Narrative:

This incident all started right after takeoff from tlh. When we were cleared to contact departure the PNF, captain, answered, contacted departure, and was cleared to fly 145 degree heading and climb to 10000 ft. During both of the PNF's xmissions he could not hear himself transmitting, but the tower and departure both seemed to hear the xmissions. Approximately 40 NM southeast of tlh we were told to fly our own navigation to intercept V-97 to hevvn intersection, then join the arrival and maintain 10000 ft. PNF acknowledged this transmission, but was told 'you are extremely weak, I can barely read you,' or words to that effect, by departure. PNF then resorted to the yoke, mounted microphone and was received loud and clear. We were directed to change to ZJX 127.8, which PNF acknowledged with the yoke microphone. On check in we were cleared to climb to FL190, which PNF set in the altitude preselect window. By now we were climbing through 10000 ft, so PF, first officer, turned on autoplt and set the pitch for a climb. The PNF turned the speaker on, removed his headset, and started unplugging and replugging into the interphone panel behind him. PF continued to monitor the aircraft. A couple of mins later, PNF heard ZJX call and stated 'maintain 15000 ft for traffic,' reached for the yoke microphone and acknowledged, all the while facing the aft panel. Simultaneously the PF was making various suggestions, on trying to find PNF's headset problem. PF did not hear the 15000 ft altitude restr. PNF was still preoccupied with his headset problem and failed to select 15000 ft in the altitude preselect window. Aircraft continued to climb on autoplt. PNF finally resolved the headset problem by testing headset utilizing various PA position on pedestal mounted interphone panel, then put on headset and reset the panels for normal operations. Center frequency was busy with chatter. About this time we hear 'traffic, traffic,' looked at TCASII (which is in 6 NM range), and look outside to see an aircraft passing our 10 O'clock position, level with us, about 3 NM east of our position. ZJX asks our altitude and PNF states '16200 ft, we have traffic in sight at 9 O'clock position.' at this point PNF remembers the 15000 ft restr. A little too late. During this scenario, the captain was the PNF and first officer was the PF. But roles could have been reversed with identical results. It is interesting to note that this incident was caused by a chain of events but possibly could have been avoided had any one link been broken, like many other incidents/accidents. Factors were: 1) malfunctioning headset, 2) 1 pilot out of the loop, 3) controller busy, normally would query altitude when passing 250 ft above assigned, 4) WX was clear/VMC -- false sense of security, 5) TCASII was on 6 mi range -- if at 12 mi might have picked up on coming traffic earlier, thus keying memory of PNF, 6) inattention and wrong prioritizing by both PNF and PF, 7) irritation caused by PNF's malfunctioning transmitter led to 'tunnel vision' to get problem fixed, abandoning normal procedures. Luckily, the outcome was not a tragedy -- it could have been a lot worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CLBING DHC8 PASSES WITHIN 3 MI OF ANOTHER ACFT WHEN THE CREW FAILS TO STOP THEIR CLB TO FL190 55 MI SE OF SZW, FL.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT ALL STARTED RIGHT AFTER TKOF FROM TLH. WHEN WE WERE CLRED TO CONTACT DEP THE PNF, CAPT, ANSWERED, CONTACTED DEP, AND WAS CLRED TO FLY 145 DEG HDG AND CLB TO 10000 FT. DURING BOTH OF THE PNF'S XMISSIONS HE COULD NOT HEAR HIMSELF XMITTING, BUT THE TWR AND DEP BOTH SEEMED TO HEAR THE XMISSIONS. APPROX 40 NM SE OF TLH WE WERE TOLD TO FLY OUR OWN NAV TO INTERCEPT V-97 TO HEVVN INTXN, THEN JOIN THE ARR AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. PNF ACKNOWLEDGED THIS XMISSION, BUT WAS TOLD 'YOU ARE EXTREMELY WEAK, I CAN BARELY READ YOU,' OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT, BY DEP. PNF THEN RESORTED TO THE YOKE, MOUNTED MIKE AND WAS RECEIVED LOUD AND CLR. WE WERE DIRECTED TO CHANGE TO ZJX 127.8, WHICH PNF ACKNOWLEDGED WITH THE YOKE MIKE. ON CHK IN WE WERE CLRED TO CLB TO FL190, WHICH PNF SET IN THE ALT PRESELECT WINDOW. BY NOW WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 10000 FT, SO PF, FO, TURNED ON AUTOPLT AND SET THE PITCH FOR A CLB. THE PNF TURNED THE SPEAKER ON, REMOVED HIS HEADSET, AND STARTED UNPLUGGING AND REPLUGGING INTO THE INTERPHONE PANEL BEHIND HIM. PF CONTINUED TO MONITOR THE ACFT. A COUPLE OF MINS LATER, PNF HEARD ZJX CALL AND STATED 'MAINTAIN 15000 FT FOR TFC,' REACHED FOR THE YOKE MIKE AND ACKNOWLEDGED, ALL THE WHILE FACING THE AFT PANEL. SIMULTANEOUSLY THE PF WAS MAKING VARIOUS SUGGESTIONS, ON TRYING TO FIND PNF'S HEADSET PROB. PF DID NOT HEAR THE 15000 FT ALT RESTR. PNF WAS STILL PREOCCUPIED WITH HIS HEADSET PROB AND FAILED TO SELECT 15000 FT IN THE ALT PRESELECT WINDOW. ACFT CONTINUED TO CLB ON AUTOPLT. PNF FINALLY RESOLVED THE HEADSET PROB BY TESTING HEADSET UTILIZING VARIOUS PA POS ON PEDESTAL MOUNTED INTERPHONE PANEL, THEN PUT ON HEADSET AND RESET THE PANELS FOR NORMAL OPS. CTR FREQ WAS BUSY WITH CHATTER. ABOUT THIS TIME WE HEAR 'TFC, TFC,' LOOKED AT TCASII (WHICH IS IN 6 NM RANGE), AND LOOK OUTSIDE TO SEE AN ACFT PASSING OUR 10 O'CLOCK POS, LEVEL WITH US, ABOUT 3 NM E OF OUR POS. ZJX ASKS OUR ALT AND PNF STATES '16200 FT, WE HAVE TFC IN SIGHT AT 9 O'CLOCK POS.' AT THIS POINT PNF REMEMBERS THE 15000 FT RESTR. A LITTLE TOO LATE. DURING THIS SCENARIO, THE CAPT WAS THE PNF AND FO WAS THE PF. BUT ROLES COULD HAVE BEEN REVERSED WITH IDENTICAL RESULTS. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY A CHAIN OF EVENTS BUT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD ANY ONE LINK BEEN BROKEN, LIKE MANY OTHER INCIDENTS/ACCIDENTS. FACTORS WERE: 1) MALFUNCTIONING HEADSET, 2) 1 PLT OUT OF THE LOOP, 3) CTLR BUSY, NORMALLY WOULD QUERY ALT WHEN PASSING 250 FT ABOVE ASSIGNED, 4) WX WAS CLR/VMC -- FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY, 5) TCASII WAS ON 6 MI RANGE -- IF AT 12 MI MIGHT HAVE PICKED UP ON COMING TFC EARLIER, THUS KEYING MEMORY OF PNF, 6) INATTENTION AND WRONG PRIORITIZING BY BOTH PNF AND PF, 7) IRRITATION CAUSED BY PNF'S MALFUNCTIONING XMITTER LED TO 'TUNNEL VISION' TO GET PROB FIXED, ABANDONING NORMAL PROCS. LUCKILY, THE OUTCOME WAS NOT A TRAGEDY -- IT COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE.

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.