Narrative:

Departed joplin, mo, approximately XA00 am. Contacted kansas city approach approximately XA45 am, 30 mi south (paola) for transponder code and instructions. Code, XXXX at least 3 identify tries before they got me 20 mi south. Contacted tower and approach and landing normal. Reported clear of runway and asked for directions to FBO. Unable to get much of directions but finally deciphered pieces and cleared to cross runway to FBO. Approximately XX00 pm for departure, able to decipher, taxi to runup area. Completed and taxied to yellow stop area. Unable to decipher on tower or ground frequency. Jet traffic behind me. Tried both radios on tower and ground frequency for clearance. Waited for red or green lights approximately 5-8 mins. Jet traffic behind me. No room to turn around and taxi back because of traffic behind me. Would have had to taxi on runway for approximately 700-1000 ft. Can liftoff in about 1000 ft. No luck with radios. Waited for and never saw red or green lights from tower. Runway clear, approach clear. Announced intentions for takeoff runway 17 and departed. After departure I was able to monitor tower frequency again as on approach. Upon returning to joplin, I contacted tower approximately 12 mi out to be sure I had radio communications, so I could decide what to do if I did not. Fuzzy contact but readable, approach and landing normal. I wrote a squawk sheet to be put with my paid receipt, and contacted FBO by telephone the following morning. Communications in air fine, ground bad, if at all. Could not be sure if problem was with aircraft, the tower or both. Men who accepted payment said plane was supposed to go to radio shop for problems. I was not made aware of these when I left joplin. The FBO told me morning I called that he would have radio shop check out radios.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS COM PROBLEM. WAITS FOR GREEN LIGHT 5-8 MINS. TFC PILING UP BEHIND. DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: DEPARTED JOPLIN, MO, APPROX XA00 AM. CONTACTED KANSAS CITY APCH APPROX XA45 AM, 30 MI S (PAOLA) FOR TRANSPONDER CODE AND INSTRUCTIONS. CODE, XXXX AT LEAST 3 IDENT TRIES BEFORE THEY GOT ME 20 MI S. CONTACTED TWR AND APCH AND LNDG NORMAL. RPTED CLR OF RWY AND ASKED FOR DIRECTIONS TO FBO. UNABLE TO GET MUCH OF DIRECTIONS BUT FINALLY DECIPHERED PIECES AND CLRED TO CROSS RWY TO FBO. APPROX XX00 PM FOR DEP, ABLE TO DECIPHER, TAXI TO RUNUP AREA. COMPLETED AND TAXIED TO YELLOW STOP AREA. UNABLE TO DECIPHER ON TWR OR GND FREQ. JET TFC BEHIND ME. TRIED BOTH RADIOS ON TWR AND GND FREQ FOR CLRNC. WAITED FOR RED OR GREEN LIGHTS APPROX 5-8 MINS. JET TFC BEHIND ME. NO ROOM TO TURN AROUND AND TAXI BACK BECAUSE OF TFC BEHIND ME. WOULD HAVE HAD TO TAXI ON RWY FOR APPROX 700-1000 FT. CAN LIFTOFF IN ABOUT 1000 FT. NO LUCK WITH RADIOS. WAITED FOR AND NEVER SAW RED OR GREEN LIGHTS FROM TWR. RWY CLR, APCH CLR. ANNOUNCED INTENTIONS FOR TKOF RWY 17 AND DEPARTED. AFTER DEP I WAS ABLE TO MONITOR TWR FREQ AGAIN AS ON APCH. UPON RETURNING TO JOPLIN, I CONTACTED TWR APPROX 12 MI OUT TO BE SURE I HAD RADIO COMS, SO I COULD DECIDE WHAT TO DO IF I DID NOT. FUZZY CONTACT BUT READABLE, APCH AND LNDG NORMAL. I WROTE A SQUAWK SHEET TO BE PUT WITH MY PAID RECEIPT, AND CONTACTED FBO BY TELEPHONE THE FOLLOWING MORNING. COMS IN AIR FINE, GND BAD, IF AT ALL. COULD NOT BE SURE IF PROBLEM WAS WITH ACFT, THE TWR OR BOTH. MEN WHO ACCEPTED PAYMENT SAID PLANE WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO RADIO SHOP FOR PROBLEMS. I WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THESE WHEN I LEFT JOPLIN. THE FBO TOLD ME MORNING I CALLED THAT HE WOULD HAVE RADIO SHOP CHK OUT RADIOS.

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.