Pilot of a private sel entered an air traffic area and landed without clearance due to radio communi...

Attributes
ACN	272708
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bed
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1200
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bed artcc : zbw
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 225 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	272708
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Returning from vermont area arrived outside lawrence airport TCA, lawrence, ma. Tried to contact lawrence tower and was not able to transmit. Circled near lowell, ma, in an effort to determine the radio problem. Found I was less than a 1/4 tank on fuel. Elected to land at hanscom as traffic appeared less than at lawrence. Determined active runway and followed another aircraft in. Fit in with traffic -- only one aircraft in pattern. Taxied to tie down area by following the aircraft in front of me. Immediately contacted the tower by phone to explain the problem. Eventually found that the voltage regulator had failed. This caused the battery to run down preventing the radio to transmit. Inaction -- squawking 7600- 7700 on transponder was not done. Corrective action -- pilot has thoroughly reviewed emergency procedures for radio failures as well as reviewing signal light definitions.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A PVT SEL ENTERED AN ATA AND LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC DUE TO RADIO COM FAILURE.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM VERMONT AREA ARRIVED OUTSIDE LAWRENCE ARPT TCA, LAWRENCE, MA. TRIED TO CONTACT LAWRENCE TWR AND WAS NOT ABLE TO XMIT. CIRCLED NEAR LOWELL, MA, IN AN EFFORT TO DETERMINE THE RADIO PROB. FOUND I WAS LESS THAN A 1/4 TANK ON FUEL. ELECTED TO LAND AT HANSCOM AS TFC APPEARED LESS THAN AT LAWRENCE. DETERMINED ACTIVE RWY AND FOLLOWED ANOTHER ACFT IN. FIT IN WITH TFC -- ONLY ONE ACFT IN PATTERN. TAXIED TO TIE DOWN AREA BY FOLLOWING THE ACFT IN FRONT OF ME. IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE TWR BY PHONE TO EXPLAIN THE PROB. EVENTUALLY FOUND THAT THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR HAD FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE BATTERY TO RUN DOWN PREVENTING THE RADIO TO XMIT. INACTION -- SQUAWKING 7600- 7700 ON XPONDER WAS NOT DONE. CORRECTIVE ACTION -- PLT HAS THOROUGHLY REVIEWED EMER PROCS FOR RADIO FAILURES AS WELL AS REVIEWING SIGNAL LIGHT DEFINITIONS.

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.

Pilot of a private sel entered an air traffic area and landed without clearance due to radio communication failure.