Narrative:

The plan (and clearance) was abc departure to cde; VOR approach to ZZZ about a ten minute flight. Very rough; TRACON was very; very busy; talking continuously; obviously stressed; and I don't blame them. Lots of 'stepped on' calls. During climb; TRACON started screaming about my transponder being in the wrong code; and changing continuously. This has been a rare malfunction in the eclipse type aircraft; and it had happened to me once before in this aircraft. 'Ground check ok;' and it worked fine for several flts prior to this one. I tried to reset it; but it had no effect. The previous time the transponder had changed the numbers in the display as well as 'for real;' but this time the display remained on the correct code; and the controller said it was actually outputting random numbers at high speed. When I tried to select transponder #2; it failed. The autoplt also kicked off due to turbulence; so I had my hands full; a bit overloaded. The eclipse is a twin jet; very sensitive to pitch; and something of a chore to fly without the autoplt. There was another aircraft with a very; very similar call sign on the frequency and TRACON and unfortunately both aircraft were shortening that call sign. I caught what I thought was my call sign to climb to 5000 ft. I was climbing above 4000 ft when I thought it strange (for this route); and when I could get a word in; asked if I was supposed to be at 4000 ft. The controller said; 'yes; you're a little high; bring it down.' I did so promptly. He then yells at me for my heading and asked if I'd heard the clearance to cde. I had not; it had probably got stepped on. After this; the controller advised both aircraft of the similar call signs. I had filed /a; which meant no RNAV capability; so 'direct cde' was not only an illegal clearance; but one I could not comply with. I finally got through to ask for a 'heading to intercept' the final approach course; and by this time I was too close to cde and conflicting with other traffic. TRACON gave me a big right 360 turn in stages; put me on the final course; and the rest of the approach was routine. The aircraft is grounded; pending a correction to the problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EA50 (ECLIPSE) TRANSPONDER 1 CYCLED CODES IN A RAPID RANDOM SEQUENCE. WHEN TRANSPONDER 2 WAS SELECTED IT FAILED.

Narrative: THE PLAN (AND CLRNC) WAS ABC DEPARTURE TO CDE; VOR APCH TO ZZZ ABOUT A TEN MINUTE FLT. VERY ROUGH; TRACON WAS VERY; VERY BUSY; TALKING CONTINUOUSLY; OBVIOUSLY STRESSED; AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. LOTS OF 'STEPPED ON' CALLS. DURING CLB; TRACON STARTED SCREAMING ABOUT MY XPONDER BEING IN THE WRONG CODE; AND CHANGING CONTINUOUSLY. THIS HAS BEEN A RARE MALFUNCTION IN THE ECLIPSE TYPE ACFT; AND IT HAD HAPPENED TO ME ONCE BEFORE IN THIS ACFT. 'GROUND CHK OK;' AND IT WORKED FINE FOR SEVERAL FLTS PRIOR TO THIS ONE. I TRIED TO RESET IT; BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT. THE PREVIOUS TIME THE XPONDER HAD CHANGED THE NUMBERS IN THE DISPLAY AS WELL AS 'FOR REAL;' BUT THIS TIME THE DISPLAY REMAINED ON THE CORRECT CODE; AND THE CTLR SAID IT WAS ACTUALLY OUTPUTTING RANDOM NUMBERS AT HIGH SPD. WHEN I TRIED TO SELECT XPONDER #2; IT FAILED. THE AUTOPLT ALSO KICKED OFF DUE TO TURB; SO I HAD MY HANDS FULL; A BIT OVERLOADED. THE ECLIPSE IS A TWIN JET; VERY SENSITIVE TO PITCH; AND SOMETHING OF A CHORE TO FLY WITHOUT THE AUTOPLT. THERE WAS ANOTHER ACFT WITH A VERY; VERY SIMILAR CALL SIGN ON THE FREQ AND TRACON AND UNFORTUNATELY BOTH ACFT WERE SHORTENING THAT CALL SIGN. I CAUGHT WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY CALL SIGN TO CLB TO 5000 FT. I WAS CLBING ABOVE 4000 FT WHEN I THOUGHT IT STRANGE (FOR THIS RTE); AND WHEN I COULD GET A WORD IN; ASKED IF I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AT 4000 FT. THE CTLR SAID; 'YES; YOU'RE A LITTLE HIGH; BRING IT DOWN.' I DID SO PROMPTLY. HE THEN YELLS AT ME FOR MY HDG AND ASKED IF I'D HEARD THE CLRNC TO CDE. I HAD NOT; IT HAD PROBABLY GOT STEPPED ON. AFTER THIS; THE CTLR ADVISED BOTH ACFT OF THE SIMILAR CALL SIGNS. I HAD FILED /A; WHICH MEANT NO RNAV CAPABILITY; SO 'DIRECT CDE' WAS NOT ONLY AN ILLEGAL CLRNC; BUT ONE I COULD NOT COMPLY WITH. I FINALLY GOT THROUGH TO ASK FOR A 'HDG TO INTERCEPT' THE FINAL APCH COURSE; AND BY THIS TIME I WAS TOO CLOSE TO CDE AND CONFLICTING WITH OTHER TFC. TRACON GAVE ME A BIG RIGHT 360 TURN IN STAGES; PUT ME ON THE FINAL COURSE; AND THE REST OF THE APCH WAS ROUTINE. THE ACFT IS GROUNDED; PENDING A CORRECTION TO THE PROBLEMS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.