Lost Without You

My friend was on a long VFR solo cross-country flight from Texas to Florida in a Debonair. The flight was shaping up to be uneventful but increased in intensity en route to a fuel stop in Alabama.My friend contacted Approach and waited patiently for a response. Crickets. He tried again, but no one answered.

Like most pilots, he said his initial reaction was questioning why Approach wasn’t acknowledging him, but it ultimately dawned on him that he had a radio communication failure. He was NORDO—no radio.

As my friend recounted the situation, initially, he tensed up, and a sense of panic flushed him. He had to remind himself that the aircraft was flying fine, and — while he had never been in this situation before — he had trained for it and knew what to do. 

Start by confirming the radios have failed.

• Take a deep breath and then reference the checklist and troubleshoot, which includes resetting the avionics.
• If that doesn’t work, check the volume on the radio and adjust the squelch.
• No luck? Dial in the frequency on the second radio.
• If there’s no response, try a CTAF frequency for a radio check.
• Nothing? That’s the cue to squawk 7600, the lost communication squawk code.

In my friend’s scenario, he was still under VFR and close enough to the departing airport to circle it. He was lucky to discover no traffic at the airport.

ATC issued the steady green light gun signal, permitting him to land. My friend explained that he still made radio calls the whole time in case ATC could hear.

Thankfully, he landed the aircraft safely, relieved to be on the ground. Hooray for him—his first real lost communications emergency. 

The FAA regulation for lost communications in visual conditions is to continue the flight under VFR and land as soon as practicable. Before doing so, following your checklist and troubleshooting is essential.

This includes ensuring your mic is not stuck, testing an alternative frequency like Flight Service Station (FSS) or guard, and rolling back to the last frequency you were on. If communication is not re-established with ATC, set your transponder to 7600 and continue to make radio calls “in the blind” and land. 

My friend was fortunate that Alabama didn't have traffic, and ATC immediately cleared him to land via the light gun signals. However, airports are usually busy, so reviewing the ATC light gun signals frequently is a great idea.

A loss of radio communications can be a challenging experience in flight. I recommend reviewing your checklist, chair flying, and simulating lost-comms scenarios to sharpen your skills. The more practice you have on the ground, the more prepared you will be in the air.

Know Before You Go

To acknowledge signals in flight, move your ailerons/rudder during the day and flash your lights (Idg or nav) at night.

For more information, including what each signal means for aircraft on the ground and the movement of vehicles, equipment, and personnel, check out Chapter 3 of FAA Order JO 7110.65AA - Air Traffic Control.