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Pilot instructor of an small transport twin engine aircraft had stuck microphone resulting in lost communication during an IFR training flight.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 261453 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199401 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : oto |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 14000 msl bound upper : 14000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sea |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute airway : v60 |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 1160 flight time type : 30 |
| ASRS Report | 261453 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 835 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 261454 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
2 instructors, one an mei, on instrument flight plan from 2v2 to las cruces. Purpose of flight is 3-FOLD: test 2 new engines and propellers, training, and accumulating multi time. While on V60 (I think), abq approach asked us to contact ZAB. Attempts were made to contact center on new frequency, but to no avail. At this time, I returned to approach frequency in order to verify new frequency. Approach verified and responded to my call in timely manner. (I felt, at this time, that because of approach's response, my radio transmission capabilities were fine.) after this, attempts were continuously made to contact ZAB. We tried to troubleshoot, having the other instructor transmit on his push-to-talk switch. Once again, we were met with disappointment. Throughout this exercise in futility, we were acting in the manner prescribed in far 91.185(C)(1)(2). Although on IFR flight plan, VFR conditions prevailed. Continuing on, we realized there must be a serious breakdown of communication capabilities and we tried to contact abq radio in order to have them reach center, cancel IFR, get out of everybody's hair and continue VFR until malfunction resolution could be accomplished. Near truth or consequences (how appropriate!) we started ripping intercom cables out and trying drastic measures to figure out problem. All of a sudden, the living world of ATC came in loud and clear, with an understandably very upset controller (having spent what must have seemed an eternity listening to a grating woman's voice with a stuck microphone!) it was at this time I received notice of pilot deviation. Supplemental information from acn 261454: through some more investigation we found out there was a stuck microphone after the portable intercom was unplugged. At that time we immediately heard center telling us not to transmit and we switched to the handheld microphone. We continued on our flight plan as filed, switched frequencys as requested, and canceled IFR when we became able to complete the visual approach. We then called the individual as requested by ATC -- in albuquerque, and he told my instructor he was not going to violate her. The only thing we failed to do was squawk 7600 on transponder for lost communication.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT INSTRUCTOR OF AN SMT TWIN ENG ACFT HAD STUCK MIKE RESULTING IN LOST COM DURING AN IFR TRAINING FLT.
Narrative: 2 INSTRUCTORS, ONE AN MEI, ON INST FLT PLAN FROM 2V2 TO LAS CRUCES. PURPOSE OF FLT IS 3-FOLD: TEST 2 NEW ENGS AND PROPS, TRAINING, AND ACCUMULATING MULTI TIME. WHILE ON V60 (I THINK), ABQ APCH ASKED US TO CONTACT ZAB. ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CONTACT CTR ON NEW FREQ, BUT TO NO AVAIL. AT THIS TIME, I RETURNED TO APCH FREQ IN ORDER TO VERIFY NEW FREQ. APCH VERIFIED AND RESPONDED TO MY CALL IN TIMELY MANNER. (I FELT, AT THIS TIME, THAT BECAUSE OF APCH'S RESPONSE, MY RADIO XMISSION CAPABILITIES WERE FINE.) AFTER THIS, ATTEMPTS WERE CONTINUOUSLY MADE TO CONTACT ZAB. WE TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT, HAVING THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR XMIT ON HIS PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH. ONCE AGAIN, WE WERE MET WITH DISAPPOINTMENT. THROUGHOUT THIS EXERCISE IN FUTILITY, WE WERE ACTING IN THE MANNER PRESCRIBED IN FAR 91.185(C)(1)(2). ALTHOUGH ON IFR FLT PLAN, VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. CONTINUING ON, WE REALIZED THERE MUST BE A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN OF COM CAPABILITIES AND WE TRIED TO CONTACT ABQ RADIO IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM REACH CTR, CANCEL IFR, GET OUT OF EVERYBODY'S HAIR AND CONTINUE VFR UNTIL MALFUNCTION RESOLUTION COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. NEAR TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES (HOW APPROPRIATE!) WE STARTED RIPPING INTERCOM CABLES OUT AND TRYING DRASTIC MEASURES TO FIGURE OUT PROB. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE LIVING WORLD OF ATC CAME IN LOUD AND CLR, WITH AN UNDERSTANDABLY VERY UPSET CTLR (HAVING SPENT WHAT MUST HAVE SEEMED AN ETERNITY LISTENING TO A GRATING WOMAN'S VOICE WITH A STUCK MIKE!) IT WAS AT THIS TIME I RECEIVED NOTICE OF PLTDEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 261454: THROUGH SOME MORE INVESTIGATION WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A STUCK MIKE AFTER THE PORTABLE INTERCOM WAS UNPLUGGED. AT THAT TIME WE IMMEDIATELY HEARD CTR TELLING US NOT TO XMIT AND WE SWITCHED TO THE HANDHELD MIKE. WE CONTINUED ON OUR FLT PLAN AS FILED, SWITCHED FREQS AS REQUESTED, AND CANCELED IFR WHEN WE BECAME ABLE TO COMPLETE THE VISUAL APCH. WE THEN CALLED THE INDIVIDUAL AS REQUESTED BY ATC -- IN ALBUQUERQUE, AND HE TOLD MY INSTRUCTOR HE WAS NOT GOING TO VIOLATE HER. THE ONLY THING WE FAILED TO DO WAS SQUAWK 7600 ON XPONDER FOR LOST COM.
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.