In flight WX encounter. Radio loss and resultant landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	106348
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : dlh
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : dlh
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 310 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	106348
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Left airport at baudette, mn, had approximately 1000' ceiling and was headed for south saint paul via north wi, because of front (clouds and fog) coming from west and was clear in wi. Hit very bad turbulence midway to dlh. Lost much time and also my radio. Ceilings were coming down and leading edge of wings picked up 1/2' rime ice, with poor visibility approximately 2 mi and low ceilings (500' AGL) I was lost with just a compass. Looking for a highway to town I came upon dlh with no radio. Circled airport and made a downwind to runway 9. Did not see any signal lights from control tower, and could not use radio. Landed plane with no problems arising. Tried to get radio to operate, which I did by turning on master switch (was shut off during turbulence, probably). Waited till WX turned VFR to continue trip, which was next day. I didn't have enough WX information and/or poor information when I left baudette airport, even so was poor judgement to go at this time (hindsight 100%). Radio inoperative was just master switch off and should have checked this during flight when I realized I had no radio. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states FSS briefing prior to departure was for VFR en route and VFR at destination. So go decision made on that basis. Thinks clipboard of knee bumped master switch during turbulence. Contacted tower after landing. They said they would file a routine report. No FAA follow up at this time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IN FLT WX ENCOUNTER. RADIO LOSS AND RESULTANT LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: LEFT ARPT AT BAUDETTE, MN, HAD APPROX 1000' CEILING AND WAS HEADED FOR S SAINT PAUL VIA N WI, BECAUSE OF FRONT (CLOUDS AND FOG) COMING FROM W AND WAS CLR IN WI. HIT VERY BAD TURB MIDWAY TO DLH. LOST MUCH TIME AND ALSO MY RADIO. CEILINGS WERE COMING DOWN AND LEADING EDGE OF WINGS PICKED UP 1/2' RIME ICE, WITH POOR VISIBILITY APPROX 2 MI AND LOW CEILINGS (500' AGL) I WAS LOST WITH JUST A COMPASS. LOOKING FOR A HWY TO TOWN I CAME UPON DLH WITH NO RADIO. CIRCLED ARPT AND MADE A DOWNWIND TO RWY 9. DID NOT SEE ANY SIGNAL LIGHTS FROM CTL TWR, AND COULD NOT USE RADIO. LANDED PLANE WITH NO PROBS ARISING. TRIED TO GET RADIO TO OPERATE, WHICH I DID BY TURNING ON MASTER SWITCH (WAS SHUT OFF DURING TURB, PROBABLY). WAITED TILL WX TURNED VFR TO CONTINUE TRIP, WHICH WAS NEXT DAY. I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH WX INFO AND/OR POOR INFO WHEN I LEFT BAUDETTE ARPT, EVEN SO WAS POOR JUDGEMENT TO GO AT THIS TIME (HINDSIGHT 100%). RADIO INOP WAS JUST MASTER SWITCH OFF AND SHOULD HAVE CHKED THIS DURING FLT WHEN I REALIZED I HAD NO RADIO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES FSS BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEP WAS FOR VFR ENRTE AND VFR AT DEST. SO GO DECISION MADE ON THAT BASIS. THINKS CLIPBOARD OF KNEE BUMPED MASTER SWITCH DURING TURB. CONTACTED TWR AFTER LNDG. THEY SAID THEY WOULD FILE A ROUTINE RPT. NO FAA FOLLOW UP AT THIS TIME.

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.