Radio failure while holding outside the Ben Gurion CTR
You are on a VFR cross-country from Herzliya (LLHZ) to Eilat Ramon (LLER) in a Cessna 172. At 2,500 ft, 2 NM from the Ben Gurion CTR boundary, ATC instructs: 'Remain outside controlled airspace, expect onward clearance in five minutes.' You read back. A minute later the radio goes silent: you hear nothing and your transmissions are not answered. You are squawking as assigned. Visibility is 15 km and cloud is scattered at 4,000 ft. LLHZ is 6 NM behind, LLBS is 25 NM ahead, and the CTR boundary is ahead. Your VFR flight plan was filed for LLER with a 3,500 ft cruise.
1. May you enter the CTR in this situation? Explain the airspace and clearance reasoning.
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No. You were explicitly told to remain outside controlled airspace and to expect clearance later. A radio failure does not create a clearance. Entering the CTR without a clearance would be a serious airspace violation and could conflict with traffic on approach. The correct action is to remain clear of the boundary, turn away if necessary, and squawk 7600 to indicate radio failure. You should attempt to re-establish communication on the assigned frequency, then on the appropriate alternate or guard frequency. If you cannot re-establish communication, do not press into controlled airspace; navigate clear of it and land at a suitable aerodrome.
2. What lost-communication actions would you take, and where would you land?
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Set the transponder to 7600, try the assigned frequency again, then 121.5 and any published alternate frequency. Listen for ATC instructions and for other traffic. Because you are VFR and outside controlled airspace, the safest course is to remain outside the CTR and divert to LLHZ, 6 NM behind, rather than continue toward LLER. Fly visually clear of controlled airspace and avoid the approach paths. Make standard traffic calls blind if appropriate. Do not enter the CTR to 'sort it out' on the ground. If you inadvertently enter controlled airspace, continue VFR, remain clear of cloud, and follow the published lost-communication procedure while watching for light signals.
3. What should you do after landing?
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After landing at LLHZ, do not simply restart and continue. Telephone ATC or the relevant unit, explain the radio failure, the position where it occurred and your actions, and close the VFR flight plan. Inform maintenance and have the radio system checked. If ATC gives instructions by phone, follow them. Also consider whether the flight can be continued safely; a radio failure in controlled airspace environment is not a minor defect. The occurrence may need to be reported under the applicable occurrence-reporting rules. The key point is that the flight plan and the clearance are not substitutes for two-way communication.