Using a handheld radio, piper J3 pilot is unable to establish communication with ground control, but...

Attributes
ACN	484820
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : int.airport
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	J3 Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 20
ASRS Report	484820
Events
Anomaly	conflict : ground less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

I was positioning my aircraft (J3 cub) to be on static display for local air show. I have a handheld radio and a lot of times because of the position of hangars they interfere with radio xmissions. So after hand propping to start and taxiing from behind the hangars, I was able to hear ground but unable to transmit. (I later found a plug loose for the connection to a push-to-talk button.) I may have taxied about 50 yards on an active taxiway unable to establish communications. By this time I was about 10 ft from where the runway was closed for air show aircraft to line up on either side. I could see there was no conflict with other aircraft, so I continued to taxi and all the time I could hear ground control. At the first of my taxiing, there was a lot of xmissions on ground talking to other aircraft on a different taxiway so I guess I thought they had blocked my xmissions to ground, but after finding the loose connection on my push-to-talk, I should have just stopped or turned around until definite radio communication was established.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: USING A HANDHELD RADIO, PIPER J3 PLT IS UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COM WITH GND CTL, BUT TAXIES ANYWAY, THINKING HE IS BLOCKED BY HANGAR POS. HE LATER DISCOVERS A LOOSE CONNECTION IN HIS PUSH-TO-TALK CORD.

Narrative: I WAS POSITIONING MY ACFT (J3 CUB) TO BE ON STATIC DISPLAY FOR LCL AIR SHOW. I HAVE A HANDHELD RADIO AND A LOT OF TIMES BECAUSE OF THE POS OF HANGARS THEY INTERFERE WITH RADIO XMISSIONS. SO AFTER HAND PROPPING TO START AND TAXIING FROM BEHIND THE HANGARS, I WAS ABLE TO HEAR GND BUT UNABLE TO XMIT. (I LATER FOUND A PLUG LOOSE FOR THE CONNECTION TO A PUSH-TO-TALK BUTTON.) I MAY HAVE TAXIED ABOUT 50 YARDS ON AN ACTIVE TXWY UNABLE TO ESTABLISH COMS. BY THIS TIME I WAS ABOUT 10 FT FROM WHERE THE RWY WAS CLOSED FOR AIR SHOW ACFT TO LINE UP ON EITHER SIDE. I COULD SEE THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT, SO I CONTINUED TO TAXI AND ALL THE TIME I COULD HEAR GND CTL. AT THE FIRST OF MY TAXIING, THERE WAS A LOT OF XMISSIONS ON GND TALKING TO OTHER ACFT ON A DIFFERENT TXWY SO I GUESS I THOUGHT THEY HAD BLOCKED MY XMISSIONS TO GND, BUT AFTER FINDING THE LOOSE CONNECTION ON MY PUSH-TO-TALK, I SHOULD HAVE JUST STOPPED OR TURNED AROUND UNTIL DEFINITE RADIO COM WAS ESTABLISHED.

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.

Using a handheld radio, piper J3 pilot is unable to establish communication with ground control, but taxies anyway, thinking he is blocked by hangar position. He later discovers a loose connection in his push-to-talk cord.