Flight crew of a widebody transport experienced air-ground communications failure shortly after take...

Attributes
ACN	306632
Time
Date	199505
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 4400
ASRS Report	306632
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff on assigned departure heading of 205 degrees and level at 5000 ft, complete VHF communication failure occurred. Indications on ground were that there was an open microphone in the cockpit. We suspected such but were unable to determine which. In the trouble-shooting process we regained communications for 1 ATC transmission for us to turn to 105 degrees (we're not sure it was positively 105 degrees). We again lost all contact. So the captain said he was selecting 7600 on the transponder, but inadvertently selected 7500 instead. Subsequent trouble-shooting allowed us to first regain the captain's VHF communication and at a later point ATC asked us if we were squawking 7500 to which we replied in the affirmative and we asked for a new transponder code and further clearance en route. The first officer's VHF communication was subsequently recovered. We think that the first officer's communication panel malfunctioned, thus blocking all incoming xmissions to all 3 VHF communication radios.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A WDB EXPERIENCED AIR-GND COMS FAILURE SHORTLY AFTER TKOF.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF ON ASSIGNED DEP HDG OF 205 DEGS AND LEVEL AT 5000 FT, COMPLETE VHF COM FAILURE OCCURRED. INDICATIONS ON GND WERE THAT THERE WAS AN OPEN MIKE IN THE COCKPIT. WE SUSPECTED SUCH BUT WERE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHICH. IN THE TROUBLE-SHOOTING PROCESS WE REGAINED COMS FOR 1 ATC XMISSION FOR US TO TURN TO 105 DEGS (WE'RE NOT SURE IT WAS POSITIVELY 105 DEGS). WE AGAIN LOST ALL CONTACT. SO THE CAPT SAID HE WAS SELECTING 7600 ON THE XPONDER, BUT INADVERTENTLY SELECTED 7500 INSTEAD. SUBSEQUENT TROUBLE-SHOOTING ALLOWED US TO FIRST REGAIN THE CAPT'S VHF COM AND AT A LATER POINT ATC ASKED US IF WE WERE SQUAWKING 7500 TO WHICH WE REPLIED IN THE AFFIRMATIVE AND WE ASKED FOR A NEW XPONDER CODE AND FURTHER CLRNC ENRTE. THE FO'S VHF COM WAS SUBSEQUENTLY RECOVERED. WE THINK THAT THE FO'S COM PANEL MALFUNCTIONED, THUS BLOCKING ALL INCOMING XMISSIONS TO ALL 3 VHF COM RADIOS.

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.

Flight crew of a widebody transport experienced air-ground communications failure shortly after takeoff.