A DC9 climbing out from bwi, md, receives a TCASII RA as it levels off at 4000 ft. At the same time, the radios fail on the DC9. In order to avoid the oncoming traffic, the DC9 climbs to 4800 ft before descending to cruise altitude.

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Attributes
ACN	373687
Time
Date	199706
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bwi
State Reference	MD
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4000 msl bound upper : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bwi
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
ASRS Report	373687
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : took evasive action
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Took off bwi and flew runway headings of runway 28. Tower assigned 4000 ft via clearance delivery. We leveled off at 4000 ft and tried to call tower to get a switch to departure control. #1 radio inoperative. Tried #2, it also was not working headset or speakers. We checked circuit breakers, no help. We were monitoring TCASII traffic which was coming straight at us within 5 mi. We went to a TCASII TA then TCASII RA and traffic not visual. We adhered to TCASII RA and climbed. In the ascent, the radios came on full blast, headset and speakers, blowing us out volume wise. Tower was trying to call us about traffic at 12 O'clock position. We responded to TCASII RA as we had no visual and notified tower (bwi). We climbed to 4800-4900 ft until TCASII RA passed under us and TCASII gave all clear sign, we then notified bwi that we were descending back down to original assigned altitude of 4000 ft. I'm not sure why neither radio worked on takeoff and then all of a sudden, both at same time worked again. We wrote up the problem in the logbook.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 CLBING OUT FROM BWI, MD, RECEIVES A TCASII RA AS IT LEVELS OFF AT 4000 FT. AT THE SAME TIME, THE RADIOS FAIL ON THE DC9. IN ORDER TO AVOID THE ONCOMING TFC, THE DC9 CLBS TO 4800 FT BEFORE DSNDING TO CRUISE ALT.

Narrative: TOOK OFF BWI AND FLEW RWY HEADINGS OF RWY 28. TWR ASSIGNED 4000 FT VIA CLRNC DELIVERY. WE LEVELED OFF AT 4000 FT AND TRIED TO CALL TWR TO GET A SWITCH TO DEP CTL. #1 RADIO INOP. TRIED #2, IT ALSO WAS NOT WORKING HEADSET OR SPEAKERS. WE CHKED CIRCUIT BREAKERS, NO HELP. WE WERE MONITORING TCASII TFC WHICH WAS COMING STRAIGHT AT US WITHIN 5 MI. WE WENT TO A TCASII TA THEN TCASII RA AND TFC NOT VISUAL. WE ADHERED TO TCASII RA AND CLBED. IN THE ASCENT, THE RADIOS CAME ON FULL BLAST, HEADSET AND SPEAKERS, BLOWING US OUT VOLUME WISE. TWR WAS TRYING TO CALL US ABOUT TFC AT 12 O'CLOCK POS. WE RESPONDED TO TCASII RA AS WE HAD NO VISUAL AND NOTIFIED TWR (BWI). WE CLBED TO 4800-4900 FT UNTIL TCASII RA PASSED UNDER US AND TCASII GAVE ALL CLR SIGN, WE THEN NOTIFIED BWI THAT WE WERE DSNDING BACK DOWN TO ORIGINAL ASSIGNED ALT OF 4000 FT. I'M NOT SURE WHY NEITHER RADIO WORKED ON TKOF AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, BOTH AT SAME TIME WORKED AGAIN. WE WROTE UP THE PROB IN THE LOGBOOK.

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.