Narrative:

On taxi-out at ord a stuck microphone-faulty audio panel on aircraft caused considerable confusion with ground control, metering, and clearance delivery. Because we had already entered an active taxiway we continued to taxi until we felt we were in a spot out of the way. We could not hear ATC but apparently they could hear us as we were blocking the frequencys as we tried in vain to talk to someone on various frequencys. After we determined it was the observer's audio panel, we isolated it and resumed talking to ground control. Needless to say they were not happy with us because we had blocked a taxiway for a few mins, probably 2 or 3 mins. Ground control was literally screaming at us. At the time stopping at a spot that was, to us, out of the way, was the best alternative until we resolved the problem. Other aircraft could get around us but ground control didn't apparently see it that way. After the problem was isolated and ground control calmed down, the flight proceeded without further incident. Possibly a procedure could be developed for aircraft at busy airports that experience similar problems. My first officer suggested the penalty box would be a good place in the event of a radio failure on the ground when there aren't any other obvious alternatives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUCK MIKE CAUSED CONFUSION WITH GND CTL, METERING, AND CLRNC DELIVERY. FLC LOCATED PROB ON OBSERVER'S RADIO PANEL.

Narrative: ON TAXI-OUT AT ORD A STUCK MIKE-FAULTY AUDIO PANEL ON ACFT CAUSED CONSIDERABLE CONFUSION WITH GND CTL, METERING, AND CLRNC DELIVERY. BECAUSE WE HAD ALREADY ENTERED AN ACTIVE TXWY WE CONTINUED TO TAXI UNTIL WE FELT WE WERE IN A SPOT OUT OF THE WAY. WE COULD NOT HEAR ATC BUT APPARENTLY THEY COULD HEAR US AS WE WERE BLOCKING THE FREQS AS WE TRIED IN VAIN TO TALK TO SOMEONE ON VARIOUS FREQS. AFTER WE DETERMINED IT WAS THE OBSERVER'S AUDIO PANEL, WE ISOLATED IT AND RESUMED TALKING TO GND CTL. NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY WERE NOT HAPPY WITH US BECAUSE WE HAD BLOCKED A TXWY FOR A FEW MINS, PROBABLY 2 OR 3 MINS. GND CTL WAS LITERALLY SCREAMING AT US. AT THE TIME STOPPING AT A SPOT THAT WAS, TO US, OUT OF THE WAY, WAS THE BEST ALTERNATIVE UNTIL WE RESOLVED THE PROB. OTHER ACFT COULD GET AROUND US BUT GND CTL DIDN'T APPARENTLY SEE IT THAT WAY. AFTER THE PROB WAS ISOLATED AND GND CTL CALMED DOWN, THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. POSSIBLY A PROC COULD BE DEVELOPED FOR ACFT AT BUSY ARPTS THAT EXPERIENCE SIMILAR PROBS. MY FO SUGGESTED THE PENALTY BOX WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE IN THE EVENT OF A RADIO FAILURE ON THE GND WHEN THERE AREN'T ANY OTHER OBVIOUS ALTERNATIVES.

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.