Narrative:

I was on an IFR flight plan to abe. Over ZOB, I lost transmission on communication #1. I reported the failure to 5 or more controllers at cle and ZNY. About 100 mi from etx VOR, ZNY ordered me down in a series of step-down altitudes from FL250 to 14000 ft. I selected altitude preselect in each case and altitude hold engaged on the autoplt and FMS. In very heavy precipitation, ice and snow, communication #2 degraded to 2x2. I was encountering heavy electric static discharge on my mfd, I saw traffic about 25 mi east of my position and below me. The traffic was called out to me by ZNY. They were going to climb the traffic once we had passed each other. My communication #2 circuit breaker popped and I lost all ability to transmit and receive. This occurred just after I acknowledged leveling at 14000 ft. I reached across the control pedestal and copilot seat and reset the communication #2 circuit breaker. When I sat back up in the pilot seat, the aircraft was at 13400 ft. I called ZNY, informed them that I was at 13400 ft and climbing back to 14000 ft, that I had the traffic on TCASII and had completed an emergency procedure to re-establish communication. I told them my right elbow may have disconnected the altitude hold. However, I had no warning on my annunciators or TCASII alarms. The problem may have been electrical shorting. ZNY played back the tapes and told me they had to inform the FSDO that I had inadvertently deviated from assigned altitude while dealing with an in-flight emergency. My aircraft and the traffic had passed within 700 ft vertically. I had informed the last 5 controllers of my communication #1 failure and deteriorating communication #2 levels. I had carefully tried to manage a very difficult situation. The radios have now been replaced and wiring checked and secured. After over 3 decades of flying and annual recurrent training, I managed the emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ALT EXCURSION BY A BE9T DURING COM FAILURE CONTRIBUTES TO A LOSS OF STANDARD SEPARATION BTWN THAT ACFT AND AN ACR FLT 100 NM FROM ETX, PA.

Narrative: I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN TO ABE. OVER ZOB, I LOST XMISSION ON COM #1. I RPTED THE FAILURE TO 5 OR MORE CTLRS AT CLE AND ZNY. ABOUT 100 MI FROM ETX VOR, ZNY ORDERED ME DOWN IN A SERIES OF STEP-DOWN ALTS FROM FL250 TO 14000 FT. I SELECTED ALT PRESELECT IN EACH CASE AND ALT HOLD ENGAGED ON THE AUTOPLT AND FMS. IN VERY HVY PRECIP, ICE AND SNOW, COM #2 DEGRADED TO 2X2. I WAS ENCOUNTERING HVY ELECTRIC STATIC DISCHARGE ON MY MFD, I SAW TFC ABOUT 25 MI E OF MY POS AND BELOW ME. THE TFC WAS CALLED OUT TO ME BY ZNY. THEY WERE GOING TO CLB THE TFC ONCE WE HAD PASSED EACH OTHER. MY COM #2 CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED AND I LOST ALL ABILITY TO XMIT AND RECEIVE. THIS OCCURRED JUST AFTER I ACKNOWLEDGED LEVELING AT 14000 FT. I REACHED ACROSS THE CTL PEDESTAL AND COPLT SEAT AND RESET THE COM #2 CIRCUIT BREAKER. WHEN I SAT BACK UP IN THE PLT SEAT, THE ACFT WAS AT 13400 FT. I CALLED ZNY, INFORMED THEM THAT I WAS AT 13400 FT AND CLBING BACK TO 14000 FT, THAT I HAD THE TFC ON TCASII AND HAD COMPLETED AN EMER PROC TO RE-ESTABLISH COM. I TOLD THEM MY R ELBOW MAY HAVE DISCONNECTED THE ALT HOLD. HOWEVER, I HAD NO WARNING ON MY ANNUNCIATORS OR TCASII ALARMS. THE PROB MAY HAVE BEEN ELECTRICAL SHORTING. ZNY PLAYED BACK THE TAPES AND TOLD ME THEY HAD TO INFORM THE FSDO THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY DEVIATED FROM ASSIGNED ALT WHILE DEALING WITH AN INFLT EMER. MY ACFT AND THE TFC HAD PASSED WITHIN 700 FT VERTLY. I HAD INFORMED THE LAST 5 CTLRS OF MY COM #1 FAILURE AND DETERIORATING COM #2 LEVELS. I HAD CAREFULLY TRIED TO MANAGE A VERY DIFFICULT SIT. THE RADIOS HAVE NOW BEEN REPLACED AND WIRING CHKED AND SECURED. AFTER OVER 3 DECADES OF FLYING AND ANNUAL RECURRENT TRAINING, I MANAGED THE EMER.

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.