Narrative:

I am a student pilot with just 100 hours flight time. I have only 6.9 hours pilot command; and all 93.1 remaining hours is dual instruction. A radio malfunction occurred today around XA00 local time; where I was on VFR flight following being xferred from 1 controller to the next; and my radios just went dead and sounded like a frying pan. I did all I could to get the radio to transmit and receive and it never came back to life. So I executed a forced landing at ZZZ. My mistake was I took that airport for the wrong field; because I was worried; and I forgot to put in transponder code 7600. Although my radios could not receive and transmit; I tried using frequency 122.8; so that someone could hear me (this was the wrong frequency). I entered the airport traffic pattern at a 90 degree angle to runway 30; I observed an aircraft in the traffic pattern and saw it use runway 30 to land. I then blinked my landing lights about 2 times; rocked my wings; and went into the pattern. On my approach the tower gave me a green light to land; it was a steady green. I landed and I taxied straight off the runway. I approached a taxi lane; but waited and never crossed the runway incursion zone; because the tower showed a steady red light (this happened about 3 times consecutively). I was finally escorted by a police car to a parking position where the airport police questioned me. They took down all my information; and after a while; they were not mad anymore. The cop told me that I was not in trouble; but just in case I am reporting to the FAA and I am submitting this NASA form for forgiveness. I am sorry this occurred; because my error is I should have squawked 7600. I was wrong in that I should have gone to an uncontrolled field to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PILOT EXPERIENCED A TOTAL RADIO FAILURE AND DIVERTED TO A NEARBY ARPT WITH A TWR; BUT DID NOT SQUAWK 7600.

Narrative: I AM A STUDENT PLT WITH JUST 100 HRS FLT TIME. I HAVE ONLY 6.9 HRS PLT COMMAND; AND ALL 93.1 REMAINING HRS IS DUAL INSTRUCTION. A RADIO MALFUNCTION OCCURRED TODAY AROUND XA00 LCL TIME; WHERE I WAS ON VFR FLT FOLLOWING BEING XFERRED FROM 1 CTLR TO THE NEXT; AND MY RADIOS JUST WENT DEAD AND SOUNDED LIKE A FRYING PAN. I DID ALL I COULD TO GET THE RADIO TO XMIT AND RECEIVE AND IT NEVER CAME BACK TO LIFE. SO I EXECUTED A FORCED LNDG AT ZZZ. MY MISTAKE WAS I TOOK THAT ARPT FOR THE WRONG FIELD; BECAUSE I WAS WORRIED; AND I FORGOT TO PUT IN XPONDER CODE 7600. ALTHOUGH MY RADIOS COULD NOT RECEIVE AND XMIT; I TRIED USING FREQ 122.8; SO THAT SOMEONE COULD HEAR ME (THIS WAS THE WRONG FREQ). I ENTERED THE ARPT TFC PATTERN AT A 90 DEG ANGLE TO RWY 30; I OBSERVED AN ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN AND SAW IT USE RWY 30 TO LAND. I THEN BLINKED MY LNDG LIGHTS ABOUT 2 TIMES; ROCKED MY WINGS; AND WENT INTO THE PATTERN. ON MY APCH THE TWR GAVE ME A GREEN LIGHT TO LAND; IT WAS A STEADY GREEN. I LANDED AND I TAXIED STRAIGHT OFF THE RWY. I APCHED A TAXI LANE; BUT WAITED AND NEVER CROSSED THE RWY INCURSION ZONE; BECAUSE THE TWR SHOWED A STEADY RED LIGHT (THIS HAPPENED ABOUT 3 TIMES CONSECUTIVELY). I WAS FINALLY ESCORTED BY A POLICE CAR TO A PARKING POS WHERE THE ARPT POLICE QUESTIONED ME. THEY TOOK DOWN ALL MY INFO; AND AFTER A WHILE; THEY WERE NOT MAD ANYMORE. THE COP TOLD ME THAT I WAS NOT IN TROUBLE; BUT JUST IN CASE I AM RPTING TO THE FAA AND I AM SUBMITTING THIS NASA FORM FOR FORGIVENESS. I AM SORRY THIS OCCURRED; BECAUSE MY ERROR IS I SHOULD HAVE SQUAWKED 7600. I WAS WRONG IN THAT I SHOULD HAVE GONE TO AN UNCTLED FIELD TO LAND.

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.