Narrative:

On departure of my 4TH flight of the day; the radios became a bit distorted. As climb out from ZZZ progressed; radios became increasingly distorted resulting in unintelligible communications. Periodically; communications came across the radio intelligibly. Even though the airplane is equipped with a garmin 530 and a 430; a distorted intercom became a single point of failure. As I attempted to resolve the communications issues; I wrestled with the decision to return to ZZZ yet continued the flight until just northwest of ZZZ1 when all communications from approach became completely unintelligible. Frustrated and irritated by the situation; I decided to declare my inability to receive communication and return to ZZZ VFR. Intending to match my transponder to my situation; I mistakenly dialed in 7500 rather than 7600. Obviously 7500 creates a much greater response than 7600. Bells and whistles began going off in places I would rather not think about. Had this been 7 yrs ago; I am sure I would have had an F-15 escort. That was not my best decision. Realizing my error; I notified approach my intentions to return to my original transponder code 0022. I continued VFR inbound to ZZZ and landed uneventfully; giving advisory xmissions along the way. This situation is typical of many in flying that can lead to a more serious incident. The partial NORDO created by an intercom problem was intermittent and relatively low threat. Initial efforts to resolve the situation carried the aircraft down range while providing little remedy. A desire to accomplish the flight made me slow to admit my need to put the aircraft on the ground. Flying in VMC; I should have turned back as soon as it became apparent I had essentially no 2-WAY communication capability. At that point my professional pilot pride made me too slow to admit that fact. Additionally; once I decided I needed to terminate the flight; in my desire to quickly execute the NORDO rules; I dialed up the hijack transponder rather than the NORDO code. Again; this resulted in far more attention to my situation than I desired. Though communications will not make the aircraft fall out of the sky; faulty communications put great stress on the system and the pilot and in this case began to degrade my decision making after only a few mins. A handheld transmitter would have made today's flight much less challenging. I will procure and fly with one in the future. My pride suggests I should have never made the transponder mistake. My pride kept telling me that I should be able to deal with the radio issues. My pride tells me that I can make several short flts in 12 hours even though I haven't been flying much. My pride must admit this relatively benign event challenged my plting skills and decision making.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C414 PLT SQUAWKS HIJACK VICE NORDO TRANSPONDER CODE WHEN VHF RECEPTION BECOMES UNINTELLIGIBLE.

Narrative: ON DEP OF MY 4TH FLT OF THE DAY; THE RADIOS BECAME A BIT DISTORTED. AS CLBOUT FROM ZZZ PROGRESSED; RADIOS BECAME INCREASINGLY DISTORTED RESULTING IN UNINTELLIGIBLE COMS. PERIODICALLY; COMS CAME ACROSS THE RADIO INTELLIGIBLY. EVEN THOUGH THE AIRPLANE IS EQUIPPED WITH A GARMIN 530 AND A 430; A DISTORTED INTERCOM BECAME A SINGLE POINT OF FAILURE. AS I ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE THE COMS ISSUES; I WRESTLED WITH THE DECISION TO RETURN TO ZZZ YET CONTINUED THE FLT UNTIL JUST NW OF ZZZ1 WHEN ALL COMS FROM APCH BECAME COMPLETELY UNINTELLIGIBLE. FRUSTRATED AND IRRITATED BY THE SITUATION; I DECIDED TO DECLARE MY INABILITY TO RECEIVE COM AND RETURN TO ZZZ VFR. INTENDING TO MATCH MY XPONDER TO MY SITUATION; I MISTAKENLY DIALED IN 7500 RATHER THAN 7600. OBVIOUSLY 7500 CREATES A MUCH GREATER RESPONSE THAN 7600. BELLS AND WHISTLES BEGAN GOING OFF IN PLACES I WOULD RATHER NOT THINK ABOUT. HAD THIS BEEN 7 YRS AGO; I AM SURE I WOULD HAVE HAD AN F-15 ESCORT. THAT WAS NOT MY BEST DECISION. REALIZING MY ERROR; I NOTIFIED APCH MY INTENTIONS TO RETURN TO MY ORIGINAL XPONDER CODE 0022. I CONTINUED VFR INBOUND TO ZZZ AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY; GIVING ADVISORY XMISSIONS ALONG THE WAY. THIS SITUATION IS TYPICAL OF MANY IN FLYING THAT CAN LEAD TO A MORE SERIOUS INCIDENT. THE PARTIAL NORDO CREATED BY AN INTERCOM PROB WAS INTERMITTENT AND RELATIVELY LOW THREAT. INITIAL EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION CARRIED THE ACFT DOWN RANGE WHILE PROVIDING LITTLE REMEDY. A DESIRE TO ACCOMPLISH THE FLT MADE ME SLOW TO ADMIT MY NEED TO PUT THE ACFT ON THE GND. FLYING IN VMC; I SHOULD HAVE TURNED BACK AS SOON AS IT BECAME APPARENT I HAD ESSENTIALLY NO 2-WAY COM CAPABILITY. AT THAT POINT MY PROFESSIONAL PLT PRIDE MADE ME TOO SLOW TO ADMIT THAT FACT. ADDITIONALLY; ONCE I DECIDED I NEEDED TO TERMINATE THE FLT; IN MY DESIRE TO QUICKLY EXECUTE THE NORDO RULES; I DIALED UP THE HIJACK XPONDER RATHER THAN THE NORDO CODE. AGAIN; THIS RESULTED IN FAR MORE ATTN TO MY SITUATION THAN I DESIRED. THOUGH COMS WILL NOT MAKE THE ACFT FALL OUT OF THE SKY; FAULTY COMS PUT GREAT STRESS ON THE SYSTEM AND THE PLT AND IN THIS CASE BEGAN TO DEGRADE MY DECISION MAKING AFTER ONLY A FEW MINS. A HANDHELD XMITTER WOULD HAVE MADE TODAY'S FLT MUCH LESS CHALLENGING. I WILL PROCURE AND FLY WITH ONE IN THE FUTURE. MY PRIDE SUGGESTS I SHOULD HAVE NEVER MADE THE XPONDER MISTAKE. MY PRIDE KEPT TELLING ME THAT I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THE RADIO ISSUES. MY PRIDE TELLS ME THAT I CAN MAKE SEVERAL SHORT FLTS IN 12 HRS EVEN THOUGH I HAVEN'T BEEN FLYING MUCH. MY PRIDE MUST ADMIT THIS RELATIVELY BENIGN EVENT CHALLENGED MY PLTING SKILLS AND DECISION MAKING.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.