GA small transport unauthorized landing following radio failure after takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	143116
Time
Date	199004
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso airport : int
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : int
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	143116
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical incursion : landing without clearance
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After departure I noticed tower had not turned aircraft over to departure control. I tried to contact them. That's when I realized that I had a complete radio failure. Then I contacted tower with hand-held radio and told them my problem. I was told to enter right base for active runway. After that transmission I was unable to establish further contact. Entered base and landed west/O green light. My aircraft had just come out of an annual inspection, in which the mechanic had connected the battery with reverse polarity. Knowing this and with complete radio failure I just wanted to get the aircraft on the ground as soon as possible. Radios were sent to shop. Internal inspection showed wire welded to transistor. This could have been prevented if mechanic had labeled battery cables. I just assumed tower had cleared me to land, but after landing I realized they had not actually given me a landing clearance either verbally or with light gun. I think I didn't realize it at the time because of preoccupation trying to get radios, aircraft and portable hand-held to work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT UNAUTH LNDG FOLLOWING RADIO FAILURE AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: AFTER DEP I NOTICED TWR HAD NOT TURNED ACFT OVER TO DEP CTL. I TRIED TO CONTACT THEM. THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT I HAD A COMPLETE RADIO FAILURE. THEN I CONTACTED TWR WITH HAND-HELD RADIO AND TOLD THEM MY PROB. I WAS TOLD TO ENTER RIGHT BASE FOR ACTIVE RWY. AFTER THAT XMISSION I WAS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH FURTHER CONTACT. ENTERED BASE AND LANDED W/O GREEN LIGHT. MY ACFT HAD JUST COME OUT OF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION, IN WHICH THE MECH HAD CONNECTED THE BATTERY WITH REVERSE POLARITY. KNOWING THIS AND WITH COMPLETE RADIO FAILURE I JUST WANTED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND ASAP. RADIOS WERE SENT TO SHOP. INTERNAL INSPECTION SHOWED WIRE WELDED TO TRANSISTOR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED IF MECH HAD LABELED BATTERY CABLES. I JUST ASSUMED TWR HAD CLRED ME TO LAND, BUT AFTER LNDG I REALIZED THEY HAD NOT ACTUALLY GIVEN ME A LNDG CLRNC EITHER VERBALLY OR WITH LIGHT GUN. I THINK I DIDN'T REALIZE IT AT THE TIME BECAUSE OF PREOCCUPATION TRYING TO GET RADIOS, ACFT AND PORTABLE HAND-HELD TO WORK.

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