Narrative:

I was the PIC, single pilot of a DHC6 flying kapa to longmont, co (2v2). Conditions were cavok, VFR. I was given the clearance 'twin otter, northwest departure approved, maintain runway heading, runway 17L, cleared for takeoff.' I acknowledged the clearance by readback. Shortly after liftoff, I heard an aircraft call centennial tower to report established inbound on the ILS runway 35R. A few seconds later, my radio failed. I was unable to transmit or receive. Being 'no communication' and knowing there was conflicting traffic ahead, I began a slow, wide right turn to the west about 1 mi south of the airport. I visually acquired a C172 below and behind me also in a right turn and maintained visual separation. About 3 mins later, the radio came back on and tower said, 'aircraft X we've been trying to call you. Your clearance was runway heading and you overflew a cessna taking off from runway 17R. Please call the tower on a landline.' I called and spoke to kapa tower supervisor and explained. She said they would have preferred me to continue runway heading and they realized I was no communication. I based my decision on knowing that they cleared me for a northwest departure and knowing of conflicting head-on traffic. Contributing factors were radio failure, single pilot, complex aircraft, complex traffic environment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HDG TRACK DEV BY A SINGLE PLT IN A VFR DHC6 DEP AFTER LOSING 2-WAY COM FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AT APA, CO.

Narrative: I WAS THE PIC, SINGLE PLT OF A DHC6 FLYING KAPA TO LONGMONT, CO (2V2). CONDITIONS WERE CAVOK, VFR. I WAS GIVEN THE CLRNC 'TWIN OTTER, NW DEP APPROVED, MAINTAIN RWY HDG, RWY 17L, CLRED FOR TKOF.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CLRNC BY READBACK. SHORTLY AFTER LIFTOFF, I HEARD AN ACFT CALL CENTENNIAL TWR TO RPT ESTABLISHED INBOUND ON THE ILS RWY 35R. A FEW SECONDS LATER, MY RADIO FAILED. I WAS UNABLE TO XMIT OR RECEIVE. BEING 'NO COM' AND KNOWING THERE WAS CONFLICTING TFC AHEAD, I BEGAN A SLOW, WIDE R TURN TO THE W ABOUT 1 MI S OF THE ARPT. I VISUALLY ACQUIRED A C172 BELOW AND BEHIND ME ALSO IN A R TURN AND MAINTAINED VISUAL SEPARATION. ABOUT 3 MINS LATER, THE RADIO CAME BACK ON AND TWR SAID, 'ACFT X WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO CALL YOU. YOUR CLRNC WAS RWY HDG AND YOU OVERFLEW A CESSNA TAKING OFF FROM RWY 17R. PLEASE CALL THE TWR ON A LANDLINE.' I CALLED AND SPOKE TO KAPA TWR SUPVR AND EXPLAINED. SHE SAID THEY WOULD HAVE PREFERRED ME TO CONTINUE RWY HDG AND THEY REALIZED I WAS NO COM. I BASED MY DECISION ON KNOWING THAT THEY CLRED ME FOR A NW DEP AND KNOWING OF CONFLICTING HEAD-ON TFC. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE RADIO FAILURE, SINGLE PLT, COMPLEX ACFT, COMPLEX TFC ENVIRONMENT.

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.