PA-28 Cherokee/Archer/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Flight Crew Private; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 12.6; Flight Crew Total 115.6; Flight Crew Type 13.3
Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Inflight Event / Encounter Fuel Issue
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; General Declared Emergency
Aircraft; Human Factors
During a personal flight with mother and girlfriend; I lost all communications and my NAV system and GPS while over swamplands in [the southeast US]. Due to the darkness over the swamp at night I located the nearest road and followed it to about 20 miles west of [a major] airport while trying to communicate with the airport [tower]. Upon not receiving a response...and circling the area for a few minutes and realizing that my fuel reserve was running low and the engine was sputtering I proceeded to initiate emergency radio failure procedures. I immediately squawked 7600 and tried to flash my lights at the tower upon getting in range with the hopes of a return light gun signal; I cased the area for other aircrafts and proceeded to land after ensuring that it was safe to land; upon making the landing the engine shut down due to no fuel after entering the taxi way. After getting an escort I switched the tank with the other tank which only had enough fuel to taxi to the FBO to refuel due to the fact that the engine shutdown again due to no fuel; I than purchased 12 gallons of fuel and tried to get the radios to work for about 20 minutes the radios started to work but I still had no NAV or GPS. Made contact with the tower and transferred to [area center] radio. Upon passing [familiar] antennas near [my destination airport] I experienced another radio failure with traffic directly ahead following safety procedures I turned right entering [a local airport Class C] airspace and immediately made a 360 to avoid the traffic and head to [my planned destination] airport. After regaining the radio contact with [local area] radios requested flight following with them to ensure a safe arrival following the landing I tried to contact them to no avail as the radios were lost again. I then voluntarily grounded the airplane and had the communication panel checked by an avionics tech. Who told me that the radio antennas are too close to each other; and that he found broken wires behind the panel; and the [local ground based] antennas affect the airplane's radios. This airplane has been grounded until all these issues have been addressed. Unfortunately for me I just purchased this plane a few weeks before and had no problems during any of my day flights or test flights and the mechanic who looked over the plane said it was a good buy. I followed all safety procedures and check list and all actions set by the FAA for a NORDO.
A Private pilot on a night cross country lost communications; navigation and GPS capability and then followed a highway toward a major airport where he made a landing without a clearance and; after turning off the runway; ran out of fuel. After taxiing to the FBO for gas on the dregs of fuel in the other tank...where the engine quit again. After fueling he got the radios working again; took off; and then suffered two additional instances of lost communications on the way to his destination. Upon landing he 'voluntarily' grounded the aircraft for maintenance.