Narrative:

I was returning to hpn from dxr. There was no problem requesting and receiving departure clearance from dxr tower. About 18 mi from hpn I contacted ny approach giving current ATIS and position. There was no response (not unusual on a busy sunday afternoon). On second contact ny approach assigned me a discrete transponder code and told me to remain clear of the air traffic area. I acknowledged. About 9 mi out ny approach cleared me for a straight in approach to runway 16. Periodically things sounded very quiet and I suspected one of the communication radios was not functioning. Ny approach handed me off to hpn tower. I contacted tower and was told that I would be third to land and to slow down for an aircraft on base. I had put tower frequency on both radios and by now was receiving nothing. I elected to complete the landing checklist rather than put the no radio frequencys on the transponder. I did ask tower for landing clearance and looked at the tower for a red or green light and saw no lights. The runway was clear so I landed and taxied onto taxiway C and tried to contact ground control several times on both radios with no results. Operations sent out the 'follow me' van which led me to the tie down. After shutdown I checked with the pilots that I had referred to dxr and they told me that I was transmitting clearly. My concern (which aim doesn't address) is whether I had the right to land based on the partial communications that I had with hpn tower. (Ps: the lesson I learned is not to leave my portable transceiver [recharging] at home.) callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states she followed traffic as assigned by tower. It turns out she was transmitting though not receiving. Never saw a light signal. Has heard nothing from FAA. Callback was mostly to counsel re: procedures for radio failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO FAILURE AFTER APCH HAD CLEARED FOR STRAIGHT IN APCH. TWR TOLD WOULD BE THIRD TO LAND, THEN NO MORE COM.

Narrative: I WAS RETURNING TO HPN FROM DXR. THERE WAS NO PROB REQUESTING AND RECEIVING DEP CLRNC FROM DXR TWR. ABOUT 18 MI FROM HPN I CONTACTED NY APCH GIVING CURRENT ATIS AND POS. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE (NOT UNUSUAL ON A BUSY SUNDAY AFTERNOON). ON SECOND CONTACT NY APCH ASSIGNED ME A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE AND TOLD ME TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ATA. I ACKNOWLEDGED. ABOUT 9 MI OUT NY APCH CLRED ME FOR A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO RWY 16. PERIODICALLY THINGS SOUNDED VERY QUIET AND I SUSPECTED ONE OF THE COM RADIOS WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. NY APCH HANDED ME OFF TO HPN TWR. I CONTACTED TWR AND WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD BE THIRD TO LAND AND TO SLOW DOWN FOR AN ACFT ON BASE. I HAD PUT TWR FREQ ON BOTH RADIOS AND BY NOW WAS RECEIVING NOTHING. I ELECTED TO COMPLETE THE LNDG CHKLIST RATHER THAN PUT THE NO RADIO FREQS ON THE XPONDER. I DID ASK TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC AND LOOKED AT THE TWR FOR A RED OR GREEN LIGHT AND SAW NO LIGHTS. THE RWY WAS CLR SO I LANDED AND TAXIED ONTO TXWY C AND TRIED TO CONTACT GND CTL SEVERAL TIMES ON BOTH RADIOS WITH NO RESULTS. OPS SENT OUT THE 'FOLLOW ME' VAN WHICH LED ME TO THE TIE DOWN. AFTER SHUTDOWN I CHKED WITH THE PLTS THAT I HAD REFERRED TO DXR AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I WAS XMITTING CLEARLY. MY CONCERN (WHICH AIM DOESN'T ADDRESS) IS WHETHER I HAD THE RIGHT TO LAND BASED ON THE PARTIAL COMS THAT I HAD WITH HPN TWR. (PS: THE LESSON I LEARNED IS NOT TO LEAVE MY PORTABLE TRANSCEIVER [RECHARGING] AT HOME.) CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR STATES SHE FOLLOWED TFC AS ASSIGNED BY TWR. IT TURNS OUT SHE WAS XMITTING THOUGH NOT RECEIVING. NEVER SAW A LIGHT SIGNAL. HAS HEARD NOTHING FROM FAA. CALLBACK WAS MOSTLY TO COUNSEL RE: PROCS FOR RADIO FAILURE.

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.