Narrative:

I had filed IFR from ane to grm, both uncontrolled airports. My passenger was late. I was in a hurry to depart since my destination was an unlit field located in heavily wooded terrain on the north shore of lake superior, and the NDB approach there is not authority/authorized at night. During the preflight, I repeatedly tried to raise clearance delivery, but was unable to do so, although reception was normal. Finally, seeing a # of aircraft lined up behind me, and unable to get anyone at clearance delivery to reply, I decided to try to pick up my clearance in the air, since there was good VFR locally (and in fact IFR conditions were neither forecast nor reported until the duluth-grand marais portion of the flight. My thinking wa that anoka county, being on the other side of downtown from center, perhaps a little altitude might improve reception, and I could amend my clearance to go VFR to rzn and then IFR for the remainder of the flight. Maintaining VFR and staying below the floor of the TCA I proceeded direct to ran, trying repeatedly to raise approach. Finally I got approach, asked if they had my IFR flight plan on the computer, was told 'affirmative,' gave my position and altitude, and asked for an amended clearance, which was granted, and the flight proceeded west/O further incident. Factor contributing to the communications problem were my unfamiliarity with the communications switching setup in this particular small aircraft (how the intercom interfaced exactly with the switch panel, which of several sets of jacks represented the appropriate combination for the correct operation of my headset with the avionics setup), my failure to debrief with an instrument about the overall mysteries of the avionics setup (I thought 'seen one, seen 'em all), and my not having through through very thoroughly the differences in operating from a controled airport (99% of my IFR departures have been from tower-operated fields), and operating from an uncontrolled airport. Although I had considered landing to troubleshoot the electronics on the aircraft, I was anxious to reach my destination, and I did not want to be embarrassed in front of my passenger. I did, in the end, resolve to land the aircraft and contact ATC by phone if I could not establish 2-WAY communication by the time I reached rzn; however, that became unnecessary as things worked out. I think a more thorough discussion in IFR training and refresher courses about communications problems other than total communication failure, along with a discussion about 'real world' ways to obtain, amend or modify a clearance might have helped me here. I'm under the impression I committed no violation; however, to be quite frank, I'm not entirely sure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT HAS DIFFICULTY FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE THE HEADSET AUDIO PANEL COM RADIO COMBINATION WORK.

Narrative: I HAD FILED IFR FROM ANE TO GRM, BOTH UNCONTROLLED ARPTS. MY PAX WAS LATE. I WAS IN A HURRY TO DEPART SINCE MY DEST WAS AN UNLIT FIELD LOCATED IN HEAVILY WOODED TERRAIN ON THE N SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR, AND THE NDB APCH THERE IS NOT AUTH AT NIGHT. DURING THE PREFLT, I REPEATEDLY TRIED TO RAISE CLRNC DELIVERY, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, ALTHOUGH RECEPTION WAS NORMAL. FINALLY, SEEING A # OF ACFT LINED UP BEHIND ME, AND UNABLE TO GET ANYONE AT CLRNC DELIVERY TO REPLY, I DECIDED TO TRY TO PICK UP MY CLRNC IN THE AIR, SINCE THERE WAS GOOD VFR LOCALLY (AND IN FACT IFR CONDITIONS WERE NEITHER FORECAST NOR RPTED UNTIL THE DULUTH-GRAND MARAIS PORTION OF THE FLT. MY THINKING WA THAT ANOKA COUNTY, BEING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF DOWNTOWN FROM CENTER, PERHAPS A LITTLE ALT MIGHT IMPROVE RECEPTION, AND I COULD AMEND MY CLRNC TO GO VFR TO RZN AND THEN IFR FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. MAINTAINING VFR AND STAYING BELOW THE FLOOR OF THE TCA I PROCEEDED DIRECT TO RAN, TRYING REPEATEDLY TO RAISE APCH. FINALLY I GOT APCH, ASKED IF THEY HAD MY IFR FLT PLAN ON THE COMPUTER, WAS TOLD 'AFFIRMATIVE,' GAVE MY POS AND ALT, AND ASKED FOR AN AMENDED CLRNC, WHICH WAS GRANTED, AND THE FLT PROCEEDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMS PROB WERE MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE COMS SWITCHING SETUP IN THIS PARTICULAR SMA (HOW THE INTERCOM INTERFACED EXACTLY WITH THE SWITCH PANEL, WHICH OF SEVERAL SETS OF JACKS REPRESENTED THE APPROPRIATE COMBINATION FOR THE CORRECT OPERATION OF MY HEADSET WITH THE AVIONICS SETUP), MY FAILURE TO DEBRIEF WITH AN INSTR ABOUT THE OVERALL MYSTERIES OF THE AVIONICS SETUP (I THOUGHT 'SEEN ONE, SEEN 'EM ALL), AND MY NOT HAVING THROUGH THROUGH VERY THOROUGHLY THE DIFFERENCES IN OPERATING FROM A CTLED ARPT (99% OF MY IFR DEPS HAVE BEEN FROM TWR-OPERATED FIELDS), AND OPERATING FROM AN UNCONTROLLED ARPT. ALTHOUGH I HAD CONSIDERED LNDG TO TROUBLESHOOT THE ELECTRONICS ON THE ACFT, I WAS ANXIOUS TO REACH MY DEST, AND I DID NOT WANT TO BE EMBARRASSED IN FRONT OF MY PAX. I DID, IN THE END, RESOLVE TO LAND THE ACFT AND CONTACT ATC BY PHONE IF I COULD NOT ESTABLISH 2-WAY COM BY THE TIME I REACHED RZN; HOWEVER, THAT BECAME UNNECESSARY AS THINGS WORKED OUT. I THINK A MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION IN IFR TRNING AND REFRESHER COURSES ABOUT COMS PROBS OTHER THAN TOTAL COM FAILURE, ALONG WITH A DISCUSSION ABOUT 'REAL WORLD' WAYS TO OBTAIN, AMEND OR MODIFY A CLRNC MIGHT HAVE HELPED ME HERE. I'M UNDER THE IMPRESSION I COMMITTED NO VIOLATION; HOWEVER, TO BE QUITE FRANK, I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE.

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.