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A PA28R pilot acknowledges several errors following a radio failure that allowed him to fly in a heavily VFR corridor and not land immediately.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 724154 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200701 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sql.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sql.tower tower : ord.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 823 flight time type : 390 |
| ASRS Report | 724154 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Local sightseeing flight leaving pao; transitioning adjacent sql; to enter sfo class B (bayshore transition). Departing pao; everything was normal; handed off to sql; made contact; requested transition. First indication of problem was the radio sounding as if there was a 'stuck microphone' on frequency. I asked the tower who replied negative. Then; after a few moments later; all I could hear was loud static. I reported the problem to sql tower and returned to pao. I could barely hear sql/ATC above the noise. The noise was extremely distracting and I had a first-time passenger. All I could think of was getting right back to the point of origin we had just departed. In the process; I made at least 3 errors. First; I should have turned off the radio; headed to haf -- uncontrolled -- to call and make appointment for NORDO procedure. It's the textbook solution and if asked on the ground before this; I would have given it. Second; I fumbled the radio a bit because my minimal effort to diagnose the problem included switching radios and I had pao tower dialed into the other radio. Thirdly; to make my u-turn; I headed toward rising terrain. I just wanted to get out of the way of heavy VFR traffic that runs along the highway and did not really consider whether there was room to turn around. There was adequate room and my passenger did not notice; but the fact is that I initiated the turn without considering whether there was room. Distraction is a killer!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA28R PILOT ACKNOWLEDGES SEVERAL ERRORS FOLLOWING A RADIO FAILURE THAT ALLOWED HIM TO FLY IN A HEAVILY VFR CORRIDOR AND NOT LAND IMMEDIATELY.
Narrative: LCL SIGHTSEEING FLT LEAVING PAO; TRANSITIONING ADJACENT SQL; TO ENTER SFO CLASS B (BAYSHORE TRANSITION). DEPARTING PAO; EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL; HANDED OFF TO SQL; MADE CONTACT; REQUESTED TRANSITION. FIRST INDICATION OF PROB WAS THE RADIO SOUNDING AS IF THERE WAS A 'STUCK MIKE' ON FREQ. I ASKED THE TWR WHO REPLIED NEGATIVE. THEN; AFTER A FEW MOMENTS LATER; ALL I COULD HEAR WAS LOUD STATIC. I RPTED THE PROB TO SQL TWR AND RETURNED TO PAO. I COULD BARELY HEAR SQL/ATC ABOVE THE NOISE. THE NOISE WAS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING AND I HAD A FIRST-TIME PAX. ALL I COULD THINK OF WAS GETTING RIGHT BACK TO THE POINT OF ORIGIN WE HAD JUST DEPARTED. IN THE PROCESS; I MADE AT LEAST 3 ERRORS. FIRST; I SHOULD HAVE TURNED OFF THE RADIO; HEADED TO HAF -- UNCTLED -- TO CALL AND MAKE APPOINTMENT FOR NORDO PROC. IT'S THE TEXTBOOK SOLUTION AND IF ASKED ON THE GND BEFORE THIS; I WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT. SECOND; I FUMBLED THE RADIO A BIT BECAUSE MY MINIMAL EFFORT TO DIAGNOSE THE PROB INCLUDED SWITCHING RADIOS AND I HAD PAO TWR DIALED INTO THE OTHER RADIO. THIRDLY; TO MAKE MY U-TURN; I HEADED TOWARD RISING TERRAIN. I JUST WANTED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF HVY VFR TFC THAT RUNS ALONG THE HWY AND DID NOT REALLY CONSIDER WHETHER THERE WAS ROOM TO TURN AROUND. THERE WAS ADEQUATE ROOM AND MY PAX DID NOT NOTICE; BUT THE FACT IS THAT I INITIATED THE TURN WITHOUT CONSIDERING WHETHER THERE WAS ROOM. DISTR IS A KILLER!
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.