Narrative:

While inbound on the jesse 1 arrival into phx, I experienced lost communications in IMC just prior to receiving (expecting) radar vectors to the ILS runway 8 phx. My last complete communication was the second response (I had checked in with the current ATIS earlier) from phx TRACON 128.65. I was assigned to 'descend and maintain 8000 ft at homer intersection.' while inbound from buntr intersection, on a 225 degree heading (charted), an aircraft reported light rime ice at my altitude and ATC repeated it back to me. I responded that I was also experiencing the same conditions. I did not receive a reply, but was not expecting one nor did I think that it was unusual. 3-5 mins after that transmission, I began to notice no radio chatter and was expecting my vectors to the approach. I called for a radio check and made several attempts to initiate radio contact. The radio lights were still on, and the navs still worked. I began to troubleshoot all possible problems I could think of: voltage, inverters, circuit breakers, radio master, emergency radio switch, squelch, hand-microphone, headsets, jacks, different frequencys, etc. When I decided that I was definitely in a lost communication situation I dialed in 7600 on the transponder and proceeded directly to the phx VOR (as published for lost communication). During this time, I occasionally heard a few muffled radio xmissions which added to my confusion in trying to determine the cause. I had all communication/navigation volumes up and the squelch up. At one point, I had jiggled the push-to-talk and did not notice any difference in how it felt prior to losing communication. I continued to transmit my intentions and maintained 8000 ft. At the time of lost communication, the ATIS was 40 mins old. The approach in use (for aircraft from the north) was ILS runway 8. I had it out and had briefed it to myself during cruise. Although not the only option (VOR/DME-a), I felt continuing with the ILS runway 8 was the best course of action. The approach plate was accessible and already briefed and I was expecting ATC to be clearing traffic from that approach. With the high task saturation of single pilot IMC with no autoplt, in occasional light chop, while trying to troubleshoot and navigation, I did not want to attempt to try a different approach. Once over the airport/VOR, I declared an emergency (in the blind) and proceeded outbound with the 078 (localizer) in navigation #1 and 078 degree radial phx VOR in the #2 navigation. I planned to descend to 5000 ft inside ilike intersection, and if I didn't break out (VMC), do a course reversal (non published/charted) and proceed inbound on the ILS. While descending through 5500 ft, I encountered VMC, reversed course and proceeded inbound on the ILS. At approximately 8 mi from the airport, I made visual contact with the runway. At approximately 4 mi, I began to hear radio xmissions and was cleared to land runway 8. Phx maintenance has since removed and replaced the defective microphone/push-to-talk on the pilot's side.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST COM PROC USED BY TWIN TURBOPROP CARGO FLT INTO PHX, AZ.

Narrative: WHILE INBOUND ON THE JESSE 1 ARR INTO PHX, I EXPERIENCED LOST COMS IN IMC JUST PRIOR TO RECEIVING (EXPECTING) RADAR VECTORS TO THE ILS RWY 8 PHX. MY LAST COMPLETE COM WAS THE SECOND RESPONSE (I HAD CHKED IN WITH THE CURRENT ATIS EARLIER) FROM PHX TRACON 128.65. I WAS ASSIGNED TO 'DSND AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT AT HOMER INTXN.' WHILE INBOUND FROM BUNTR INTXN, ON A 225 DEG HDG (CHARTED), AN ACFT RPTED LIGHT RIME ICE AT MY ALT AND ATC REPEATED IT BACK TO ME. I RESPONDED THAT I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING THE SAME CONDITIONS. I DID NOT RECEIVE A REPLY, BUT WAS NOT EXPECTING ONE NOR DID I THINK THAT IT WAS UNUSUAL. 3-5 MINS AFTER THAT XMISSION, I BEGAN TO NOTICE NO RADIO CHATTER AND WAS EXPECTING MY VECTORS TO THE APCH. I CALLED FOR A RADIO CHK AND MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO INITIATE RADIO CONTACT. THE RADIO LIGHTS WERE STILL ON, AND THE NAVS STILL WORKED. I BEGAN TO TROUBLESHOOT ALL POSSIBLE PROBS I COULD THINK OF: VOLTAGE, INVERTERS, CIRCUIT BREAKERS, RADIO MASTER, EMER RADIO SWITCH, SQUELCH, HAND-MIKE, HEADSETS, JACKS, DIFFERENT FREQS, ETC. WHEN I DECIDED THAT I WAS DEFINITELY IN A LOST COM SIT I DIALED IN 7600 ON THE XPONDER AND PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO THE PHX VOR (AS PUBLISHED FOR LOST COM). DURING THIS TIME, I OCCASIONALLY HEARD A FEW MUFFLED RADIO XMISSIONS WHICH ADDED TO MY CONFUSION IN TRYING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. I HAD ALL COM/NAV VOLUMES UP AND THE SQUELCH UP. AT ONE POINT, I HAD JIGGLED THE PUSH-TO-TALK AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY DIFFERENCE IN HOW IT FELT PRIOR TO LOSING COM. I CONTINUED TO XMIT MY INTENTIONS AND MAINTAINED 8000 FT. AT THE TIME OF LOST COM, THE ATIS WAS 40 MINS OLD. THE APCH IN USE (FOR ACFT FROM THE N) WAS ILS RWY 8. I HAD IT OUT AND HAD BRIEFED IT TO MYSELF DURING CRUISE. ALTHOUGH NOT THE ONLY OPTION (VOR/DME-A), I FELT CONTINUING WITH THE ILS RWY 8 WAS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. THE APCH PLATE WAS ACCESSIBLE AND ALREADY BRIEFED AND I WAS EXPECTING ATC TO BE CLRING TFC FROM THAT APCH. WITH THE HIGH TASK SATURATION OF SINGLE PLT IMC WITH NO AUTOPLT, IN OCCASIONAL LIGHT CHOP, WHILE TRYING TO TROUBLESHOOT AND NAV, I DID NOT WANT TO ATTEMPT TO TRY A DIFFERENT APCH. ONCE OVER THE ARPT/VOR, I DECLARED AN EMER (IN THE BLIND) AND PROCEEDED OUTBOUND WITH THE 078 (LOC) IN NAV #1 AND 078 DEG RADIAL PHX VOR IN THE #2 NAV. I PLANNED TO DSND TO 5000 FT INSIDE ILIKE INTXN, AND IF I DIDN'T BREAK OUT (VMC), DO A COURSE REVERSAL (NON PUBLISHED/CHARTED) AND PROCEED INBOUND ON THE ILS. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH 5500 FT, I ENCOUNTERED VMC, REVERSED COURSE AND PROCEEDED INBOUND ON THE ILS. AT APPROX 8 MI FROM THE ARPT, I MADE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE RWY. AT APPROX 4 MI, I BEGAN TO HEAR RADIO XMISSIONS AND WAS CLRED TO LAND RWY 8. PHX MAINT HAS SINCE REMOVED AND REPLACED THE DEFECTIVE MIKE/PUSH-TO-TALK ON THE PLT'S SIDE.

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.