Flight crew of an mdt air carrier aircraft experienced a stuck microphone.

Attributes
ACN	258785
Time
Date	199312
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cvg tower : cvg
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : takeoff ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	258785
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	259162
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe inflight encounter : weather other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon picking the aircraft in clt for our trip to cvg we were informed by maintenance that the captain's push-to-talk switch located on the steering tiller was reported as being inoperative by the previous crew. As there is another push-to-talk switch on the captain's yoke, maintenance deferred the tiller switch. We took off for cvg and the trip was uneventful. There was some rime icing on final. I blew the deicing boots on breaking out in cvg in order to clear any remaining ice. Temperature on the ground was 37 degrees F at the time of landing. As I was getting the clearance, the first officer informed me that there was a little residual slushy ice on the left wing that had not melted. I finished reading the clearance back to ATC and then discussed the situation with him. I then looked down at the #2 communication switch and realized that the microphone switch was stuck. I clicked the tiller switch on and off thinking that I may have used it inadvertently when getting the clearance. The transmit light then went out and ATC commented on the hot microphone. After we were airborne we began to discuss the hot microphone incident. I commented that we never gave any call signs and they probably didn't know who it was, besides the remaining ice had fallen off the wing as we knew it would, so there was nothing to concern ourselves with. At this moment, I discovered that the microphone had stuck on transmit again even though I had not used the tiller switch. Needless to say we spent the entire trip reviewing our every word, even though, except for the stuck microphone, the whole thing was a non-event. The bottom line is that pilots today live in constant fear of an FAA violation and anything that even remotely raises the specter of a violation provokes so much discussion that the primary job of flying is often left on the back burner, which can lead to the even worse problem of minor incidents compounding into major problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN MDT ACR ACFT EXPERIENCED A STUCK MIKE.

Narrative: UPON PICKING THE ACFT IN CLT FOR OUR TRIP TO CVG WE WERE INFORMED BY MAINT THAT THE CAPT'S PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH LOCATED ON THE STEERING TILLER WAS RPTED AS BEING INOP BY THE PREVIOUS CREW. AS THERE IS ANOTHER PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH ON THE CAPT'S YOKE, MAINT DEFERRED THE TILLER SWITCH. WE TOOK OFF FOR CVG AND THE TRIP WAS UNEVENTFUL. THERE WAS SOME RIME ICING ON FINAL. I BLEW THE DEICING BOOTS ON BREAKING OUT IN CVG IN ORDER TO CLR ANY REMAINING ICE. TEMP ON THE GND WAS 37 DEGS F AT THE TIME OF LNDG. AS I WAS GETTING THE CLRNC, THE FO INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A LITTLE RESIDUAL SLUSHY ICE ON THE L WING THAT HAD NOT MELTED. I FINISHED READING THE CLRNC BACK TO ATC AND THEN DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH HIM. I THEN LOOKED DOWN AT THE #2 COM SWITCH AND REALIZED THAT THE MIKE SWITCH WAS STUCK. I CLICKED THE TILLER SWITCH ON AND OFF THINKING THAT I MAY HAVE USED IT INADVERTENTLY WHEN GETTING THE CLRNC. THE XMIT LIGHT THEN WENT OUT AND ATC COMMENTED ON THE HOT MIKE. AFTER WE WERE AIRBORNE WE BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE HOT MIKE INCIDENT. I COMMENTED THAT WE NEVER GAVE ANY CALL SIGNS AND THEY PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW WHO IT WAS, BESIDES THE REMAINING ICE HAD FALLEN OFF THE WING AS WE KNEW IT WOULD, SO THERE WAS NOTHING TO CONCERN OURSELVES WITH. AT THIS MOMENT, I DISCOVERED THAT THE MIKE HAD STUCK ON XMIT AGAIN EVEN THOUGH I HAD NOT USED THE TILLER SWITCH. NEEDLESS TO SAY WE SPENT THE ENTIRE TRIP REVIEWING OUR EVERY WORD, EVEN THOUGH, EXCEPT FOR THE STUCK MIKE, THE WHOLE THING WAS A NON-EVENT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT PLTS TODAY LIVE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF AN FAA VIOLATION AND ANYTHING THAT EVEN REMOTELY RAISES THE SPECTER OF A VIOLATION PROVOKES SO MUCH DISCUSSION THAT THE PRIMARY JOB OF FLYING IS OFTEN LEFT ON THE BACK BURNER, WHICH CAN LEAD TO THE EVEN WORSE PROB OF MINOR INCIDENTS COMPOUNDING INTO MAJOR PROBS.

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.