Narrative:

I had filed IFR from M99 (benton, ar) to ft worth meacham airport. After taking the 260 degree radial from buj, I was told to contact regional approach. They vectored me around traffic with dscnts and a turn to the airport. I was told to contact the tower which I attempted to do. For some unexplained reason, the radar quit transmitting and receiving. Another pilot flying with me tried using a hand- held microphone with no contact. Noticing traffic turning base in front of us and other traffic in the area, we elected to turn west where the area was clear. The other pilot watched for traffic while I tried to establish radio contact. Once we did make contact, the controller cleared us to land and said 'you almost hit another aircraft' (the one on base). I told him that we had kept the plane in sight and he said 'well in the future....' he didn't finish his sentence. I'm not sure what the correct response should have been in that particular situation. Other aircraft were in the area, and we were not at tpa (1700 ft) as well as outside the traffic pattern. There is a heavy volume of student training in the area and I felt safety would have been compromised by continuing in without a clearance. Also after getting a landing clearance we were told to enter a downwind for runway 34R. We landed with no further instructions from tower other than to contact ground.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT IS UNABLE TO CONTACT TWR AND EXITS TFC PATTERN WHEN SIGHTING ACFT ON BASE IN FRONT OF HIM.

Narrative: I HAD FILED IFR FROM M99 (BENTON, AR) TO FT WORTH MEACHAM ARPT. AFTER TAKING THE 260 DEG RADIAL FROM BUJ, I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT REGIONAL APCH. THEY VECTORED ME AROUND TFC WITH DSCNTS AND A TURN TO THE ARPT. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR WHICH I ATTEMPTED TO DO. FOR SOME UNEXPLAINED REASON, THE RADAR QUIT XMITTING AND RECEIVING. ANOTHER PLT FLYING WITH ME TRIED USING A HAND- HELD MIKE WITH NO CONTACT. NOTICING TFC TURNING BASE IN FRONT OF US AND OTHER TFC IN THE AREA, WE ELECTED TO TURN W WHERE THE AREA WAS CLR. THE OTHER PLT WATCHED FOR TFC WHILE I TRIED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT. ONCE WE DID MAKE CONTACT, THE CTLR CLRED US TO LAND AND SAID 'YOU ALMOST HIT ANOTHER ACFT' (THE ONE ON BASE). I TOLD HIM THAT WE HAD KEPT THE PLANE IN SIGHT AND HE SAID 'WELL IN THE FUTURE....' HE DIDN'T FINISH HIS SENTENCE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE CORRECT RESPONSE SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THAT PARTICULAR SIT. OTHER ACFT WERE IN THE AREA, AND WE WERE NOT AT TPA (1700 FT) AS WELL AS OUTSIDE THE TFC PATTERN. THERE IS A HVY VOLUME OF STUDENT TRAINING IN THE AREA AND I FELT SAFETY WOULD HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED BY CONTINUING IN WITHOUT A CLRNC. ALSO AFTER GETTING A LNDG CLRNC WE WERE TOLD TO ENTER A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34R. WE LANDED WITH NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS FROM TWR OTHER THAN TO CONTACT GND.

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.