Small aircraft pilot has intermittent radio failure and misses clearance from ATC. Still able to cli...

Attributes
ACN	340480
Time
Date	199607
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : buf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : buf tracon : fwa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2900
ASRS Report	340480
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While en route to the scenic falls, it became obvious that the radios were too quiet. As I sought to solve the problem, buf ATC suddenly came on the radio and said they had been trying to contact us for several mins to advise us to climb to 3500 ft from 3000 ft. We did so immediately as we were adjacent to niagara falls airport tower and directly over the niagara river. Prior to that radio contact the radios worked fine. Why they failed intermittently is being looked at by an avionics technician. This situation would not have occurred if the radios were working since buf ATC was trying to advise of the altitude and we were busy trying to sort out the problem. The situation could have been avoided by flying to a neutral area and sorting out the radios, however in that particular area of wny there is little if any class east or D airspace. I asked the private pilot that was with me to climb to 3500 ft from 3000 ft but he was distracted by my efforts to fix the radios. Once communication was established we reached 3500 ft prior to being over the scenic falls and quickly left the area. No evasive action or danger was encountered or required by anyone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAS INTERMITTENT RADIO FAILURE AND MISSES CLRNC FROM ATC. STILL ABLE TO CLB TO ASSIGNED ALT PRIOR TO FLYING INTO CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: WHILE ENRTE TO THE SCENIC FALLS, IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE RADIOS WERE TOO QUIET. AS I SOUGHT TO SOLVE THE PROB, BUF ATC SUDDENLY CAME ON THE RADIO AND SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US FOR SEVERAL MINS TO ADVISE US TO CLB TO 3500 FT FROM 3000 FT. WE DID SO IMMEDIATELY AS WE WERE ADJACENT TO NIAGARA FALLS ARPT TWR AND DIRECTLY OVER THE NIAGARA RIVER. PRIOR TO THAT RADIO CONTACT THE RADIOS WORKED FINE. WHY THEY FAILED INTERMITTENTLY IS BEING LOOKED AT BY AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN. THIS SIT WOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE RADIOS WERE WORKING SINCE BUF ATC WAS TRYING TO ADVISE OF THE ALT AND WE WERE BUSY TRYING TO SORT OUT THE PROB. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY FLYING TO A NEUTRAL AREA AND SORTING OUT THE RADIOS, HOWEVER IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA OF WNY THERE IS LITTLE IF ANY CLASS E OR D AIRSPACE. I ASKED THE PVT PLT THAT WAS WITH ME TO CLB TO 3500 FT FROM 3000 FT BUT HE WAS DISTRACTED BY MY EFFORTS TO FIX THE RADIOS. ONCE COM WAS ESTABLISHED WE REACHED 3500 FT PRIOR TO BEING OVER THE SCENIC FALLS AND QUICKLY LEFT THE AREA. NO EVASIVE ACTION OR DANGER WAS ENCOUNTERED OR REQUIRED BY ANYONE.

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.

Small aircraft pilot has intermittent radio failure and misses clearance from ATC. Still able to climb to assigned altitude prior to flying into class D airspace.