Narrative:

My wife and son and I were on an IFR flight from 3NO-ofk- onl-anw-vtn. Before crossing onl we flew into constant rain/snow. We checked WX and were told anw and vtn were below minimums. En route from onl to anw we were told that radar contact was lost about 40 mi east of anw, and were told to report position 20 mi east of anw. We reported position 20 east of anw, and had a very difficult time receiving ZMP. We were told to contact ZDV. We called and could not make contact. We heard a garbled altimeter setting. I then tried to reestablish contact with minneapolis, now being nearly over the anw VOR (and airport). I could not establish contact with either ZMP or ZDV. Being over the anw VOR, and having no contact with center, flying in solid IMC with rain and snow, and knowing both anw and vtn were below minimums and lowering, I felt I should fly the approach at anw. I contacted the anw unicom, who reported no traffic, and asked them to contact ZDV to tell them I would fly the anw VOR approach, which they did. I flew the approach and landed at anw without difficulty or incident. Within 1/2 hour after landing, we were in a full scale blizzard at anw. I was reprimanded by ZDV for landing without a clearance. In retrospect, I should have held at the anw VOR and attempted to contact FSS over the VOR for a clearance. Considering the WX, if I had been required to hold for any length of time or had proceeded to vtn, I would have been unable to land. In speaking with pilots at anw, I am told it is common in the anw-vtn area to need to be at 7000-8000 ft to contact center. I feel the greatest contributing factor to this incident was the lack of adequate communications facilities in this area. Also contributing were my lack of prior IFR experience in the area, and the rapidly degrading WX conditions (increasing my anxiety) and my failure to think to try FSS over the VOR for a clearance before flying the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IN SMA, IMC, UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH CTLR AT ZDV FOR APCH CLRNC. RADIO COVERAGE LIMITATION.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND SON AND I WERE ON AN IFR FLT FROM 3NO-OFK- ONL-ANW-VTN. BEFORE XING ONL WE FLEW INTO CONSTANT RAIN/SNOW. WE CHKED WX AND WERE TOLD ANW AND VTN WERE BELOW MINIMUMS. ENRTE FROM ONL TO ANW WE WERE TOLD THAT RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST ABOUT 40 MI E OF ANW, AND WERE TOLD TO RPT POS 20 MI E OF ANW. WE RPTED POS 20 E OF ANW, AND HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME RECEIVING ZMP. WE WERE TOLD TO CONTACT ZDV. WE CALLED AND COULD NOT MAKE CONTACT. WE HEARD A GARBLED ALTIMETER SETTING. I THEN TRIED TO REESTABLISH CONTACT WITH MINNEAPOLIS, NOW BEING NEARLY OVER THE ANW VOR (AND ARPT). I COULD NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH EITHER ZMP OR ZDV. BEING OVER THE ANW VOR, AND HAVING NO CONTACT WITH CTR, FLYING IN SOLID IMC WITH RAIN AND SNOW, AND KNOWING BOTH ANW AND VTN WERE BELOW MINIMUMS AND LOWERING, I FELT I SHOULD FLY THE APCH AT ANW. I CONTACTED THE ANW UNICOM, WHO RPTED NO TFC, AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT ZDV TO TELL THEM I WOULD FLY THE ANW VOR APCH, WHICH THEY DID. I FLEW THE APCH AND LANDED AT ANW WITHOUT DIFFICULTY OR INCIDENT. WITHIN 1/2 HR AFTER LNDG, WE WERE IN A FULL SCALE BLIZZARD AT ANW. I WAS REPRIMANDED BY ZDV FOR LNDG WITHOUT A CLRNC. IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD HAVE HELD AT THE ANW VOR AND ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT FSS OVER THE VOR FOR A CLRNC. CONSIDERING THE WX, IF I HAD BEEN REQUIRED TO HOLD FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME OR HAD PROCEEDED TO VTN, I WOULD HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LAND. IN SPEAKING WITH PLTS AT ANW, I AM TOLD IT IS COMMON IN THE ANW-VTN AREA TO NEED TO BE AT 7000-8000 FT TO CONTACT CTR. I FEEL THE GREATEST CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS INCIDENT WAS THE LACK OF ADEQUATE COMS FACILITIES IN THIS AREA. ALSO CONTRIBUTING WERE MY LACK OF PRIOR IFR EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA, AND THE RAPIDLY DEGRADING WX CONDITIONS (INCREASING MY ANXIETY) AND MY FAILURE TO THINK TO TRY FSS OVER THE VOR FOR A CLRNC BEFORE FLYING THE APCH.

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.