A B767 freighter was dispatched and operated with a possible stuck microphone and needed ATC assistance to complete the flight.

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Attributes
ACN	432660
Time
Date	199903
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Route In Use	departure : other published ifr departure
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 3600 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	432660
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : comm transceiver aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : comm transceiver other controllera other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

We first encountered a problem when attempting to contact phl tower on 135.1 and heard no one. We tried ground and the other tower frequency and established contact after reporting our problem to company. What we didn't know is that we had temporarily blanked out 135.1 with a stuck microphone or similar problem. However, if it was just a hot microphone they should have been able to hear us and they couldn't. Phl tower never reported a hot microphone to our knowledge at the time, so we thought their transmitter was the problem. We took off and checked in with departure ok, then ZNY, then lost communications. After trying several frequencys and radios and different keying devices, we established contact with the first officer's hand-held microphone. We were fine for about the next hour and then lost communication on descent with ZID. They told us to stop transmitting, or trying to, and we listened while responding to ATC instructions with idents. We landed at sdf after shooting an ILS to runway 17L without further incident. As of this time, I have no report from maintenance on the cause of the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 FREIGHTER WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED WITH A POSSIBLE STUCK MIKE AND NEEDED ATC ASSISTANCE TO COMPLETE THE FLT.

Narrative: WE FIRST ENCOUNTERED A PROB WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CONTACT PHL TWR ON 135.1 AND HEARD NO ONE. WE TRIED GND AND THE OTHER TWR FREQ AND ESTABLISHED CONTACT AFTER RPTING OUR PROB TO COMPANY. WHAT WE DIDN'T KNOW IS THAT WE HAD TEMPORARILY BLANKED OUT 135.1 WITH A STUCK MIKE OR SIMILAR PROB. HOWEVER, IF IT WAS JUST A HOT MIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR US AND THEY COULDN'T. PHL TWR NEVER RPTED A HOT MIKE TO OUR KNOWLEDGE AT THE TIME, SO WE THOUGHT THEIR XMITTER WAS THE PROB. WE TOOK OFF AND CHKED IN WITH DEP OK, THEN ZNY, THEN LOST COMS. AFTER TRYING SEVERAL FREQS AND RADIOS AND DIFFERENT KEYING DEVICES, WE ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH THE FO'S HAND-HELD MIKE. WE WERE FINE FOR ABOUT THE NEXT HR AND THEN LOST COM ON DSCNT WITH ZID. THEY TOLD US TO STOP XMITTING, OR TRYING TO, AND WE LISTENED WHILE RESPONDING TO ATC INSTRUCTIONS WITH IDENTS. WE LANDED AT SDF AFTER SHOOTING AN ILS TO RWY 17L WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AS OF THIS TIME, I HAVE NO RPT FROM MAINT ON THE CAUSE OF THE PROB.

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.