Narrative:

I departed martin state airport (mtn) for my first solo cross country to cge. Prior to leaving mtn, I filed a return ADIZ flight plan by calling the hotline 1-800-WX-brief. After filing my flight plan, I asked for and received a standard WX brief for mtn and my route of flight. I then ran through a preflight check of the aircraft that I was flying a C152. All system were in working order at that time. I departed mtn towards the southeast staying in contact with the tower until leaving the ADIZ. I landed at cge with no incident and in full radio contact with cge traffic. After landing at cge, I then taxied back to runway 16 and departed. I left the pattern towards the north headed back to golda and still in contact with cge traffic. As I approached golda (approximately 5 mi south) I started to get heavy static coming over the radio. Upon reaching golda, I tuned my radio to potomac approach on the frequency given to me by the briefer when filing my ADIZ flight plan. I then attempted to contact potomac approach giving my call sign and location. I received no response. I tried again and got nothing, but static. I was then able to hear potomac approach on the radio, but unable to contact them. I circled over the eastern shore for approximately 25-30 mins trying to obtain a squawk code to enter the ADIZ. At one point I did receive a response from potomac approach saying the transmission was garbled and to repeat. I did so, but got no response. Realizing that I was not going to be able to obtain a squawk code and that my radio was not functioning properly, I thought back to my training and remembered that I read in my textbook that if you experience a 2-WAY radio failure you should squawk 7600. I did just that and then proceeded to enter the ADIZ to return to mtn. (I now know that this was not the proper procedure that I should have followed and I was informed of this prior to this incident, but in the heat of the moment and being my first solo cross country flight, I did not recall that bit of information that I went over with my instructor. All the texts that I have read never once mentioned the fact that you should not enter the ADIZ while squawking 7600.) I proceeded directly to mtn and entered a l-hand pattern for runway 15 on the downwind. I flew an extended downwind to allow myself a little more time to pick up the light gun signals, as I had never used them prior to this incident. I received clearance to land via the light gun in the tower and proceeded to do so without incident. I then obtained clearance to taxi to park via the light gun from the tower. After securing the aircraft, I returned to the FBO and got a message to contact potomac approach supervisor. I did so and gave him a brief rundown of the events stated above. Supplemental information from acn 622435: as his latest instructor, we have covered the fact that if there is a problem and no ADIZ squawk code or loss of communication, or any other problem arises, he should proceed to an uncontrolled field and call us back at mtn for help. In his words, he stated that 'that was the last thing on my mind.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUDENT PLT OF C152 EXPERIENCES RADIO PROBS ON FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT IN AND OUT OF THE DC ADIZ. ENTERS ADIZ WHILE SQUAWKING 7600.

Narrative: I DEPARTED MARTIN STATE ARPT (MTN) FOR MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY TO CGE. PRIOR TO LEAVING MTN, I FILED A RETURN ADIZ FLT PLAN BY CALLING THE HOTLINE 1-800-WX-BRIEF. AFTER FILING MY FLT PLAN, I ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED A STANDARD WX BRIEF FOR MTN AND MY RTE OF FLT. I THEN RAN THROUGH A PREFLT CHK OF THE ACFT THAT I WAS FLYING A C152. ALL SYS WERE IN WORKING ORDER AT THAT TIME. I DEPARTED MTN TOWARDS THE SE STAYING IN CONTACT WITH THE TWR UNTIL LEAVING THE ADIZ. I LANDED AT CGE WITH NO INCIDENT AND IN FULL RADIO CONTACT WITH CGE TFC. AFTER LNDG AT CGE, I THEN TAXIED BACK TO RWY 16 AND DEPARTED. I LEFT THE PATTERN TOWARDS THE N HEADED BACK TO GOLDA AND STILL IN CONTACT WITH CGE TFC. AS I APCHED GOLDA (APPROX 5 MI S) I STARTED TO GET HVY STATIC COMING OVER THE RADIO. UPON REACHING GOLDA, I TUNED MY RADIO TO POTOMAC APCH ON THE FREQ GIVEN TO ME BY THE BRIEFER WHEN FILING MY ADIZ FLT PLAN. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH GIVING MY CALL SIGN AND LOCATION. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I TRIED AGAIN AND GOT NOTHING, BUT STATIC. I WAS THEN ABLE TO HEAR POTOMAC APCH ON THE RADIO, BUT UNABLE TO CONTACT THEM. I CIRCLED OVER THE EASTERN SHORE FOR APPROX 25-30 MINS TRYING TO OBTAIN A SQUAWK CODE TO ENTER THE ADIZ. AT ONE POINT I DID RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM POTOMAC APCH SAYING THE XMISSION WAS GARBLED AND TO REPEAT. I DID SO, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE. REALIZING THAT I WAS NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A SQUAWK CODE AND THAT MY RADIO WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, I THOUGHT BACK TO MY TRAINING AND REMEMBERED THAT I READ IN MY TEXTBOOK THAT IF YOU EXPERIENCE A 2-WAY RADIO FAILURE YOU SHOULD SQUAWK 7600. I DID JUST THAT AND THEN PROCEEDED TO ENTER THE ADIZ TO RETURN TO MTN. (I NOW KNOW THAT THIS WAS NOT THE PROPER PROC THAT I SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED AND I WAS INFORMED OF THIS PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT, BUT IN THE HEAT OF THE MOMENT AND BEING MY FIRST SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT, I DID NOT RECALL THAT BIT OF INFO THAT I WENT OVER WITH MY INSTRUCTOR. ALL THE TEXTS THAT I HAVE READ NEVER ONCE MENTIONED THE FACT THAT YOU SHOULD NOT ENTER THE ADIZ WHILE SQUAWKING 7600.) I PROCEEDED DIRECTLY TO MTN AND ENTERED A L-HAND PATTERN FOR RWY 15 ON THE DOWNWIND. I FLEW AN EXTENDED DOWNWIND TO ALLOW MYSELF A LITTLE MORE TIME TO PICK UP THE LIGHT GUN SIGNALS, AS I HAD NEVER USED THEM PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. I RECEIVED CLRNC TO LAND VIA THE LIGHT GUN IN THE TWR AND PROCEEDED TO DO SO WITHOUT INCIDENT. I THEN OBTAINED CLRNC TO TAXI TO PARK VIA THE LIGHT GUN FROM THE TWR. AFTER SECURING THE ACFT, I RETURNED TO THE FBO AND GOT A MESSAGE TO CONTACT POTOMAC APCH SUPVR. I DID SO AND GAVE HIM A BRIEF RUNDOWN OF THE EVENTS STATED ABOVE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 622435: AS HIS LATEST INSTRUCTOR, WE HAVE COVERED THE FACT THAT IF THERE IS A PROB AND NO ADIZ SQUAWK CODE OR LOSS OF COM, OR ANY OTHER PROB ARISES, HE SHOULD PROCEED TO AN UNCTLED FIELD AND CALL US BACK AT MTN FOR HELP. IN HIS WORDS, HE STATED THAT 'THAT WAS THE LAST THING ON MY MIND.'

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.