Narrative:

As a student pilot, member of FBO, I initially planned to go to the designated practice area east of bkf, but due to changing WX, requested to stay in pattern to do stop and go's. I do not recall checking the altitude when I set the altimeter at 30.4. On taking off on runway 32, I know my airspeed indicator was operating as I used it to judge when to lift off. It was not until I was airborne that I realized the altimeter was reading 5100'. I was involved in climbing to attain altitude and thumping on the altimeter to see if it would begin to work, while noticing that my radio reception was broken up. Not knowing what my altitude was, I leveled the wings to orient myself to determine my position. I was approaching 15TH (colfax)* and not sure that the bkf tower was receiving my transmission, I announced that I was making a left turnout, my last instructions, and was returning to bkf for a full stop. I believe I indicated the problem with the altimeter and the radio. As I was about midway the runway and abeam the tower, the radio problem seemed to clear up. I was able to land the plane west/O incidence, but the altimeter was reading 5100'. As I taxied the aircraft to the parking area an aeronautical club instrument approached and indicated he was going to use the airplane. I explained the problems I had just had. He said he would check it out. When he took the plane to the runup area, he experienced radio problems and aborted his flight. He never commented about the altimeter. The plane was not checked until the following day and the altimeter was working. We had to remove ice from the aircraft prior to flight and I think that my problem may have been caused by a blocked static (ice) port. *When I positively identified my position and turned around I was over 15TH and was on the edge of the TCA during my turn. I went to the bkf tower and discussed my situation with tower personnel. Also, I talked to the FAA and explained what had occurred. The radio problem is not unique to this particular aircraft. Several aeronautical club members have experienced problems receiving tower xmissions from bkf. One point I failed to make: my altimeter did begin to respond to the thumping action just prior to my decision to return to bkf to land. I really don't recall the exact reading, because I didn't know if it was accurate. I used my judgement of altitude and it (altimeter) seemed to be about right for 6500'. However, as I stated, it returned to 5100' when on the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter has filed a written report with the FAA per their request. Realizes she should have taken action much sooner. Advised to keep her identification slip even though the report was not filed within the 10 day period and is now aware of the time requirement. Agreed ice was probably the problem and is going to be more thorough on preflight in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TCA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AS A STUDENT PLT, MEMBER OF FBO, I INITIALLY PLANNED TO GO TO THE DESIGNATED PRACTICE AREA E OF BKF, BUT DUE TO CHANGING WX, REQUESTED TO STAY IN PATTERN TO DO STOP AND GO'S. I DO NOT RECALL CHKING THE ALT WHEN I SET THE ALTIMETER AT 30.4. ON TAKING OFF ON RWY 32, I KNOW MY AIRSPD INDICATOR WAS OPERATING AS I USED IT TO JUDGE WHEN TO LIFT OFF. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I WAS AIRBORNE THAT I REALIZED THE ALTIMETER WAS READING 5100'. I WAS INVOLVED IN CLBING TO ATTAIN ALT AND THUMPING ON THE ALTIMETER TO SEE IF IT WOULD BEGIN TO WORK, WHILE NOTICING THAT MY RADIO RECEPTION WAS BROKEN UP. NOT KNOWING WHAT MY ALT WAS, I LEVELED THE WINGS TO ORIENT MYSELF TO DETERMINE MY POS. I WAS APCHING 15TH (COLFAX)* AND NOT SURE THAT THE BKF TWR WAS RECEIVING MY XMISSION, I ANNOUNCED THAT I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURNOUT, MY LAST INSTRUCTIONS, AND WAS RETURNING TO BKF FOR A FULL STOP. I BELIEVE I INDICATED THE PROB WITH THE ALTIMETER AND THE RADIO. AS I WAS ABOUT MIDWAY THE RWY AND ABEAM THE TWR, THE RADIO PROB SEEMED TO CLR UP. I WAS ABLE TO LAND THE PLANE W/O INCIDENCE, BUT THE ALTIMETER WAS READING 5100'. AS I TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE PARKING AREA AN AERO CLUB INSTR APCHED AND INDICATED HE WAS GOING TO USE THE AIRPLANE. I EXPLAINED THE PROBS I HAD JUST HAD. HE SAID HE WOULD CHK IT OUT. WHEN HE TOOK THE PLANE TO THE RUNUP AREA, HE EXPERIENCED RADIO PROBS AND ABORTED HIS FLT. HE NEVER COMMENTED ABOUT THE ALTIMETER. THE PLANE WAS NOT CHKED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY AND THE ALTIMETER WAS WORKING. WE HAD TO REMOVE ICE FROM THE ACFT PRIOR TO FLT AND I THINK THAT MY PROB MAY HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY A BLOCKED STATIC (ICE) PORT. *WHEN I POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED MY POS AND TURNED AROUND I WAS OVER 15TH AND WAS ON THE EDGE OF THE TCA DURING MY TURN. I WENT TO THE BKF TWR AND DISCUSSED MY SITUATION WITH TWR PERSONNEL. ALSO, I TALKED TO THE FAA AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD OCCURRED. THE RADIO PROB IS NOT UNIQUE TO THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. SEVERAL AERO CLUB MEMBERS HAVE EXPERIENCED PROBS RECEIVING TWR XMISSIONS FROM BKF. ONE POINT I FAILED TO MAKE: MY ALTIMETER DID BEGIN TO RESPOND TO THE THUMPING ACTION JUST PRIOR TO MY DECISION TO RETURN TO BKF TO LAND. I REALLY DON'T RECALL THE EXACT READING, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS ACCURATE. I USED MY JUDGEMENT OF ALT AND IT (ALTIMETER) SEEMED TO BE ABOUT RIGHT FOR 6500'. HOWEVER, AS I STATED, IT RETURNED TO 5100' WHEN ON THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAS FILED A WRITTEN RPT WITH THE FAA PER THEIR REQUEST. REALIZES SHE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION MUCH SOONER. ADVISED TO KEEP HER ID SLIP EVEN THOUGH THE RPT WAS NOT FILED WITHIN THE 10 DAY PERIOD AND IS NOW AWARE OF THE TIME REQUIREMENT. AGREED ICE WAS PROBABLY THE PROBLEM AND IS GOING TO BE MORE THOROUGH ON PREFLT IN THE FUTURE.

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