C172 pilot attempts a short ferry flight with a malfunctioning radio, enters the pattern incorrectly...

Attributes
ACN	589954
Time
Date	200308
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cho.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : cho.tower
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 3.1 flight time total : 668 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	589954
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Another pilot and myself flew from cho to gve to return a rental plane that had undergone repairs. The other pilot flew into the airport because its sole runway was too short and narrow for my current flying ability. I was to fly the rental plane back to cho. Before taking off on our return flight I noticed difficulty in communicating with the other aircraft. I took off following what I would refer to here as aircraft 'a.' after takeoff I realized that my airspeed indicator and possibly my altimeter were not functioning properly. Except for cho, with its long 7000 ft runway, I did not feel comfortable returning to gve or attempting to land at any other local airport. It quickly became obvious that I was able to receive but not communicate on my radio. Cho was only a 10 min flight. I heard the pilot of aircraft 'a' speaking to the cho tower and informing them that I did not have a fully working radio but seemed to be able to hear. I followed plane 'a' and the cho tower asked me to turn north if I could hear the tower. I turned north and was, I thought, cleared to follow plane 'a' for a landing. When I turned back to the airport I lost track of plane 'a' but thought it was downwind for runway 3. I went downwind for runway 3 and was told to make a 360 degree for spacing. I made the 360 degree and continued for a landing. At the same time I heard another aircraft also cleared to land on runway 3. This is not unusual depending on the position of both aircraft. After landing I was told to call the tower and was informed that they expected me to follow plane 'a' and land on runway 21 and that the tower had flashed a red signal to me. Because of my faulty instruments, and a great deal of apprehension, I had limited my concentration of 'flying the numbers' to a safe landing. My initial error was in taking off with the 'repaired plane' even though I was having radio difficulties. The closeness of cho and the visual conditions lulled me into a false sense of security.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ATTEMPTS A SHORT FERRY FLT WITH A MALFUNCTIONING RADIO, ENTERS THE PATTERN INCORRECTLY AND LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC ON THE WRONG RWY AT CHO, VA.

Narrative: ANOTHER PLT AND MYSELF FLEW FROM CHO TO GVE TO RETURN A RENTAL PLANE THAT HAD UNDERGONE REPAIRS. THE OTHER PLT FLEW INTO THE ARPT BECAUSE ITS SOLE RWY WAS TOO SHORT AND NARROW FOR MY CURRENT FLYING ABILITY. I WAS TO FLY THE RENTAL PLANE BACK TO CHO. BEFORE TAKING OFF ON OUR RETURN FLT I NOTICED DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATING WITH THE OTHER ACFT. I TOOK OFF FOLLOWING WHAT I WOULD REFER TO HERE AS ACFT 'A.' AFTER TKOF I REALIZED THAT MY AIRSPD INDICATOR AND POSSIBLY MY ALTIMETER WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. EXCEPT FOR CHO, WITH ITS LONG 7000 FT RWY, I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE RETURNING TO GVE OR ATTEMPTING TO LAND AT ANY OTHER LCL ARPT. IT QUICKLY BECAME OBVIOUS THAT I WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE BUT NOT COMMUNICATE ON MY RADIO. CHO WAS ONLY A 10 MIN FLT. I HEARD THE PLT OF ACFT 'A' SPEAKING TO THE CHO TWR AND INFORMING THEM THAT I DID NOT HAVE A FULLY WORKING RADIO BUT SEEMED TO BE ABLE TO HEAR. I FOLLOWED PLANE 'A' AND THE CHO TWR ASKED ME TO TURN N IF I COULD HEAR THE TWR. I TURNED N AND WAS, I THOUGHT, CLRED TO FOLLOW PLANE 'A' FOR A LNDG. WHEN I TURNED BACK TO THE ARPT I LOST TRACK OF PLANE 'A' BUT THOUGHT IT WAS DOWNWIND FOR RWY 3. I WENT DOWNWIND FOR RWY 3 AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE A 360 DEG FOR SPACING. I MADE THE 360 DEG AND CONTINUED FOR A LNDG. AT THE SAME TIME I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT ALSO CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 3. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL DEPENDING ON THE POS OF BOTH ACFT. AFTER LNDG I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE TWR AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY EXPECTED ME TO FOLLOW PLANE 'A' AND LAND ON RWY 21 AND THAT THE TWR HAD FLASHED A RED SIGNAL TO ME. BECAUSE OF MY FAULTY INSTS, AND A GREAT DEAL OF APPREHENSION, I HAD LIMITED MY CONCENTRATION OF 'FLYING THE NUMBERS' TO A SAFE LNDG. MY INITIAL ERROR WAS IN TAKING OFF WITH THE 'REPAIRED PLANE' EVEN THOUGH I WAS HAVING RADIO DIFFICULTIES. THE CLOSENESS OF CHO AND THE VISUAL CONDITIONS LULLED ME INTO A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY.

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.

C172 pilot attempts a short ferry flight with a malfunctioning radio, enters the pattern incorrectly and lands without clearance on the wrong runway at cho, va.