Narrative:

While conducting a cap cadet orientation flight with a learning impaired cadet, I was cleared for visual approach to runway 33 and to report a 1 mi final. At 3 mi out, the cadet began to ask several questions, but was drowned out by tower radio traffic. I switched the radio to communication #2 (off) intending to return to communication #1 after answering the questions. At 1 mi final, I called tower without response and continued until over the numbers where I discovered my error, switched to communication #1, and established contact with the tower as I began a go around. I was cleared for right downwind runway 20 and landed uneventfully. Tower said they had tried to call me and had given me a green light as well, but I had been so preoccupied with establishing radio contact and troubleshooting the radios I failed to see the light gun signal. Fortunately no traffic conflicts occurred. In hindsight, I should not have let my extra concern for an impaired cadet override good sterile cockpit procedures and cause me to be distraction from my primary job, which is the safe operation of the aircraft. I know better, but I failed to follow my training and experience in this instance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 PLT SWITCHED THE MAIN RADIO OFF TO ANSWER A PAX'S QUESTION AND FORGOT TO SWITCH IT ON IN A TIMELY MANNER.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A CAP CADET ORIENTATION FLT WITH A LEARNING IMPAIRED CADET, I WAS CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH TO RWY 33 AND TO RPT A 1 MI FINAL. AT 3 MI OUT, THE CADET BEGAN TO ASK SEVERAL QUESTIONS, BUT WAS DROWNED OUT BY TWR RADIO TFC. I SWITCHED THE RADIO TO COM #2 (OFF) INTENDING TO RETURN TO COM #1 AFTER ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS. AT 1 MI FINAL, I CALLED TWR WITHOUT RESPONSE AND CONTINUED UNTIL OVER THE NUMBERS WHERE I DISCOVERED MY ERROR, SWITCHED TO COM #1, AND ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE TWR AS I BEGAN A GAR. I WAS CLRED FOR R DOWNWIND RWY 20 AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. TWR SAID THEY HAD TRIED TO CALL ME AND HAD GIVEN ME A GREEN LIGHT AS WELL, BUT I HAD BEEN SO PREOCCUPIED WITH ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT AND TROUBLESHOOTING THE RADIOS I FAILED TO SEE THE LIGHT GUN SIGNAL. FORTUNATELY NO TFC CONFLICTS OCCURRED. IN HINDSIGHT, I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET MY EXTRA CONCERN FOR AN IMPAIRED CADET OVERRIDE GOOD STERILE COCKPIT PROCS AND CAUSE ME TO BE DISTR FROM MY PRIMARY JOB, WHICH IS THE SAFE OP OF THE ACFT. I KNOW BETTER, BUT I FAILED TO FOLLOW MY TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE IN THIS INSTANCE.

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.