Narrative:

This was a progressive communication failure that ended in a no radio approach and landing at night, fortunately in VFR, that could have been handled in a better manner. This loss of VHF was on an aircraft type that had 2 communication boxes with dual heads giving 4 choices per crew position for communications. It is important to note that this type of failure has happened before on this airline, on this type of equipment, from a similar potential cause: some combination of microphone and transmitter sticking in the open/on position. As communications failures were noted, every center was notified of the 'loss of 1 VHF,' however each progressive center was not aware or gave no hint that they had been passed the loss of VHF information by the previous center. As communications failures increased, we were reduced to 1 side of the #2 VHF. Communications were shifted from 121.5 to center with the help and heads-up work by greer tower. Xponders were set to 7600/7700 per existing conditions at that time. Our company flight control has no concept of priority as they sent messages requesting 'off times.' ATC may not have given them any information relative to our decreasing abilities to communication. I finally sent explicit information to ZDC: 'we have 1 frequency working and I doubt if it will continue working; pass this along.' the flight engineer was monitoring the nearest navaids for voice communications which were never received. The first officer was flying. The flight engineer and captain were attempting to isolate the culprit. This particular failure gave the impression of moving from set to set, microphone to microphone and communication head to communication head. Crew concept training was a valuable aid in this situation. A far better aid would have been proper repairs of the system as this is not the first failure of this type on this type of aircraft on this airline. On final at lga, the first officer made the approach and landing while I was flashing the landing lights. The tower responded with the most miserable excuse for a green light I have ever almost seen. In a remote setting that low output light might do a job for some VFR uses, but in a major airport (lga) there is too much background light of all colors and intensities for the present equipment to be considered safe.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT HAD VHF COM PROBLEM ENROUTE FROM ORL TO LGA. LNDG CLRNC AT LGA WAS VIA TWR SIGNAL LIGHT CTL.

Narrative: THIS WAS A PROGRESSIVE COM FAILURE THAT ENDED IN A NO RADIO APCH AND LNDG AT NIGHT, FORTUNATELY IN VFR, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN A BETTER MANNER. THIS LOSS OF VHF WAS ON AN ACFT TYPE THAT HAD 2 COM BOXES WITH DUAL HEADS GIVING 4 CHOICES PER CREW POS FOR COMS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE HAS HAPPENED BEFORE ON THIS AIRLINE, ON THIS TYPE OF EQUIP, FROM A SIMILAR POTENTIAL CAUSE: SOME COMBINATION OF MIC AND XMITTER STICKING IN THE OPEN/ON POS. AS COMS FAILURES WERE NOTED, EVERY CTR WAS NOTIFIED OF THE 'LOSS OF 1 VHF,' HOWEVER EACH PROGRESSIVE CTR WAS NOT AWARE OR GAVE NO HINT THAT THEY HAD BEEN PASSED THE LOSS OF VHF INFO BY THE PREVIOUS CTR. AS COMS FAILURES INCREASED, WE WERE REDUCED TO 1 SIDE OF THE #2 VHF. COMS WERE SHIFTED FROM 121.5 TO CTR WITH THE HELP AND HEADS-UP WORK BY GREER TWR. XPONDERS WERE SET TO 7600/7700 PER EXISTING CONDITIONS AT THAT TIME. OUR COMPANY FLT CTL HAS NO CONCEPT OF PRIORITY AS THEY SENT MESSAGES REQUESTING 'OFF TIMES.' ATC MAY NOT HAVE GIVEN THEM ANY INFO RELATIVE TO OUR DECREASING ABILITIES TO COM. I FINALLY SENT EXPLICIT INFO TO ZDC: 'WE HAVE 1 FREQ WORKING AND I DOUBT IF IT WILL CONTINUE WORKING; PASS THIS ALONG.' THE FE WAS MONITORING THE NEAREST NAVAIDS FOR VOICE COMS WHICH WERE NEVER RECEIVED. THE FO WAS FLYING. THE FE AND CAPT WERE ATTEMPTING TO ISOLATE THE CULPRIT. THIS PARTICULAR FAILURE GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF MOVING FROM SET TO SET, MIC TO MIC AND COM HEAD TO COM HEAD. CREW CONCEPT TRAINING WAS A VALUABLE AID IN THIS SIT. A FAR BETTER AID WOULD HAVE BEEN PROPER REPAIRS OF THE SYS AS THIS IS NOT THE FIRST FAILURE OF THIS TYPE ON THIS TYPE OF ACFT ON THIS AIRLINE. ON FINAL AT LGA, THE FO MADE THE APCH AND LNDG WHILE I WAS FLASHING THE LNDG LIGHTS. THE TWR RESPONDED WITH THE MOST MISERABLE EXCUSE FOR A GREEN LIGHT I HAVE EVER ALMOST SEEN. IN A REMOTE SETTING THAT LOW OUTPUT LIGHT MIGHT DO A JOB FOR SOME VFR USES, BUT IN A MAJOR ARPT (LGA) THERE IS TOO MUCH BACKGROUND LIGHT OF ALL COLORS AND INTENSITIES FOR THE PRESENT EQUIP TO BE CONSIDERED SAFE.

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.