Aircraft radio equipment problem in over-water flight in small aircraft twin.

Attributes
ACN	279392
Time
Date	199408
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : acy
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : acy
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : atlantic enroute airway : v139 enroute other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 68 flight time total : 1106 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	279392
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : departure
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On several previous flts in the aircraft intermittent radio transmit problems were reported. These occurrences caused a maintenance action to repair what appeared a broken wire near audio panel. Initial flight after repair was uneventful until a handoff from acy to ny approach while proceeding en route at 7000 ft MSL and on V139. Transmit communications failed when attempting to acknowledge acy handoff frequency. After trying several communication configns with no success I squawked 7600 and proceeded on the last cleared flight plan -- harbo V139 riced mad radial 193 degrees keyed direct. Because of the distance from acy, I was unable to recontact acy once I set up my handheld transceiver for operation. I then attempted to contact new york approach, but due to 'fringe' area and 30 mi 'at sea' position, my lower power handheld was unable to be received. I considered transmitting on 121.5 however I did not see the situation as an emergency and decided to save my handheld's power till closer to shore (20-25 mins) and continue to monitor new york approach as I had not lost the receive communication on my main radios. When I was 5 mi from riced I attempted again to contact new york and this time was successful. I returned to my original squawk code and new york and boston approach helped me minimize my xmissions. My departure on emergency loss of communications procedures in this case was vital, however there were 2 items that may have contributed to my dilemma and emergency workload, being single pilot. Firstly, due to the fact that I have 2 identical miniplugs on my panel, neither which is marked, I initially plugged my handheld external antenna plug into the audio (wrong) jack. Although it took me 1-2 mins to figure out this mistake I lost valuable time as I was now 6 mi further from shore and had used valuable battery power from my handheld. Secondly, the routing I was given (over 30 mi from shore) V139 was not what I requested in my flight plan, and is inappropriate for some light aircraft due to equipment and crew sits. Needless to say I am placarding my 2 mini- jacks prior to next flight but I believe an alternate ATC preferred route should be provided to those pilots whose conditions warrant over-land routing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT RADIO EQUIP PROB IN OVER-WATER FLT IN SMA TWIN.

Narrative: ON SEVERAL PREVIOUS FLTS IN THE ACFT INTERMITTENT RADIO XMIT PROBS WERE RPTED. THESE OCCURRENCES CAUSED A MAINT ACTION TO REPAIR WHAT APPEARED A BROKEN WIRE NEAR AUDIO PANEL. INITIAL FLT AFTER REPAIR WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL A HDOF FROM ACY TO NY APCH WHILE PROCEEDING ENRTE AT 7000 FT MSL AND ON V139. XMIT COMS FAILED WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACKNOWLEDGE ACY HDOF FREQ. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL COM CONFIGNS WITH NO SUCCESS I SQUAWKED 7600 AND PROCEEDED ON THE LAST CLRED FLT PLAN -- HARBO V139 RICED MAD RADIAL 193 DEGS KEYED DIRECT. BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE FROM ACY, I WAS UNABLE TO RECONTACT ACY ONCE I SET UP MY HANDHELD TRANSCEIVER FOR OP. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT NEW YORK APCH, BUT DUE TO 'FRINGE' AREA AND 30 MI 'AT SEA' POS, MY LOWER PWR HANDHELD WAS UNABLE TO BE RECEIVED. I CONSIDERED TRANSMITTING ON 121.5 HOWEVER I DID NOT SEE THE SIT AS AN EMERGENCY AND DECIDED TO SAVE MY HANDHELD'S PWR TILL CLOSER TO SHORE (20-25 MINS) AND CONTINUE TO MONITOR NEW YORK APCH AS I HAD NOT LOST THE RECEIVE COM ON MY MAIN RADIOS. WHEN I WAS 5 MI FROM RICED I ATTEMPTED AGAIN TO CONTACT NEW YORK AND THIS TIME WAS SUCCESSFUL. I RETURNED TO MY ORIGINAL SQUAWK CODE AND NEW YORK AND BOSTON APCH HELPED ME MINIMIZE MY XMISSIONS. MY DEP ON EMER LOSS OF COMS PROCS IN THIS CASE WAS VITAL, HOWEVER THERE WERE 2 ITEMS THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO MY DILEMMA AND EMER WORKLOAD, BEING SINGLE PLT. FIRSTLY, DUE TO THE FACT THAT I HAVE 2 IDENTICAL MINIPLUGS ON MY PANEL, NEITHER WHICH IS MARKED, I INITIALLY PLUGGED MY HANDHELD EXTERNAL ANTENNA PLUG INTO THE AUDIO (WRONG) JACK. ALTHOUGH IT TOOK ME 1-2 MINS TO FIGURE OUT THIS MISTAKE I LOST VALUABLE TIME AS I WAS NOW 6 MI FURTHER FROM SHORE AND HAD USED VALUABLE BATTERY PWR FROM MY HANDHELD. SECONDLY, THE RTING I WAS GIVEN (OVER 30 MI FROM SHORE) V139 WAS NOT WHAT I REQUESTED IN MY FLT PLAN, AND IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR SOME LIGHT ACFT DUE TO EQUIP AND CREW SITS. NEEDLESS TO SAY I AM PLACARDING MY 2 MINI- JACKS PRIOR TO NEXT FLT BUT I BELIEVE AN ALTERNATE ATC PREFERRED RTE SHOULD BE PROVIDED TO THOSE PLTS WHOSE CONDITIONS WARRANT OVER-LAND RTING.

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.