Narrative:

On the morning of 8/wed/90, I was leaving osh in my small aircraft. I reviewed the VFR departure NOTAM issued by the FAA (see attached). I then listened to osh ATIS and heard that departures were using runway 27 and 18R. I had parked in the antique/classic section of the airfield in the southwest section of the airport. The ATIS advised aircraft parked south of runway 27 to use the grass and runway 13 to taxi for departures on runway 27. As we were heading north, runway 27 was a logical choice for our departure. We taxied north on the runway 18R parallel. When we approached the end of runway 18R, our access to runway 27 was locked by warbirds, and it became evident that a runway 18 departure was our only choice. Earlier, I had monitored the ATIS and per the NOTAM had listened on 118.9. I heard no xmissions as the airport was still closed for arrs, and there were few departures at the early hour. Electing to use runway 18R, I tuned in 118.5 per the ATIS. I transmitted, 'ready on 18R' (after completing a preflight check). I received no reply. I then tried 121.75 per the NOTAM and received no reply. I wore a headset and was using a handheld transceiver connected to an external antenna. The radio was brand new, and I had previously used it on one other leg from kane (outside minneapolis) to osh kosh. I had just purchased the small aircraft and was flying it home with a 36 hour stop over in osh. With each transmission I received a normal sidetone in the headset. The battery was freshly charged and had been used less than 35 mins. Looking down the runway, we noticed few aircraft departing as we taxied out. Once we reached the end of the taxiway, both it and the runway were clear. After repeated attempts to contact the tower and having heard no other activity, I assumed that the tower was closed and taxied onto the runway. I was monitoring 118.5 and heard nothing. There were no flagpersons directing traffic as per the NOTAM. We looked toward the tower for the green light, but with the morning sun glaring on the trw cabin attendant, it was hard to determine a green light. I heard no xmissions and saw the runway was clear. I proceeded to takeoff. Once airborne, I heard the tower clear someone onto the runway. I repeatedly tried to transmit to the tower once airborne. Again I received no reply, but I could hear other traffic. I proceeded to the south to clear the air traffic area then turned left over lake winnebago. I attempted to contact appleton tower but again, no response. The radio, I knew, had worked perfectly on our osh arrival. I checked the antenna bnc connector and discovered, to my great dismay, that on the top of the handheld the small transmit lockout button was pressed in. It moves no more than 1/16' and is easily missed. I had not selected the transmit lockout, but it must have been banged and inadvertently pushed in. The transmit sidetone in the headset is identical with it in or out thus giving no aural indication of nonxmission. Once I released the transmit lockout button, I called osh tower and explained where I was and that we had departed approximately 5 mins earlier with an apparent radio failure. I asked if the tower needed a phone call once I was on the ground. I said I believed I had seen a green light. The controller said there was no problem. I asked for confirmation of 'no problem', and again she said, 'no problem'. This event clearly pointed up the design fault of the handheld transceiver. If a transmit lockout is necessary, the switch should be large and easily discernable in the selected mode, and when transmitting in lockout no sidetone should be heard. In addition, the NOTAM for osh should include a provision for tower operation west/O flagpersons and the hours of operation should be clearly defined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA DEPARTING OSH HAS TROUBLE WITH HANDHELD TRANSMITTER AND INTERPRETS HIS