Narrative:

On the morning of aug/xa/01, I took off from afw with a load of freight. I was on an IFR flight plan going to sat. The WX was VFR and all equipment on my airplane was working normally. Tower instructed me to contact departure on 118.1, which I did. Departure told me to climb and maintain 3000 ft, which I did. Departure then called me to contact departure on 135.97, which I acknowledged. When I switched frequencys, I noticed I could not transmit on my #1 communication. I also noticed I could not receive. I switched to my #2 radio to call departure and discovered it also was inoperative. My initial feelings were of total disbelief! I maintained altitude and heading while I checked circuit breakers, squelch, hot radios, etc. I found nothing abnormal. I tried listening over the NAVAID -- nothing. At this point I accepted the fact I had a total communication radio failure. Navigation receivers were working. It had been a long time since I looked at the regulations. As I tried to recall what I should do in this situation, all I could remember was what to do if you are IFR and your radios fail. I was on an IFR flight plan and our company operations manual says when we're carrying freight we do not go VFR. I thought about turning around and going back to afw but due to the heavy traffic in the area I felt very uneasy about doing that and I felt it would not be a safe thing to do. I decided to squawk 7600 and continue on under the rules for radio failure when you're IFR. I flew my flight plan route and landed safely at sat. After reviewing the FARS, I think now that the correct action would have been to go VFR and land at a nearby airport. I admit though I am not totally sure about this. Other pilots I've talked to have varied opinions. One says I did the right thing. My chief pilot says he also would not have turned around to go back to afw. Anyway, I'm still a little uncertain about what the correct action should have been. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated on the ground, maintenance replaced the #1 communication transceiver but never advised the fix on #2 communication system. The reporter said the rules for the lost communication procedure are now very clear.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CESSNA 208B ON IFR FLT PLAN HAS LOSS OF VHF #1 AND #2 COM TRANSCEIVERS AND CONTINUES ON FLT PLAN AS FILED IN VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF AUG/XA/01, I TOOK OFF FROM AFW WITH A LOAD OF FREIGHT. I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN GOING TO SAT. THE WX WAS VFR AND ALL EQUIP ON MY AIRPLANE WAS WORKING NORMALLY. TWR INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTACT DEP ON 118.1, WHICH I DID. DEP TOLD ME TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 3000 FT, WHICH I DID. DEP THEN CALLED ME TO CONTACT DEP ON 135.97, WHICH I ACKNOWLEDGED. WHEN I SWITCHED FREQS, I NOTICED I COULD NOT XMIT ON MY #1 COM. I ALSO NOTICED I COULD NOT RECEIVE. I SWITCHED TO MY #2 RADIO TO CALL DEP AND DISCOVERED IT ALSO WAS INOP. MY INITIAL FEELINGS WERE OF TOTAL DISBELIEF! I MAINTAINED ALT AND HDG WHILE I CHKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, SQUELCH, HOT RADIOS, ETC. I FOUND NOTHING ABNORMAL. I TRIED LISTENING OVER THE NAVAID -- NOTHING. AT THIS POINT I ACCEPTED THE FACT I HAD A TOTAL COM RADIO FAILURE. NAV RECEIVERS WERE WORKING. IT HAD BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I LOOKED AT THE REGS. AS I TRIED TO RECALL WHAT I SHOULD DO IN THIS SIT, ALL I COULD REMEMBER WAS WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE IFR AND YOUR RADIOS FAIL. I WAS ON AN IFR FLT PLAN AND OUR COMPANY OPS MANUAL SAYS WHEN WE'RE CARRYING FREIGHT WE DO NOT GO VFR. I THOUGHT ABOUT TURNING AROUND AND GOING BACK TO AFW BUT DUE TO THE HVY TFC IN THE AREA I FELT VERY UNEASY ABOUT DOING THAT AND I FELT IT WOULD NOT BE A SAFE THING TO DO. I DECIDED TO SQUAWK 7600 AND CONTINUE ON UNDER THE RULES FOR RADIO FAILURE WHEN YOU'RE IFR. I FLEW MY FLT PLAN RTE AND LANDED SAFELY AT SAT. AFTER REVIEWING THE FARS, I THINK NOW THAT THE CORRECT ACTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO GO VFR AND LAND AT A NEARBY ARPT. I ADMIT THOUGH I AM NOT TOTALLY SURE ABOUT THIS. OTHER PLTS I'VE TALKED TO HAVE VARIED OPINIONS. ONE SAYS I DID THE RIGHT THING. MY CHIEF PLT SAYS HE ALSO WOULD NOT HAVE TURNED AROUND TO GO BACK TO AFW. ANYWAY, I'M STILL A LITTLE UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT THE CORRECT ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ON THE GND, MAINT REPLACED THE #1 COM TRANSCEIVER BUT NEVER ADVISED THE FIX ON #2 COM SYS. THE RPTR SAID THE RULES FOR THE LOST COM PROC ARE NOW VERY CLR.

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.