ATC unable to establish radio contact with rotary wing traffic performing EMS service.

Attributes
ACN	285041
Time
Date	199410
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl bound lower : 800 msl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3040 flight time type : 240
ASRS Report	285041
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on standby for a street scene, I turned off the communication 1 monitor switch to avoid ATC traffic cutting in while I was getting L2 information from our flight communications. When told to respond I failed to turn the switch back on. This would allow me to hear ATC only when I had the transmit selector in that position. Everything went smoothly until the return trip back to the hospital. The crew was very busy with the patient so I was working several radios at once. I made the initial call to ATC and they radar idented me. I told them where I was going and my altitude. I then switched to the other radios, talking to the hospital and to flight communication, thinking I still had the capability to monitor ATC. When I was about 1 mi from air force base. I wondered why approach had not handed me off. Looking down I then saw the monitor switch off. Called ATC and found they had called me several times and had to rerte some military training activity in the pattern at air force base. In the future, I'll check my audio panel more closely before each takeoff.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATC UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH ROTARY WING TFC PERFORMING EMS SVC.

Narrative: WHILE ON STANDBY FOR A STREET SCENE, I TURNED OFF THE COM 1 MONITOR SWITCH TO AVOID ATC TFC CUTTING IN WHILE I WAS GETTING L2 INFO FROM OUR FLT COMS. WHEN TOLD TO RESPOND I FAILED TO TURN THE SWITCH BACK ON. THIS WOULD ALLOW ME TO HEAR ATC ONLY WHEN I HAD THE XMIT SELECTOR IN THAT POS. EVERYTHING WENT SMOOTHLY UNTIL THE RETURN TRIP BACK TO THE HOSPITAL. THE CREW WAS VERY BUSY WITH THE PATIENT SO I WAS WORKING SEVERAL RADIOS AT ONCE. I MADE THE INITIAL CALL TO ATC AND THEY RADAR IDENTED ME. I TOLD THEM WHERE I WAS GOING AND MY ALT. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE OTHER RADIOS, TALKING TO THE HOSPITAL AND TO FLT COM, THINKING I STILL HAD THE CAPABILITY TO MONITOR ATC. WHEN I WAS ABOUT 1 MI FROM AIR FORCE BASE. I WONDERED WHY APCH HAD NOT HANDED ME OFF. LOOKING DOWN I THEN SAW THE MONITOR SWITCH OFF. CALLED ATC AND FOUND THEY HAD CALLED ME SEVERAL TIMES AND HAD TO RERTE SOME MIL TRAINING ACTIVITY IN THE PATTERN AT AIR FORCE BASE. IN THE FUTURE, I'LL CHK MY AUDIO PANEL MORE CLOSELY BEFORE EACH TKOF.

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.