Narrative:

I was on a solo cross country flight to cys. I contacted the tower while about 12 mi south and was told to call a 2 mi base for runway 30. There was a C130 practicing touch-and-goes and a local commuter plane landing, both using runway 26. A cessna was in the pattern for runway 30. I called the 2 bases and I think that I got clearance to land. When I turned final, I was expecting the tower to respond again. The ATIS reported wind at 330 degrees at 9 KTS, but at about 200 ft AGL it was considerably more. I was flying a citabria (tailwheel) and it was taking a lot of concentration to remain aligned with the runway. I could not remember if I had gotten the final 'cleared to land runway 30' reply from the tower, so I called the tower and asked if I was cleared to land to verify myself. The cessna called its position in the pattern. At first I thought that the voice was the tower. When I realized that the tower had not responded, I was about 75 ft AGL above the runway, concentrating on the crosswind landing. I called the tower again, asking if I was cleared to land and got no response. The cessna commented that he was not hearing the tower either. It started to dawn on me that I had not heard the tower respond to anyone in the last 2 mins. I became panicky, not knowing what to do. I was about 25 ft AGL, the runway was clear and I could stop long before the intersecting runway, so I landed. As I rolled out to a stop, the tower came on frequency with another radio. The tower controller asked if this radio worked and then asked me if I had seen the light. In the concentration it takes to land a tailwheel, I don't remember looking at the tower or seeing a light in the tower -- especially in the bright sunlight. It shook me up pretty bad and all I could tell the controller was that I could hear his radio and that I was a student pilot. I had been worried that if I went around, I might fly into the path of the C130. While taxiing to runway 30, the words of my instructor came to mind: 'if you do not get a clearance to land -- don't!' I cannot tell you if I was cleared to land or not. Because of my uncertainty, I have to assume that I did not get clearance via the radio. I do not know what color light they were shining at me. Lessons learned: this was my first experience with a radio failure. Look at the tower when in doubt. But more importantly, if you have any doubt, go around. Far 91.127(D) talks about communication failure of the aircraft radio. Part 2 speaks to VFR flight and that the pilot may land if (ii) visual contact is maintained with the tower and (III) a clearance to land is received. Although this does not specifically talk about a tower radio failure, I feel that I may have violated subpart (ii) and possibly (III) above. They may have shone a green light at me, but I am not sure.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CH7A STUDENT PLT HAD LOSS OF COM WITH CYS TWR AFTER TWR RADIO FAILURE.

Narrative: I WAS ON A SOLO XCOUNTRY FLT TO CYS. I CONTACTED THE TWR WHILE ABOUT 12 MI S AND WAS TOLD TO CALL A 2 MI BASE FOR RWY 30. THERE WAS A C130 PRACTICING TOUCH-AND-GOES AND A LCL COMMUTER PLANE LNDG, BOTH USING RWY 26. A CESSNA WAS IN THE PATTERN FOR RWY 30. I CALLED THE 2 BASES AND I THINK THAT I GOT CLRNC TO LAND. WHEN I TURNED FINAL, I WAS EXPECTING THE TWR TO RESPOND AGAIN. THE ATIS RPTED WIND AT 330 DEGS AT 9 KTS, BUT AT ABOUT 200 FT AGL IT WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE. I WAS FLYING A CITABRIA (TAILWHEEL) AND IT WAS TAKING A LOT OF CONCENTRATION TO REMAIN ALIGNED WITH THE RWY. I COULD NOT REMEMBER IF I HAD GOTTEN THE FINAL 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 30' REPLY FROM THE TWR, SO I CALLED THE TWR AND ASKED IF I WAS CLRED TO LAND TO VERIFY MYSELF. THE CESSNA CALLED ITS POS IN THE PATTERN. AT FIRST I THOUGHT THAT THE VOICE WAS THE TWR. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE TWR HAD NOT RESPONDED, I WAS ABOUT 75 FT AGL ABOVE THE RWY, CONCENTRATING ON THE XWIND LNDG. I CALLED THE TWR AGAIN, ASKING IF I WAS CLRED TO LAND AND GOT NO RESPONSE. THE CESSNA COMMENTED THAT HE WAS NOT HEARING THE TWR EITHER. IT STARTED TO DAWN ON ME THAT I HAD NOT HEARD THE TWR RESPOND TO ANYONE IN THE LAST 2 MINS. I BECAME PANICKY, NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO. I WAS ABOUT 25 FT AGL, THE RWY WAS CLR AND I COULD STOP LONG BEFORE THE INTERSECTING RWY, SO I LANDED. AS I ROLLED OUT TO A STOP, THE TWR CAME ON FREQ WITH ANOTHER RADIO. THE TWR CTLR ASKED IF THIS RADIO WORKED AND THEN ASKED ME IF I HAD SEEN THE LIGHT. IN THE CONCENTRATION IT TAKES TO LAND A TAILWHEEL, I DON'T REMEMBER LOOKING AT THE TWR OR SEEING A LIGHT IN THE TWR -- ESPECIALLY IN THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT. IT SHOOK ME UP PRETTY BAD AND ALL I COULD TELL THE CTLR WAS THAT I COULD HEAR HIS RADIO AND THAT I WAS A STUDENT PLT. I HAD BEEN WORRIED THAT IF I WENT AROUND, I MIGHT FLY INTO THE PATH OF THE C130. WHILE TAXIING TO RWY 30, THE WORDS OF MY INSTRUCTOR CAME TO MIND: 'IF YOU DO NOT GET A CLRNC TO LAND -- DON'T!' I CANNOT TELL YOU IF I WAS CLRED TO LAND OR NOT. BECAUSE OF MY UNCERTAINTY, I HAVE TO ASSUME THAT I DID NOT GET CLRNC VIA THE RADIO. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT COLOR LIGHT THEY WERE SHINING AT ME. LESSONS LEARNED: THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH A RADIO FAILURE. LOOK AT THE TWR WHEN IN DOUBT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBT, GO AROUND. FAR 91.127(D) TALKS ABOUT COM FAILURE OF THE ACFT RADIO. PART 2 SPEAKS TO VFR FLT AND THAT THE PLT MAY LAND IF (II) VISUAL CONTACT IS MAINTAINED WITH THE TWR AND (III) A CLRNC TO LAND IS RECEIVED. ALTHOUGH THIS DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT A TWR RADIO FAILURE, I FEEL THAT I MAY HAVE VIOLATED SUBPART (II) AND POSSIBLY (III) ABOVE. THEY MAY HAVE SHONE A GREEN LIGHT AT ME, BUT I AM NOT SURE.

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.