Narrative:

Flew this aircraft on 3 preceding flts: mlu-shv, shv-dfw, dfw-phx. Experienced no radio problems. During engine start, taxi and taking runway 8L at phx, had no communication problems. After clearance to taxi into position and hold we heard nothing for 90 seconds or more. We tried to transmit and heard a loud squeal. We tried communication 2 with same result. We then heard phx tower tell us to taxi clear of runway. As the aircraft moved forward, the first officer established contact with tower and said we must have been in a blind spot. Tower said they heard us ok and told us to hold our position. After 20 seconds or so, tower cleared us for takeoff. We were to fly the eagul 2 departure. Just prior to takeoff, the radio squawked but we could still hear transmissions. After we became airborne we lost communication 1 and 2. We could not transmit or receive. All 3 of us tried both radios. We checked for stuck microphones. Cbs and power sws. I instructed so to make PA for passenger not to use electronic devices. I flew the eagul 2 but not as precisely as we normally would. We were at 5700 ft with no contact and I was initiating a turn to the west to establish a downwind for runway 8L and was about to ask for to set in lost communication transponder code when we heard phx tower on communication 2 (we had tuned both radios to tower frequency). They directed us to climb to 15000 ft on the departure. We were able to maintain communication with tower departure and ZAB on communication 2. As we got higher we regained communication 1 radio. At first, I thought we had local ground interference but as the problem stayed with us, I became convinced of electrical interference from inside our aircraft. I strongly suspect a passenger was using a cellular telephone. There were also several notebook computers and at least 1 hand-held nintendo game in the cabin. I will appreciate any information you might have about similar occurrences at phx or anywhere else.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative: FLEW THIS ACFT ON 3 PRECEDING FLTS: MLU-SHV, SHV-DFW, DFW-PHX. EXPERIENCED NO RADIO PROBLEMS. DURING ENG START, TAXI AND TAKING RWY 8L AT PHX, HAD NO COM PROBLEMS. AFTER CLRNC TO TAXI INTO POS AND HOLD WE HEARD NOTHING FOR 90 SECONDS OR MORE. WE TRIED TO XMIT AND HEARD A LOUD SQUEAL. WE TRIED COM 2 WITH SAME RESULT. WE THEN HEARD PHX TWR TELL US TO TAXI CLR OF RWY. AS THE ACFT MOVED FORWARD, THE FO ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH TWR AND SAID WE MUST HAVE BEEN IN A BLIND SPOT. TWR SAID THEY HEARD US OK AND TOLD US TO HOLD OUR POS. AFTER 20 SECONDS OR SO, TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF. WE WERE TO FLY THE EAGUL 2 DEP. JUST PRIOR TO TKOF, THE RADIO SQUAWKED BUT WE COULD STILL HEAR TRANSMISSIONS. AFTER WE BECAME AIRBORNE WE LOST COM 1 AND 2. WE COULD NOT XMIT OR RECEIVE. ALL 3 OF US TRIED BOTH RADIOS. WE CHKED FOR STUCK MICROPHONES. CBS AND PWR SWS. I INSTRUCTED SO TO MAKE PA FOR PAX NOT TO USE ELECTRONIC DEVICES. I FLEW THE EAGUL 2 BUT NOT AS PRECISELY AS WE NORMALLY WOULD. WE WERE AT 5700 FT WITH NO CONTACT AND I WAS INITIATING A TURN TO THE W TO ESTABLISH A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8L AND WAS ABOUT TO ASK FOR TO SET IN LOST COM TRANSPONDER CODE WHEN WE HEARD PHX TWR ON COM 2 (WE HAD TUNED BOTH RADIOS TO TWR FREQ). THEY DIRECTED US TO CLB TO 15000 FT ON THE DEP. WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN COM WITH TWR DEP AND ZAB ON COM 2. AS WE GOT HIGHER WE REGAINED COM 1 RADIO. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT WE HAD LCL GND INTERFERENCE BUT AS THE PROBLEM STAYED WITH US, I BECAME CONVINCED OF ELECTRICAL INTERFERENCE FROM INSIDE OUR ACFT. I STRONGLY SUSPECT A PAX WAS USING A CELLULAR TELEPHONE. THERE WERE ALSO SEVERAL NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS AND AT LEAST 1 HAND-HELD NINTENDO GAME IN THE CABIN. I WILL APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT SIMILAR OCCURRENCES AT PHX OR ANYWHERE ELSE.

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.