Narrative:

I filed 2 IFR flight plans--one beverly to manchester and a second for return from manchester to beverly. There was no intention to land at manchester. If all had gone according to plan, I would have made 3 vectored ILS approachs to runway 35 at manchester, followed by IFR back to beverly via lawrence. I also planned a localizer 16 approach at beverly. Aircraft is IFR equipped. I am rated and current for this trip. I had correct, current charts. No approachs were completed. I started an ILS approach on runway 35 manchester which approach control ordered me to abort. Next, with the approval of manchester approach, I started an ILS approach for runway 14 ash. About the time I was handed off to ash tower, I experienced a complete 2-WAY radio failure. Conditions at this time were good VFR and so remained. I aborted the approach and spent a few mins troubleshooting the problem west/O success. I then elected to continue the flight under VFR and land as soon as practicable. I elected to land at beverly. I did not change the transponder code to 7700 or 7600. This is perhaps hindsight, but I do believe that there is merit in retaining my original transponder code, and thereby radar contact. I am quite certain that either manchester or bos approach kept me in radar contact. I landed at beverly and reported by phone to manchester and bos approach. I now believe that I know the cause of my communication problem. The aircraft has a toggle switch for the purpose of switching between radio 1 and radio 2. Unfortunately, it has a third position that connects to nothing. I discovered the problem and regained complete radio operation well before landing in beverly. I am confident that I will never make this mistake again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA, FLYING IFR, LOSES 2-WAY COM WHILE ON PRACTICE APCH AND RETURNS TO HOME BASE WITHOUT CARRYING OUT LOST COM PROC.

Narrative: I FILED 2 IFR FLT PLANS--ONE BEVERLY TO MANCHESTER AND A SECOND FOR RETURN FROM MANCHESTER TO BEVERLY. THERE WAS NO INTENTION TO LAND AT MANCHESTER. IF ALL HAD GONE ACCORDING TO PLAN, I WOULD HAVE MADE 3 VECTORED ILS APCHS TO RWY 35 AT MANCHESTER, FOLLOWED BY IFR BACK TO BEVERLY VIA LAWRENCE. I ALSO PLANNED A LOC 16 APCH AT BEVERLY. ACFT IS IFR EQUIPPED. I AM RATED AND CURRENT FOR THIS TRIP. I HAD CORRECT, CURRENT CHARTS. NO APCHS WERE COMPLETED. I STARTED AN ILS APCH ON RWY 35 MANCHESTER WHICH APCH CTL ORDERED ME TO ABORT. NEXT, WITH THE APPROVAL OF MANCHESTER APCH, I STARTED AN ILS APCH FOR RWY 14 ASH. ABOUT THE TIME I WAS HANDED OFF TO ASH TWR, I EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE 2-WAY RADIO FAILURE. CONDITIONS AT THIS TIME WERE GOOD VFR AND SO REMAINED. I ABORTED THE APCH AND SPENT A FEW MINS TROUBLESHOOTING THE PROB W/O SUCCESS. I THEN ELECTED TO CONTINUE THE FLT UNDER VFR AND LAND AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE. I ELECTED TO LAND AT BEVERLY. I DID NOT CHANGE THE XPONDER CODE TO 7700 OR 7600. THIS IS PERHAPS HINDSIGHT, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS MERIT IN RETAINING MY ORIGINAL XPONDER CODE, AND THEREBY RADAR CONTACT. I AM QUITE CERTAIN THAT EITHER MANCHESTER OR BOS APCH KEPT ME IN RADAR CONTACT. I LANDED AT BEVERLY AND RPTED BY PHONE TO MANCHESTER AND BOS APCH. I NOW BELIEVE THAT I KNOW THE CAUSE OF MY COM PROB. THE ACFT HAS A TOGGLE SWITCH FOR THE PURPOSE OF SWITCHING BTWN RADIO 1 AND RADIO 2. UNFORTUNATELY, IT HAS A THIRD POS THAT CONNECTS TO NOTHING. I DISCOVERED THE PROB AND REGAINED COMPLETE RADIO OPERATION WELL BEFORE LNDG IN BEVERLY. I AM CONFIDENT THAT I WILL NEVER MAKE THIS MISTAKE AGAIN.

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.