Narrative:

I was flying on V229 to acy VOR to aiy airport on an IFR flight plan a 6000 ft. I was about 10-15 NM from acy and had not heard from my controller on 124.6 and expected to be told to descend. All through the mcguire airspace the xmissions were somewhat garbled, not only because of, what seemed to me, poor controller annunciation, but some fading in and out of communications. I called the controller stating that I was level at 6000 ft to let them know that I was close to acy and aiy. A dim, somewhat garbled transmission to me was to land at bader (aiy), and to cancel my IFR flight plan on 121.7. Upon landing at aiy, I called atlantic city as requested. My radios seemed to be working well as I had no trouble talking to aiy (bader) on unicom 123.0. I also had excellent 2-WAY communication with an small aircraft who was behind me landing at bader. When I landed at aiy, and called the atlantic city supervisor, (after closing my IFR flight plan on 121.7 without any transmission difficulty), I was surprised at his angry, quietly snide attitude, and badgering questioning. He asked why I had not entered the emergency transponder code for radio failure. He kept badgering me asking me what the code was, and I was rattled by his badgering, responding '7776', when I really meant to say '7700-7600'. I was amazed at his attitude. I told him I did not feel I had a radio failure, loss of communication, and did not feel the need to use the emergency transponder code(south). He advised me to check my radios. I did, and they were fine. There was nothing wrong with them. I would like to add that almost every time I've flown to atlantic city, through the mcguire and/or atlantic city airspace, the communication has been weak, and /or garbled, no matter what aircraft I was in. I believe there is a gap in the radio communications in that area, for some reason.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA EXPERIENCES LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC WHILE ON AN IFR FLT. SUPVR CRITICAL OF PLT TECHNIQUE.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING ON V229 TO ACY VOR TO AIY ARPT ON AN IFR FLT PLAN A 6000 FT. I WAS ABOUT 10-15 NM FROM ACY AND HAD NOT HEARD FROM MY CTLR ON 124.6 AND EXPECTED TO BE TOLD TO DSND. ALL THROUGH THE MCGUIRE AIRSPACE THE XMISSIONS WERE SOMEWHAT GARBLED, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF, WHAT SEEMED TO ME, POOR CTLR ANNUNCIATION, BUT SOME FADING IN AND OUT OF COMS. I CALLED THE CTLR STATING THAT I WAS LEVEL AT 6000 FT TO LET THEM KNOW THAT I WAS CLOSE TO ACY AND AIY. A DIM, SOMEWHAT GARBLED XMISSION TO ME WAS TO LAND AT BADER (AIY), AND TO CANCEL MY IFR FLT PLAN ON 121.7. UPON LNDG AT AIY, I CALLED ATLANTIC CITY AS REQUESTED. MY RADIOS SEEMED TO BE WORKING WELL AS I HAD NO TROUBLE TALKING TO AIY (BADER) ON UNICOM 123.0. I ALSO HAD EXCELLENT 2-WAY COM WITH AN SMA WHO WAS BEHIND ME LNDG AT BADER. WHEN I LANDED AT AIY, AND CALLED THE ATLANTIC CITY SUPVR, (AFTER CLOSING MY IFR FLT PLAN ON 121.7 WITHOUT ANY XMISSION DIFFICULTY), I WAS SURPRISED AT HIS ANGRY, QUIETLY SNIDE ATTITUDE, AND BADGERING QUESTIONING. HE ASKED WHY I HAD NOT ENTERED THE EMER XPONDER CODE FOR RADIO FAILURE. HE KEPT BADGERING ME ASKING ME WHAT THE CODE WAS, AND I WAS RATTLED BY HIS BADGERING, RESPONDING '7776', WHEN I REALLY MEANT TO SAY '7700-7600'. I WAS AMAZED AT HIS ATTITUDE. I TOLD HIM I DID NOT FEEL I HAD A RADIO FAILURE, LOSS OF COM, AND DID NOT FEEL THE NEED TO USE THE EMER XPONDER CODE(S). HE ADVISED ME TO CHK MY RADIOS. I DID, AND THEY WERE FINE. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT ALMOST EVERY TIME I'VE FLOWN TO ATLANTIC CITY, THROUGH THE MCGUIRE AND/OR ATLANTIC CITY AIRSPACE, THE COM HAS BEEN WEAK, AND /OR GARBLED, NO MATTER WHAT ACFT I WAS IN. I BELIEVE THERE IS A GAP IN THE RADIO COMS IN THAT AREA, FOR SOME REASON.

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.