Narrative:

Initial taxi clearance from ground control (121.9) was to taxi to runway 19 via runway 6/24. Approaching the departure end of runway 19 on the parallel taxiway we changed to tower (119.5). We watched 1 airplane land as we held short of runway 19 and then watched another line up on final. At this point we realized we were not hearing any radio transmissions and rechked our radios. The correct frequency (119.5) was selected but the volume was turned down. When we adjusted the volume back to normal we heard tower giving the air carrier flight on short final missed approach instructions. After tower issued the missed approach instructions they asked us if we were on frequency. We acknowledged tower and told them we were holding short of runway 19, our last clearance. Tower then told us that they had cleared us onto runway 19 to hold. We had not acknowledged any radio calls from tower and since they could not tell if we were on the runway or not, they sent the air carrier flight around. Tower then asked us if we had had any radio problems and we acknowledged that we had. At this point tower cleared us onto the runway and cleared us for departure. The subsequent flight was normal. The airplane that we were flying is one of a handful of mlgs that is not standardized with the rest of the fleet. This particular aircraft has a single volume control knob for the communication radios whereas most of the mlgs have individual audio panel controls for each pilot. The likelihood of the radio volume being turned down too low is very minimal on the normal medium large transport. However, the single volume control knob radio lends itself to inadvertently being turned down too low. We had it happen to us several times during the 2 flts we had with this particular aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO COM PROBLEM CAUSES FLC ON ACR MLG TO CREATE PROBLEM FOR TWR CTLR IN BEING UNABLE TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH MLG.

Narrative: INITIAL TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTL (121.9) WAS TO TAXI TO RWY 19 VIA RWY 6/24. APCHING THE DEP END OF RWY 19 ON THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY WE CHANGED TO TWR (119.5). WE WATCHED 1 AIRPLANE LAND AS WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 19 AND THEN WATCHED ANOTHER LINE UP ON FINAL. AT THIS POINT WE REALIZED WE WERE NOT HEARING ANY RADIO TRANSMISSIONS AND RECHKED OUR RADIOS. THE CORRECT FREQ (119.5) WAS SELECTED BUT THE VOLUME WAS TURNED DOWN. WHEN WE ADJUSTED THE VOLUME BACK TO NORMAL WE HEARD TWR GIVING THE ACR FLT ON SHORT FINAL MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS. AFTER TWR ISSUED THE MISSED APCH INSTRUCTIONS THEY ASKED US IF WE WERE ON FREQ. WE ACKNOWLEDGED TWR AND TOLD THEM WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 19, OUR LAST CLRNC. TWR THEN TOLD US THAT THEY HAD CLRED US ONTO RWY 19 TO HOLD. WE HAD NOT ACKNOWLEDGED ANY RADIO CALLS FROM TWR AND SINCE THEY COULD NOT TELL IF WE WERE ON THE RWY OR NOT, THEY SENT THE ACR FLT AROUND. TWR THEN ASKED US IF WE HAD HAD ANY RADIO PROBLEMS AND WE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT WE HAD. AT THIS POINT TWR CLRED US ONTO THE RWY AND CLRED US FOR DEP. THE SUBSEQUENT FLT WAS NORMAL. THE AIRPLANE THAT WE WERE FLYING IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF MLGS THAT IS NOT STANDARDIZED WITH THE REST OF THE FLEET. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS A SINGLE VOLUME CTL KNOB FOR THE COM RADIOS WHEREAS MOST OF THE MLGS HAVE INDIVIDUAL AUDIO PANEL CTLS FOR EACH PLT. THE LIKELIHOOD OF THE RADIO VOLUME BEING TURNED DOWN TOO LOW IS VERY MINIMAL ON THE NORMAL MLG. HOWEVER, THE SINGLE VOLUME CTL KNOB RADIO LENDS ITSELF TO INADVERTENTLY BEING TURNED DOWN TOO LOW. WE HAD IT HAPPEN TO US SEVERAL TIMES DURING THE 2 FLTS WE HAD WITH THIS PARTICULAR ACFT.

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.