Small aircraft pilot had the radio communication receiver volume so low that he could not hear other aircraft on the unicom frequency at an uncontrolled airport resulting in turning final on a runway with another aircraft on short final on the opposite end.

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Attributes
ACN	346440
Time
Date	199609
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fni
State Reference	CO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 1000 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : go around other
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	other : unknown
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 8600 flight time type : 800
ASRS Report	346440
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was on a short pleasure flight in the vicinity of my hometown. Runway 33 was in use for departure. The aircraft I had rented had a radio with a very sensitive volume knob, slight movement of the knob would completely mute the receiver. The flight was routine and uneventful. Upon my return to the field, I attempted to get an airport advisory from unicom but was unsuccessful. I then monitored the local AWOS for wind direction. The wind was a light direct crosswind, so I elected to enter the traffic pattern for runway 33. I announced my position on CTAF twice and heard no other traffic in the area. On short final, I saw an aircraft on final for runway 15. I executed a go around and entered traffic pattern for runway 15. Landed without incident. I believe that I may have bumped the volume knob on the radio after listening to AWOS. As I knew about the radio problem, I should have been more attentive to looking outside the airplane, as well as testing the radio receiver level with the squelch control.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT HAD THE RADIO COM RECEIVER VOLUME SO LOW THAT HE COULD NOT HEAR OTHER ACFT ON THE UNICOM FREQ AT AN UNCTLED ARPT RESULTING IN TURNING FINAL ON A RWY WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON SHORT FINAL ON THE OPPOSITE END.

Narrative: I WAS ON A SHORT PLEASURE FLT IN THE VICINITY OF MY HOMETOWN. RWY 33 WAS IN USE FOR DEP. THE ACFT I HAD RENTED HAD A RADIO WITH A VERY SENSITIVE VOLUME KNOB, SLIGHT MOVEMENT OF THE KNOB WOULD COMPLETELY MUTE THE RECEIVER. THE FLT WAS ROUTINE AND UNEVENTFUL. UPON MY RETURN TO THE FIELD, I ATTEMPTED TO GET AN ARPT ADVISORY FROM UNICOM BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. I THEN MONITORED THE LCL AWOS FOR WIND DIRECTION. THE WIND WAS A LIGHT DIRECT XWIND, SO I ELECTED TO ENTER THE TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 33. I ANNOUNCED MY POS ON CTAF TWICE AND HEARD NO OTHER TFC IN THE AREA. ON SHORT FINAL, I SAW AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR RWY 15. I EXECUTED A GAR AND ENTERED TFC PATTERN FOR RWY 15. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THAT I MAY HAVE BUMPED THE VOLUME KNOB ON THE RADIO AFTER LISTENING TO AWOS. AS I KNEW ABOUT THE RADIO PROB, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO LOOKING OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE, AS WELL AS TESTING THE RADIO RECEIVER LEVEL WITH THE SQUELCH CTL.

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.