Narrative:

Quiet on center. I checked, no answer. Center controller was riding jumpseat. He gave us several alternate frequencys to no avail. Finally reached low altitude controller for the oal to cedes intersection segment. Said it sounded like a stuck microphone. I checked mine and I asked the captain if he checked his and he answered yes. After a few more mins I asked the captain again more firmly and louder if he checked his microphone and sure enough his manual that was on top of his flight kit had shifted and was keying his hand-held microphone. Reestablished contact with hi altitude center with no further problem. I kept my eye on TCASII (20 mi range) and there was no traffic. Out of contact for about 5 mins. The location of the hand-held microphone for both the captain and copilot on the B767 is a very poor choice. It is right in line with manuals and flight kits. I've only flown the B767 on maybe 10 legs and this has happened to me 3 times now! Microphone hook should be relocated. Controller on 135.02 said there was a 'hairy' situation referring to traffic but did not elaborate further. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the captain had just come back from the restroom. Perhaps while readjusting his seat the approach manual slid over the top of the microphone button. There was a ZOA controller in the jumpseat as chance would have it that normally worked the sector around coaldale and he knew all the frequencys. None got through. The reporter was asked if there are 2 ways of storing the microphone. The answer was the reporter was unable to recall for sure, would have to check, but thought there was only 1 way for the sleeve on the back of the microphone to receive the receptacle blade/hook attached to the aircraft. There are mikes that have magnetic buttons on both sides of the microphone and can be placed wrongly with the mouthpiece facing toward the nose of the aircraft instead of toward the tail. When this position is used the captain's knee can easily come against and key the microphone. The reporter has corrected the pilot stuck microphone problem unofficially by taking the microphone off the receptacle and draping the cord over the window handle so the microphone dangles in plain sight without touching anything. This is routinely done when placing the flight bag beside the seat when first getting into the aircraft. This corrects the problem of that microphone being stuck. The reporter stated the B757 pilot's microphone location is different -- no problem. There was no further repercussions regarding the stuck microphone or the 'hairy' situation. The controller said if there were going to be recrimination from the center more would have been said by the controller.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUCK MIKE CAUSED LOSS COM. THE CAPT'S MIKE WAS FOUND IN ITS DESIGNED RECEPTACLE BEING KEYED BY HIS FLT BAG AND APCH MANUAL. THAT WAS A 'HAIRY' SIT SAID HIGH ALT SECTOR WHEN CONTACTED. THE PLT'S MIKE LOCATION HAS PROMPTED 3 STUCK MIKES IN 10 LEGS.

Narrative: QUIET ON CTR. I CHKED, NO ANSWER. CTR CTLR WAS RIDING JUMPSEAT. HE GAVE US SEVERAL ALTERNATE FREQS TO NO AVAIL. FINALLY REACHED LOW ALT CTLR FOR THE OAL TO CEDES INTXN SEGMENT. SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A STUCK MIKE. I CHKED MINE AND I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE CHKED HIS AND HE ANSWERED YES. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS I ASKED THE CAPT AGAIN MORE FIRMLY AND LOUDER IF HE CHKED HIS MIKE AND SURE ENOUGH HIS MANUAL THAT WAS ON TOP OF HIS FLT KIT HAD SHIFTED AND WAS KEYING HIS HAND-HELD MIKE. REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH HI ALT CTR WITH NO FURTHER PROB. I KEPT MY EYE ON TCASII (20 MI RANGE) AND THERE WAS NO TFC. OUT OF CONTACT FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. THE LOCATION OF THE HAND-HELD MIKE FOR BOTH THE CAPT AND COPLT ON THE B767 IS A VERY POOR CHOICE. IT IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH MANUALS AND FLT KITS. I'VE ONLY FLOWN THE B767 ON MAYBE 10 LEGS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 3 TIMES NOW! MIKE HOOK SHOULD BE RELOCATED. CTLR ON 135.02 SAID THERE WAS A 'HAIRY' SIT REFERRING TO TFC BUT DID NOT ELABORATE FURTHER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAPT HAD JUST COME BACK FROM THE RESTROOM. PERHAPS WHILE READJUSTING HIS SEAT THE APCH MANUAL SLID OVER THE TOP OF THE MIKE BUTTON. THERE WAS A ZOA CTLR IN THE JUMPSEAT AS CHANCE WOULD HAVE IT THAT NORMALLY WORKED THE SECTOR AROUND COALDALE AND HE KNEW ALL THE FREQS. NONE GOT THROUGH. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF THERE ARE 2 WAYS OF STORING THE MIKE. THE ANSWER WAS THE RPTR WAS UNABLE TO RECALL FOR SURE, WOULD HAVE TO CHK, BUT THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY 1 WAY FOR THE SLEEVE ON THE BACK OF THE MIKE TO RECEIVE THE RECEPTACLE BLADE/HOOK ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. THERE ARE MIKES THAT HAVE MAGNETIC BUTTONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MIKE AND CAN BE PLACED WRONGLY WITH THE MOUTHPIECE FACING TOWARD THE NOSE OF THE ACFT INSTEAD OF TOWARD THE TAIL. WHEN THIS POS IS USED THE CAPT'S KNEE CAN EASILY COME AGAINST AND KEY THE MIKE. THE RPTR HAS CORRECTED THE PLT STUCK MIKE PROB UNOFFICIALLY BY TAKING THE MIKE OFF THE RECEPTACLE AND DRAPING THE CORD OVER THE WINDOW HANDLE SO THE MIKE DANGLES IN PLAIN SIGHT WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING. THIS IS ROUTINELY DONE WHEN PLACING THE FLT BAG BESIDE THE SEAT WHEN FIRST GETTING INTO THE ACFT. THIS CORRECTS THE PROB OF THAT MIKE BEING STUCK. THE RPTR STATED THE B757 PLT'S MIKE LOCATION IS DIFFERENT -- NO PROB. THERE WAS NO FURTHER REPERCUSSIONS REGARDING THE STUCK MIKE OR THE 'HAIRY' SIT. THE CTLR SAID IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE RECRIMINATION FROM THE CTR MORE WOULD HAVE BEEN SAID BY THE CTLR.

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.