Narrative:

On a flight from carlsbad (crq) to palo alto (pao). Received IFR clearance and departed the palomar airport on a heading of 250 degrees and was instructed to climb and maintain 8000 ft MSL. During the climb, I noticed the attitude indicator was giving faulty indications for a few seconds, but it appeared to be an isolated event and the attitude indicator quickly returned to normal indications. Socal approach requested an expedited climb so as to be turned onto the airway, however, the aircraft was unable to maintain 500 FPM on the climb. I advised socal of the situation and received no acknowledgement. Continuing the climb, my passenger and I noticed an absence of radio chatter, and I began to scan the avionics to determine if the radios had any signs of malfunction. I noticed the transmit light was illuminated in communication #1, and tried pressing the push to talk switch in an attempt to clear the stuck microphone. This did not work, so I cycled the avionics master switch, and the radio stopped transmitting. At this point, we could contact socal and receive a response, and we received another vector, this time to a heading of 310 degrees. The radio microphone became stuck again shortly after this, and cycling the radios ptt (push to talk) switch and avionics master would not clear the problem. As a last resort, I took the ptt switch apart, but that did not solve the problem either. At this point in the flight, the aircraft was climbing through 6300 ft MSL. I made the decision to discontinue the flight and land at the closest VFR airport. I descended to 5500 ft MSL and began a turn toward the east, away from the ocean and IMC conditions. (A thick marine layer shrouded the ocean and coastal areas.) my primary concern was getting the aircraft over land, since I did not know what else was wrong with the aircraft. I did not squawk 7600, I chose to squawk 1200 since I did not have radio failure, only a stuck microphone problem. When I turned east, I flew into and through the restr airspace overlying camp pendleton. The whole time I was continuing to troubleshoot the stuck microphone, and it finally came in again over pauma valley, about 10 NM south of french valley. At this point, I was able to contact socal and advise them that we were heading to french valley to have the aircraft repaired. My IFR flight plan was closed at that point and I was told to call the san diego TRACON supervisor. I believe that I could have handled the situation differently by squawking 7600 to advise socal of my inability to communicate. I also could have monitored the ocn VOR to listen for advisories from socal. I know that flying through restr airspace is not allowed unless cleared by the controling agencies. However, I was concerned with the safety of the aircraft and wanted to get over land in case another system failed, however unlikely that may have been.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF A MIL RESTR AREA R-2503 BY A DEVIATING PA28 CFI WHEN EXPERIENCING A STUCK MIKE AND LOSS OF COM WITH SCT CTLR 8 MI NW OF OCN, CA, ON IFR FLT PLAN.

Narrative: ON A FLT FROM CARLSBAD (CRQ) TO PALO ALTO (PAO). RECEIVED IFR CLRNC AND DEPARTED THE PALOMAR ARPT ON A HDG OF 250 DEGS AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 8000 FT MSL. DURING THE CLB, I NOTICED THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS GIVING FAULTY INDICATIONS FOR A FEW SECONDS, BUT IT APPEARED TO BE AN ISOLATED EVENT AND THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR QUICKLY RETURNED TO NORMAL INDICATIONS. SOCAL APCH REQUESTED AN EXPEDITED CLB SO AS TO BE TURNED ONTO THE AIRWAY, HOWEVER, THE ACFT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN 500 FPM ON THE CLB. I ADVISED SOCAL OF THE SIT AND RECEIVED NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. CONTINUING THE CLB, MY PAX AND I NOTICED AN ABSENCE OF RADIO CHATTER, AND I BEGAN TO SCAN THE AVIONICS TO DETERMINE IF THE RADIOS HAD ANY SIGNS OF MALFUNCTION. I NOTICED THE XMIT LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED IN COM #1, AND TRIED PRESSING THE PUSH TO TALK SWITCH IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLR THE STUCK MIKE. THIS DID NOT WORK, SO I CYCLED THE AVIONICS MASTER SWITCH, AND THE RADIO STOPPED XMITTING. AT THIS POINT, WE COULD CONTACT SOCAL AND RECEIVE A RESPONSE, AND WE RECEIVED ANOTHER VECTOR, THIS TIME TO A HDG OF 310 DEGS. THE RADIO MIKE BECAME STUCK AGAIN SHORTLY AFTER THIS, AND CYCLING THE RADIOS PTT (PUSH TO TALK) SWITCH AND AVIONICS MASTER WOULD NOT CLR THE PROB. AS A LAST RESORT, I TOOK THE PTT SWITCH APART, BUT THAT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROB EITHER. AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT, THE ACFT WAS CLBING THROUGH 6300 FT MSL. I MADE THE DECISION TO DISCONTINUE THE FLT AND LAND AT THE CLOSEST VFR ARPT. I DSNDED TO 5500 FT MSL AND BEGAN A TURN TOWARD THE E, AWAY FROM THE OCEAN AND IMC CONDITIONS. (A THICK MARINE LAYER SHROUDED THE OCEAN AND COASTAL AREAS.) MY PRIMARY CONCERN WAS GETTING THE ACFT OVER LAND, SINCE I DID NOT KNOW WHAT ELSE WAS WRONG WITH THE ACFT. I DID NOT SQUAWK 7600, I CHOSE TO SQUAWK 1200 SINCE I DID NOT HAVE RADIO FAILURE, ONLY A STUCK MIKE PROB. WHEN I TURNED E, I FLEW INTO AND THROUGH THE RESTR AIRSPACE OVERLYING CAMP PENDLETON. THE WHOLE TIME I WAS CONTINUING TO TROUBLESHOOT THE STUCK MIKE, AND IT FINALLY CAME IN AGAIN OVER PAUMA VALLEY, ABOUT 10 NM S OF FRENCH VALLEY. AT THIS POINT, I WAS ABLE TO CONTACT SOCAL AND ADVISE THEM THAT WE WERE HDG TO FRENCH VALLEY TO HAVE THE ACFT REPAIRED. MY IFR FLT PLAN WAS CLOSED AT THAT POINT AND I WAS TOLD TO CALL THE SAN DIEGO TRACON SUPVR. I BELIEVE THAT I COULD HAVE HANDLED THE SIT DIFFERENTLY BY SQUAWKING 7600 TO ADVISE SOCAL OF MY INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE. I ALSO COULD HAVE MONITORED THE OCN VOR TO LISTEN FOR ADVISORIES FROM SOCAL. I KNOW THAT FLYING THROUGH RESTR AIRSPACE IS NOT ALLOWED UNLESS CLRED BY THE CTLING AGENCIES. HOWEVER, I WAS CONCERNED WITH THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT AND WANTED TO GET OVER LAND IN CASE ANOTHER SYS FAILED, HOWEVER UNLIKELY THAT MAY HAVE BEEN.

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.