Narrative:

I was on a ferry permit in a 1962 A55 baron (VFR only). I took off from johnson city, tn, en route to san diego, brown field. Johnson city airport had no fuel, so I decided to go to tri city for fuel. I received ATIS from tri city airport and switched to tower frequency. I could not receive or transmit on communication frequency due to the radio overheating and eventually shutting off. So I thought my best decision would be to fly back to johnson city, so I made a 90 degree turn from my approach angle and flew around the circumference of the class D airspace. Apparently, I penetrated the class D at tri city by 1 mi, and missed a midair by some 300 ft with another aircraft on approach. I never saw the other aircraft. I knew I was close to penetrating class D, so I decided that since my radio was inoperative and to avoid traffic problems at tri city, that it would be safer to avoid incoming traffic there and just fly back to johnson city. There I was greeted by a police officer and he took my pilot information and advised me to call the tri city tower. I called the tower and we discussed the situation together. I've been flying in the southern california area all my life and have never violated an airspace. I should have avoided class D airspace until communications were made. My opinion of what mechanically happened is that since it has been a yr since the radios have been turned on they overheated and shut off. The solution to all of this would be to carry a hand-held radio on my ferry flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE55 ON A FERRY FLT HAS LOSS OF COM RADIO WHILE APCHING TRI CITY, TN. PLT ATTEMPTS TO AVOID CLASS D AIRSPACE FOR A RETURN TO DEP ARPT BUT CLIPS THE EDGE OF TRI AND HAS AN NMAC WITH AN ACR ON APCH. RPTR NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS ON A FERRY PERMIT IN A 1962 A55 BARON (VFR ONLY). I TOOK OFF FROM JOHNSON CITY, TN, ENRTE TO SAN DIEGO, BROWN FIELD. JOHNSON CITY ARPT HAD NO FUEL, SO I DECIDED TO GO TO TRI CITY FOR FUEL. I RECEIVED ATIS FROM TRI CITY ARPT AND SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ. I COULD NOT RECEIVE OR XMIT ON COM FREQ DUE TO THE RADIO OVERHEATING AND EVENTUALLY SHUTTING OFF. SO I THOUGHT MY BEST DECISION WOULD BE TO FLY BACK TO JOHNSON CITY, SO I MADE A 90 DEG TURN FROM MY APCH ANGLE AND FLEW AROUND THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. APPARENTLY, I PENETRATED THE CLASS D AT TRI CITY BY 1 MI, AND MISSED A MIDAIR BY SOME 300 FT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON APCH. I NEVER SAW THE OTHER ACFT. I KNEW I WAS CLOSE TO PENETRATING CLASS D, SO I DECIDED THAT SINCE MY RADIO WAS INOP AND TO AVOID TFC PROBS AT TRI CITY, THAT IT WOULD BE SAFER TO AVOID INCOMING TFC THERE AND JUST FLY BACK TO JOHNSON CITY. THERE I WAS GREETED BY A POLICE OFFICER AND HE TOOK MY PLT INFO AND ADVISED ME TO CALL THE TRI CITY TWR. I CALLED THE TWR AND WE DISCUSSED THE SIT TOGETHER. I'VE BEEN FLYING IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA ALL MY LIFE AND HAVE NEVER VIOLATED AN AIRSPACE. I SHOULD HAVE AVOIDED CLASS D AIRSPACE UNTIL COMS WERE MADE. MY OPINION OF WHAT MECHANICALLY HAPPENED IS THAT SINCE IT HAS BEEN A YR SINCE THE RADIOS HAVE BEEN TURNED ON THEY OVERHEATED AND SHUT OFF. THE SOLUTION TO ALL OF THIS WOULD BE TO CARRY A HAND-HELD RADIO ON MY FERRY FLTS.

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.