LACK OF REPLY FROM THE TWR TO MEAN THAT THE TWR IS CLOSED. PLT DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF 8/WED/90, I WAS LEAVING OSH IN MY SMA. I REVIEWED THE VFR DEP NOTAM ISSUED BY THE FAA (SEE ATTACHED). I THEN LISTENED TO OSH ATIS AND HEARD THAT DEPS WERE USING RWY 27 AND 18R. I HAD PARKED IN THE ANTIQUE/CLASSIC SECTION OF THE AIRFIELD IN THE SW SECTION OF THE ARPT. THE ATIS ADVISED ACFT PARKED S OF RWY 27 TO USE THE GRASS AND RWY 13 TO TAXI FOR DEPS ON RWY 27. AS WE WERE HDG N, RWY 27 WAS A LOGICAL CHOICE FOR OUR DEP. WE TAXIED N ON THE RWY 18R PARALLEL. WHEN WE APCHED THE END OF RWY 18R, OUR ACCESS TO RWY 27 WAS LOCKED BY WARBIRDS, AND IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT A RWY 18 DEP WAS OUR ONLY CHOICE. EARLIER, I HAD MONITORED THE ATIS AND PER THE NOTAM HAD LISTENED ON 118.9. I HEARD NO XMISSIONS AS THE ARPT WAS STILL CLOSED FOR ARRS, AND THERE WERE FEW DEPS AT THE EARLY HR. ELECTING TO USE RWY 18R, I TUNED IN 118.5 PER THE ATIS. I XMITTED, 'READY ON 18R' (AFTER COMPLETING A PREFLT CHK). I RECEIVED NO REPLY. I THEN TRIED 121.75 PER THE NOTAM AND RECEIVED NO REPLY. I WORE A HEADSET AND WAS USING A HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER CONNECTED TO AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA. THE RADIO WAS BRAND NEW, AND I HAD PREVIOUSLY USED IT ON ONE OTHER LEG FROM KANE (OUTSIDE MINNEAPOLIS) TO OSH KOSH. I HAD JUST PURCHASED THE SMA AND WAS FLYING IT HOME WITH A 36 HR STOP OVER IN OSH. WITH EACH XMISSION I RECEIVED A NORMAL SIDETONE IN THE HEADSET. THE BATTERY WAS FRESHLY CHARGED AND HAD BEEN USED LESS THAN 35 MINS. LOOKING DOWN THE RWY, WE NOTICED FEW ACFT DEPARTING AS WE TAXIED OUT. ONCE WE REACHED THE END OF THE TXWY, BOTH IT AND THE RWY WERE CLR. AFTER REPEATED ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE TWR AND HAVING HEARD NO OTHER ACTIVITY, I ASSUMED THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. I WAS MONITORING 118.5 AND HEARD NOTHING. THERE WERE NO FLAGPERSONS DIRECTING TFC AS PER THE NOTAM. WE LOOKED TOWARD THE TWR FOR THE GREEN LIGHT, BUT WITH THE MORNING SUN GLARING ON THE TRW CAB, IT WAS HARD TO DETERMINE A GREEN LIGHT. I HEARD NO XMISSIONS AND SAW THE RWY WAS CLR. I PROCEEDED TO TKOF. ONCE AIRBORNE, I HEARD THE TWR CLR SOMEONE ONTO THE RWY. I REPEATEDLY TRIED TO XMIT TO THE TWR ONCE AIRBORNE. AGAIN I RECEIVED NO REPLY, BUT I COULD HEAR OTHER TFC. I PROCEEDED TO THE S TO CLR THE ATA THEN TURNED L OVER LAKE WINNEBAGO. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT APPLETON TWR BUT AGAIN, NO RESPONSE. THE RADIO, I KNEW, HAD WORKED PERFECTLY ON OUR OSH ARR. I CHKED THE ANTENNA BNC CONNECTOR AND DISCOVERED, TO MY GREAT DISMAY, THAT ON THE TOP OF THE HANDHELD THE SMALL XMIT LOCKOUT BUTTON WAS PRESSED IN. IT MOVES NO MORE THAN 1/16' AND IS EASILY MISSED. I HAD NOT SELECTED THE XMIT LOCKOUT, BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN BANGED AND INADVERTENTLY PUSHED IN. THE XMIT SIDETONE IN THE HEADSET IS IDENTICAL WITH IT IN OR OUT THUS GIVING NO AURAL INDICATION OF NONXMISSION. ONCE I RELEASED THE XMIT LOCKOUT BUTTON, I CALLED OSH TWR AND EXPLAINED WHERE I WAS AND THAT WE HAD DEPARTED APPROX 5 MINS EARLIER WITH AN APPARENT RADIO FAILURE. I ASKED IF THE TWR NEEDED A PHONE CALL ONCE I WAS ON THE GND. I SAID I BELIEVED I HAD SEEN A GREEN LIGHT. THE CTLR SAID THERE WAS NO PROB. I ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION OF 'NO PROB', AND AGAIN SHE SAID, 'NO PROB'. THIS EVENT CLRLY POINTED UP THE DESIGN FAULT OF THE HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER. IF A XMIT LOCKOUT IS NECESSARY, THE SWITCH SHOULD BE LARGE AND EASILY DISCERNABLE IN THE SELECTED MODE, AND WHEN XMITTING IN LOCKOUT NO SIDETONE SHOULD BE HEARD. IN ADDITION, THE NOTAM FOR OSH SHOULD INCLUDE A PROVISION FOR TWR OPERATION W/O FLAGPERSONS AND THE HRS OF OPERATION SHOULD BE CLRLY DEFINED.

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.