Narrative:

1/2 way between lax and ogg at FL280, we began to have problems transmitting our position reports. We initially thought the cause might be our low altitude, but even after climbing to FL380 still experienced inability to receive but could transmit our position. ZHN suggested we have a stuck microphone, however, we had checked several times and no stuck microphone. We warned them that we had been experiencing problems with our radios. We lost contact with the center as we approached maui, so we called maui approach and received only one transmission from them and warned them about our radios. On downwind with no further contact with approach, I called tower and also contacted our dispatch on ACARS. I asked them to contact maui tower and ask for light signals. We squawked 7600. We initially started our own turn to final and transmitted in the blind on tower frequency -- all in visual conditions. Never received light signals but received message on ACARS that dispatch was in touch with tower. We cleared our own airspace and transmitted to tower that we were landing. No formal clearance was received. It made me very uncomfortable. Landed without incident. We felt the problem was the #1 radio box and whenever I, as the PNF, transmitted on #2 radio, the problem carried itself over to that radio. Mechanic in maui confirmed it was a continuously transmitting #1 radio. He switched #1 radio with a new radio and all was normal. Supplemental information from acn 429392: hindsight: if we had simply ensured bad #1 radio was on some unused discrete frequency, we may have been able to use #2 radio normally. But we got confused by 2 radio heads -- each with 2 windows, 2 people trying to talk.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST COMS ON A B757-200 WHICH LANDS AT MAUI WITHOUT BENEFIT OF CLRNC TO LAND. THE FLT HAD EXPERIENCED RADIO COM PROBS FROM A MID POINT BTWN LAX AND OGG, HI.

Narrative: 1/2 WAY BTWN LAX AND OGG AT FL280, WE BEGAN TO HAVE PROBS XMITTING OUR POS RPTS. WE INITIALLY THOUGHT THE CAUSE MIGHT BE OUR LOW ALT, BUT EVEN AFTER CLBING TO FL380 STILL EXPERIENCED INABILITY TO RECEIVE BUT COULD XMIT OUR POS. ZHN SUGGESTED WE HAVE A STUCK MIKE, HOWEVER, WE HAD CHKED SEVERAL TIMES AND NO STUCK MIKE. WE WARNED THEM THAT WE HAD BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBS WITH OUR RADIOS. WE LOST CONTACT WITH THE CTR AS WE APCHED MAUI, SO WE CALLED MAUI APCH AND RECEIVED ONLY ONE XMISSION FROM THEM AND WARNED THEM ABOUT OUR RADIOS. ON DOWNWIND WITH NO FURTHER CONTACT WITH APCH, I CALLED TWR AND ALSO CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH ON ACARS. I ASKED THEM TO CONTACT MAUI TWR AND ASK FOR LIGHT SIGNALS. WE SQUAWKED 7600. WE INITIALLY STARTED OUR OWN TURN TO FINAL AND XMITTED IN THE BLIND ON TWR FREQ -- ALL IN VISUAL CONDITIONS. NEVER RECEIVED LIGHT SIGNALS BUT RECEIVED MESSAGE ON ACARS THAT DISPATCH WAS IN TOUCH WITH TWR. WE CLRED OUR OWN AIRSPACE AND XMITTED TO TWR THAT WE WERE LNDG. NO FORMAL CLRNC WAS RECEIVED. IT MADE ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WE FELT THE PROB WAS THE #1 RADIO BOX AND WHENEVER I, AS THE PNF, XMITTED ON #2 RADIO, THE PROB CARRIED ITSELF OVER TO THAT RADIO. MECH IN MAUI CONFIRMED IT WAS A CONTINUOUSLY XMITTING #1 RADIO. HE SWITCHED #1 RADIO WITH A NEW RADIO AND ALL WAS NORMAL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 429392: HINDSIGHT: IF WE HAD SIMPLY ENSURED BAD #1 RADIO WAS ON SOME UNUSED DISCRETE FREQ, WE MAY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO USE #2 RADIO NORMALLY. BUT WE GOT CONFUSED BY 2 RADIO HEADS -- EACH WITH 2 WINDOWS, 2 PEOPLE TRYING TO TALK.

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.