A lear-24 captain could not figure out why his radios were not working.

Attributes
ACN	453850
Time
Date	199911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : hpn.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl single value : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Learjet 24
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 280 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	453850
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Being vectored for approach into hpn, I was PF. Copilot was working radios. After some time, I figured out that we hadn't heard anything from ATC. I started working with the radios and audio panel and couldn't get any sound out of any radio. After a fair amount of time, we both figured the best thing to do was squawk 7700. We were about 15 mi from the airport on a downwind. 3 reasons we squawked 7700. We had no radios. We didn't have a lot of fuel. We were at a high density airport. While on a 5 mi final, I figured out how to get the radio to work. What I had to do was pull the microphone button all the way out by prying it with my fingers. This seemed to work and tower cleared us to land. Something that didn't make any sense is that I moved the microphone from side to side and I also tried a headset that I had. All this time of unplugging mics and headsets, you would think that one time we would have heard something. I don't really understand. Did I have a problem with the microphone and the radios at the same time? I tried the headset later and it worked fine, but the microphone still stuck sometimes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAR-24 CAPT COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY HIS RADIOS WERE NOT WORKING.

Narrative: BEING VECTORED FOR APCH INTO HPN, I WAS PF. COPLT WAS WORKING RADIOS. AFTER SOME TIME, I FIGURED OUT THAT WE HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING FROM ATC. I STARTED WORKING WITH THE RADIOS AND AUDIO PANEL AND COULDN'T GET ANY SOUND OUT OF ANY RADIO. AFTER A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME, WE BOTH FIGURED THE BEST THING TO DO WAS SQUAWK 7700. WE WERE ABOUT 15 MI FROM THE ARPT ON A DOWNWIND. 3 REASONS WE SQUAWKED 7700. WE HAD NO RADIOS. WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF FUEL. WE WERE AT A HIGH DENSITY ARPT. WHILE ON A 5 MI FINAL, I FIGURED OUT HOW TO GET THE RADIO TO WORK. WHAT I HAD TO DO WAS PULL THE MIC BUTTON ALL THE WAY OUT BY PRYING IT WITH MY FINGERS. THIS SEEMED TO WORK AND TWR CLRED US TO LAND. SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE IS THAT I MOVED THE MIC FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND I ALSO TRIED A HEADSET THAT I HAD. ALL THIS TIME OF UNPLUGGING MICS AND HEADSETS, YOU WOULD THINK THAT ONE TIME WE WOULD HAVE HEARD SOMETHING. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND. DID I HAVE A PROB WITH THE MIC AND THE RADIOS AT THE SAME TIME? I TRIED THE HEADSET LATER AND IT WORKED FINE, BUT THE MIC STILL STUCK SOMETIMES.

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.