Private pilot of small aircraft aircraft lost radio communication during an IFR flight through a TCA and landed at destination by tower given signal lights.

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Attributes
ACN	222997
Time
Date	199210
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : lax airport : vny
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sna tower : vny
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 13 flight time total : 590 flight time type : 590
ASRS Report	222997
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Lost radio communication. Attempted to reestablish communication -- could not. Followed IFR in VMC loss communication procedures. Proceeded to van nuys, overflew airport, entered downwind for 16L. On final, saw flashing green light from tower. Did go around. On second attempt, again saw flashing green. On third attempt, stepped over to 16R, saw steady green and landed. Comment: it may be that the first 2 light signals were meant to be steady green, but the gun was not held steady enough and from my view the changing intensity looked like flashing green, not a steady light signal. Made normal no flap landing. Proceeded to FBO. Immediately notified hawthorne flight service by landline telephone of what had happened and that I was on the ground in van nuys. I asked if I needed to talk with anyone else. He said he would notify all interested parties. I received messages from van nuys tower and TRACON. I did not respond after being assured by hawthorne flight service that he would take care of informing the other parties involved.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PRIVATE PLT OF SMA ACFT LOST RADIO COM DURING AN IFR FLT THROUGH A TCA AND LANDED AT DEST BY TWR GIVEN SIGNAL LIGHTS.

Narrative: LOST RADIO COM. ATTEMPTED TO REESTABLISH COM -- COULD NOT. FOLLOWED IFR IN VMC LOSS COM PROCS. PROCEEDED TO VAN NUYS, OVERFLEW ARPT, ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR 16L. ON FINAL, SAW FLASHING GREEN LIGHT FROM TWR. DID GAR. ON SECOND ATTEMPT, AGAIN SAW FLASHING GREEN. ON THIRD ATTEMPT, STEPPED OVER TO 16R, SAW STEADY GREEN AND LANDED. COMMENT: IT MAY BE THAT THE FIRST 2 LIGHT SIGNALS WERE MEANT TO BE STEADY GREEN, BUT THE GUN WAS NOT HELD STEADY ENOUGH AND FROM MY VIEW THE CHANGING INTENSITY LOOKED LIKE FLASHING GREEN, NOT A STEADY LIGHT SIGNAL. MADE NORMAL NO FLAP LNDG. PROCEEDED TO FBO. IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED HAWTHORNE FLT SVC BY LANDLINE TELEPHONE OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THAT I WAS ON THE GND IN VAN NUYS. I ASKED IF I NEEDED TO TALK WITH ANYONE ELSE. HE SAID HE WOULD NOTIFY ALL INTERESTED PARTIES. I RECEIVED MESSAGES FROM VAN NUYS TWR AND TRACON. I DID NOT RESPOND AFTER BEING ASSURED BY HAWTHORNE FLT SVC THAT HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF INFORMING THE OTHER PARTIES INVOLVED.

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.