Narrative:

My radio was having intermittent xmissions problems, so I hooked up my hand-held radio, including putting a push-to-talk switch on the yoke. Already on the yoke was a nearly identical push-to-talk switch for the main stack radio. After my run-up at the run-up area for runway 25 at pgv, I pushed 1 of the push-to-talk switches on my yoke and announced my intentions to take off from runway 25. I do not know which switch I pushed or if anyone heard my call indicating my takeoff form runway 25. Since I was on an IFR flight plan, I had earlier called new bern radio to get my clearance. They asked if I could 'expedite' takeoff. I said I could. In my haste, I don't know if I really broadcast my takeoff intentions. Someone called on unicom and said, 'who's that taking off on 25?' I answered, pushing 1 of the switches, and gave my tail #. I don't know if that broadcast was actually made, either. My battery on the hand-held was running low. I suggest that hand-held radio push-to-talk switches be colored red to clearly indicate the hand-held switch. Also, I suggest that anyone with a hand-held get an external antenna on their personal or rental aircraft, and have plenty of reserve battery packs on hand. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter's rental aircraft, from cub, was short of 1 radio, having 1 instead of the usual 2. He assumed that the radio that was missing was the 1 that he had previous problems with during a previous training flight in the same aircraft. He determined, however, just prior to departure, that the radio was exhibiting symptoms parallel to the old 'bad' radio, and thus used his hand-held. He stated that he realized he should have had the aircraft radio repaired at pgv, but felt intimidated by the policy that the FBO at cub, the rental airport, had stated: 'if you fix anything on the aircraft west/O our approval, you pay for it.' he cited previous examples where he did not fix landing lights or mixture controls because of this level of intimidation. He is not having second thoughts on the value of renting aircraft from an operator that holds this level of maintenance or illogical cost control methods that directly affect safety. Reporter was counseled on the above issues and will consider another FBO rental in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DEPARTS A NON TWR ARPT UNICOM WITHOUT A RELIABLE PRIMARY ACFT RADIO. MAKES AN UNCOORD DEP FROM ARPT WHEN HE IS NOT CERTAIN WHICH PRESS-TO-TALK SWITCH WAS USED FOR DEP ANNOUNCEMENT. LCL ACFT COMPLAINED ON FREQ REGARDING PLT TECHNIQUE COM.

Narrative: MY RADIO WAS HAVING INTERMITTENT XMISSIONS PROBS, SO I HOOKED UP MY HAND-HELD RADIO, INCLUDING PUTTING A PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH ON THE YOKE. ALREADY ON THE YOKE WAS A NEARLY IDENTICAL PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH FOR THE MAIN STACK RADIO. AFTER MY RUN-UP AT THE RUN-UP AREA FOR RWY 25 AT PGV, I PUSHED 1 OF THE PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCHES ON MY YOKE AND ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO TAKE OFF FROM RWY 25. I DO NOT KNOW WHICH SWITCH I PUSHED OR IF ANYONE HEARD MY CALL INDICATING MY TKOF FORM RWY 25. SINCE I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN, I HAD EARLIER CALLED NEW BERN RADIO TO GET MY CLRNC. THEY ASKED IF I COULD 'EXPEDITE' TKOF. I SAID I COULD. IN MY HASTE, I DON'T KNOW IF I REALLY BROADCAST MY TKOF INTENTIONS. SOMEONE CALLED ON UNICOM AND SAID, 'WHO'S THAT TAKING OFF ON 25?' I ANSWERED, PUSHING 1 OF THE SWITCHES, AND GAVE MY TAIL #. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT BROADCAST WAS ACTUALLY MADE, EITHER. MY BATTERY ON THE HAND-HELD WAS RUNNING LOW. I SUGGEST THAT HAND-HELD RADIO PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCHES BE COLORED RED TO CLEARLY INDICATE THE HAND-HELD SWITCH. ALSO, I SUGGEST THAT ANYONE WITH A HAND-HELD GET AN EXTERNAL ANTENNA ON THEIR PERSONAL OR RENTAL ACFT, AND HAVE PLENTY OF RESERVE BATTERY PACKS ON HAND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR'S RENTAL ACFT, FROM CUB, WAS SHORT OF 1 RADIO, HAVING 1 INSTEAD OF THE USUAL 2. HE ASSUMED THAT THE RADIO THAT WAS MISSING WAS THE 1 THAT HE HAD PREVIOUS PROBS WITH DURING A PREVIOUS TRNING FLT IN THE SAME ACFT. HE DETERMINED, HOWEVER, JUST PRIOR TO DEP, THAT THE RADIO WAS EXHIBITING SYMPTOMS PARALLEL TO THE OLD 'BAD' RADIO, AND THUS USED HIS HAND-HELD. HE STATED THAT HE REALIZED HE SHOULD HAVE HAD THE ACFT RADIO REPAIRED AT PGV, BUT FELT INTIMIDATED BY THE POLICY THAT THE FBO AT CUB, THE RENTAL ARPT, HAD STATED: 'IF YOU FIX ANYTHING ON THE ACFT W/O OUR APPROVAL, YOU PAY FOR IT.' HE CITED PREVIOUS EXAMPLES WHERE HE DID NOT FIX LNDG LIGHTS OR MIXTURE CTLS BECAUSE OF THIS LEVEL OF INTIMIDATION. HE IS NOT HAVING SECOND THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF RENTING ACFT FROM AN OPERATOR THAT HOLDS THIS LEVEL OF MAINT OR ILLOGICAL COST CTL METHODS THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT SAFETY. RPTR WAS COUNSELED ON THE ABOVE ISSUES AND WILL CONSIDER ANOTHER FBO RENTAL IN THE FUTURE.

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.