MD80 crew had stuck microphone causing loss of communication.

Attributes
ACN	409590
Time
Date	199807
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sea tower : sea
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	409590
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	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Transmitter stuck on (unknown to us) disrupted approach frequency for approximately 2 mins. Tried switching to tower, disrupted them, switched radios finally heard them on one of the radios advise us to not use the radio at all, identify if we heard them. Sea approach cleared us for a visual approach with a 360 degree altitude losing turn. We didn't try to contact tower as approach told us do not use the radios at all. Uneventful landing, maintenance advised. The radios perhaps should have transmitting led on them. It would have helped us realize what was going on much sooner.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD STUCK MIKE CAUSING LOSS OF COM.

Narrative: XMITTER STUCK ON (UNKNOWN TO US) DISRUPTED APCH FREQ FOR APPROX 2 MINS. TRIED SWITCHING TO TWR, DISRUPTED THEM, SWITCHED RADIOS FINALLY HEARD THEM ON ONE OF THE RADIOS ADVISE US TO NOT USE THE RADIO AT ALL, IDENT IF WE HEARD THEM. SEA APCH CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH WITH A 360 DEG ALT LOSING TURN. WE DIDN'T TRY TO CONTACT TWR AS APCH TOLD US DO NOT USE THE RADIOS AT ALL. UNEVENTFUL LNDG, MAINT ADVISED. THE RADIOS PERHAPS SHOULD HAVE XMITTING LED ON THEM. IT WOULD HAVE HELPED US REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING ON MUCH SOONER.

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.