Narrative:

While flying at or near detroit city airport the aircraft radios have been subject to interference (see locations above). The 'noise' is so bad that it sometimes distorts ATC. We can actually make out radio station call signs as well as top 40 songs over our aircraft receivers. We have replaced radios, antennas, cables, etc, and have eliminated our aircraft as the source of the problem. Other aircraft of various makes, radio types, etc, have all reported this same problem. The thing that concerns me is the fact that a student pilot with limited experience is either distracted by the interference, or misses calls from the tower. The potential for an accident is great. We have contacted the det control tower, as well as the FCC. We have even flown the radio station engineer so that he could observe and possibly solve the problem. It seems that everyone is 'passing the blame' on the problem and nothing is getting done. Being that this is a field which does a great majority of student training this interference is a potentially hazardous situation. The interference beings around 200 ft AGL and persists till about 3000 ft AGL. In most cases the tower broadcast 'overcomes' the interference. However, in certain areas in the pattern or around the field it completely distorts the tower broadcast. There is never any problem when on the ground. We really need to reduce this problem as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states that other pilots in flight school have complained as well. At times on short final, at 200 ft AGL, music from radio station totally blocks communication in cockpit. If volume turned down, tower communication could be missed. An impossible situation. Reporter concerned that spi could miss important tower communication, when solo and cause accident. Analyst advised of hot line and suggested contacting FSDO and perhaps region officials.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT INSTRUCTOR COMPLAINS ABOUT FREQ OVERLAP WITH TOP 40 MUSIC STATION INTERFERENCE ON TWR FREQ.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING AT OR NEAR DETROIT CITY ARPT THE ACFT RADIOS HAVE BEEN SUBJECT TO INTERFERENCE (SEE LOCATIONS ABOVE). THE 'NOISE' IS SO BAD THAT IT SOMETIMES DISTORTS ATC. WE CAN ACTUALLY MAKE OUT RADIO STATION CALL SIGNS AS WELL AS TOP 40 SONGS OVER OUR ACFT RECEIVERS. WE HAVE REPLACED RADIOS, ANTENNAS, CABLES, ETC, AND HAVE ELIMINATED OUR ACFT AS THE SOURCE OF THE PROB. OTHER ACFT OF VARIOUS MAKES, RADIO TYPES, ETC, HAVE ALL RPTED THIS SAME PROB. THE THING THAT CONCERNS ME IS THE FACT THAT A STUDENT PLT WITH LIMITED EXPERIENCE IS EITHER DISTRACTED BY THE INTERFERENCE, OR MISSES CALLS FROM THE TWR. THE POTENTIAL FOR AN ACCIDENT IS GREAT. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE DET CTL TWR, AS WELL AS THE FCC. WE HAVE EVEN FLOWN THE RADIO STATION ENGINEER SO THAT HE COULD OBSERVE AND POSSIBLY SOLVE THE PROB. IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE IS 'PASSING THE BLAME' ON THE PROB AND NOTHING IS GETTING DONE. BEING THAT THIS IS A FIELD WHICH DOES A GREAT MAJORITY OF STUDENT TRAINING THIS INTERFERENCE IS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SIT. THE INTERFERENCE BEINGS AROUND 200 FT AGL AND PERSISTS TILL ABOUT 3000 FT AGL. IN MOST CASES THE TWR BROADCAST 'OVERCOMES' THE INTERFERENCE. HOWEVER, IN CERTAIN AREAS IN THE PATTERN OR AROUND THE FIELD IT COMPLETELY DISTORTS THE TWR BROADCAST. THERE IS NEVER ANY PROB WHEN ON THE GND. WE REALLY NEED TO REDUCE THIS PROB ASAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT OTHER PLTS IN FLT SCHOOL HAVE COMPLAINED AS WELL. AT TIMES ON SHORT FINAL, AT 200 FT AGL, MUSIC FROM RADIO STATION TOTALLY BLOCKS COM IN COCKPIT. IF VOLUME TURNED DOWN, TWR COM COULD BE MISSED. AN IMPOSSIBLE SIT. RPTR CONCERNED THAT SPI COULD MISS IMPORTANT TWR COM, WHEN SOLO AND CAUSE ACCIDENT. ANALYST ADVISED OF HOT LINE AND SUGGESTED CONTACTING FSDO AND PERHAPS REGION OFFICIALS.

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.