSE CAME BACK FROM SMYRNA TWR, AND A FEW SECONDS LATER I TRIED AGAIN WITH NOTHING BUT SILENCE IN RETURN. I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE ILS AND CONTINUED TO FLY THE APCH. I LOOKED FOR ANY TFC IN THE PATTERN AT SMYRNA AND DID NOT SEE ANY CONFLICTING TFC. I CALLED SMYRNA TWR AGAIN AS I WAS GETTING MUCH CLOSER TO THE APCH END OF RWY 32, AND DID NOT GET A RESPONSE, SO BEGAN LOOKING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS AND BEGAN SLOWING DOWN AND SETTING UP FOR LNDG. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO SET 7600 IN MY XPONDER, MY RADIOS CAME ALIVE AND SMYRNA ESTABLISHED RADIO COMS AND CLRED ME TO LAND. (I DO NOT RECALL IF THEY CALLED ME OR I CALLED THEM ONE LAST TIME WHEN THE RADIOS BEGAN TO WORK.) I REMEMBER SMYRNA TWR SAYING SOMETHING LIKE (TO ALL ACFT), 'NASHVILLE IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB, AND ANY ACFT SHOOTING MULTIPLE APCHS SHOULD CALL SMYRNA TWR PRIOR TO THE OM IF NASHVILLE HAD NOT HANDED THEM OFF YET.' ABOUT THE TIME I WAS XING OVER THE RWY THRESHOLD, I SAW A C130 PERFORMING A GAR A FEW HUNDRED FT ABOVE. I CLRED THE RWY AND TWR TOLD ME TO MONITOR GND ON 'POINT 4' AND TAXI TO THE RAMP. AFTER SELECTING 121.4, I BELIEVE THE RADIOS TEMPORARILY QUIT AGAIN BECAUSE THERE WAS A KING AIR TAXIING OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND TWR HAD NOT GIVEN ME ANY INSTRUCTIONS. EVENTUALLY, SMYRNA GND CAME OVER THE RADIOS AND ASKED IF I WAS ON FREQ. I CONFIRMED AND SEPARATION WAS ESTABLISHED WITH THE KING AIR. AFTER PARKING, I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO THE AVIONICS SHOP AND RPTED THE PROB. I BELIEVE ONE THING THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE INFLT CONFLICT BTWN ME AND THE C130 (BESIDES RADIO FAILURE) WAS, I DO NOT THINK NASHVILLE HANDED ME OVER TO SMYRNA TWR, SO TWR NEVER KNEW TO LOOK OUT FOR ME AND WARN OTHER ACFT OF THE PROB. THIS IS ONLY SPECULATION. ALSO, I NEVER SAW THE C130 UNTIL HE WAS GOING AROUND, AND I ASSUME HE NEVER SAW ME UNTIL HIS TCASII WARNED HIM (THE C130 SAID THEY HAD ME ON TCASII). I DO NOT KNOW IF HE WAS ON THE ILS BEHIND ME AND WAS MUCH FASTER, OR IN THE PATTERN AT SMYRNA. THE VISIBILITY WAS PROBABLY AROUND 4-7 MI, WITH HAZE, WHICH WAS WHY I REQUESTED RADAR SVCS AND THE ILS APCH.

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.