Narrative:

It was halloween weekend and the demons were out. What began as a VFR pleasure trip to austin to see my daughter turned into near disaster. I missed the first clue that something was amiss on approaching longview arsa. I could not raise longview and had to abruptly climb to 6500' to avoid their airspace. Then, just as mysteriously, the radios came back on and functioned normally. The WX did not develop as advertised. Instead of clearing conditions as forecast in austin, a solid overcast developed. I was told it would clear but it did not. I anticipated filing IFR and continuing. Unexpectedly the #1 communication radio began playing a local am station. The #2 radio was intermittent and the LORAN died. A few miles southwest of college station I spotted a large broken area and descended, all the while trying to contact easterwood airport. The cloud base 1200' with 3-4 mi visibility and I was able to stay clear of clouds. I approached the field and made a standard left hand pattern to the proper runway as indicated by the windsock. The tower did not respond or signal with lights. I landed on runway 10 west/O mishap. I was able to talk to tower on ground controller frequency. Tower explained the field was IFR at the time with inbound traffic and that I had violated far's. Radio failure is always a fearful event. In this case I was lucky in that a hole in the overcast appeared and I was able to land safely. I cleaned the radio contacts and plugs with contact cleaner and that cleared up the problems. I was able to return 2 days later west/O incident. In retrospect I should have filed IFR and would have probably picked up the radio problems sooner. I am a little disappointed that the easterwood tower was unable to respond quicker with light signals.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA LOST RADIO COM ENCOUNTERED WX AND ENTERED ATA AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: IT WAS HALLOWEEN WEEKEND AND THE DEMONS WERE OUT. WHAT BEGAN AS A VFR PLEASURE TRIP TO AUSTIN TO SEE MY DAUGHTER TURNED INTO NEAR DISASTER. I MISSED THE FIRST CLUE THAT SOMETHING WAS AMISS ON APCHING LONGVIEW ARSA. I COULD NOT RAISE LONGVIEW AND HAD TO ABRUPTLY CLB TO 6500' TO AVOID THEIR AIRSPACE. THEN, JUST AS MYSTERIOUSLY, THE RADIOS CAME BACK ON AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY. THE WX DID NOT DEVELOP AS ADVERTISED. INSTEAD OF CLEARING CONDITIONS AS FORECAST IN AUSTIN, A SOLID OVCST DEVELOPED. I WAS TOLD IT WOULD CLEAR BUT IT DID NOT. I ANTICIPATED FILING IFR AND CONTINUING. UNEXPECTEDLY THE #1 COM RADIO BEGAN PLAYING A LCL AM STATION. THE #2 RADIO WAS INTERMITTENT AND THE LORAN DIED. A FEW MILES SW OF COLLEGE STATION I SPOTTED A LARGE BROKEN AREA AND DSNDED, ALL THE WHILE TRYING TO CONTACT EASTERWOOD ARPT. THE CLOUD BASE 1200' WITH 3-4 MI VISIBILITY AND I WAS ABLE TO STAY CLR OF CLOUDS. I APCHED THE FIELD AND MADE A STANDARD LEFT HAND PATTERN TO THE PROPER RWY AS INDICATED BY THE WINDSOCK. THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND OR SIGNAL WITH LIGHTS. I LANDED ON RWY 10 W/O MISHAP. I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO TWR ON GND CTLR FREQ. TWR EXPLAINED THE FIELD WAS IFR AT THE TIME WITH INBND TFC AND THAT I HAD VIOLATED FAR'S. RADIO FAILURE IS ALWAYS A FEARFUL EVENT. IN THIS CASE I WAS LUCKY IN THAT A HOLE IN THE OVCST APPEARED AND I WAS ABLE TO LAND SAFELY. I CLEANED THE RADIO CONTACTS AND PLUGS WITH CONTACT CLEANER AND THAT CLRED UP THE PROBS. I WAS ABLE TO RETURN 2 DAYS LATER W/O INCIDENT. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE FILED IFR AND WOULD HAVE PROBABLY PICKED UP THE RADIO PROBS SOONER. I AM A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT THE EASTERWOOD TWR WAS UNABLE TO RESPOND QUICKER WITH LIGHT SIGNALS.

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.