B767-300 flight crew lost communication during takeoff; place 7500 code instead of 7600 in transponder; regain communication and ATC request verify code.

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Attributes
ACN	694028
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fll.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fll.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure sid : uknown
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 411
ASRS Report	694028
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ics system other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued advisory flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

First officer was PF. Cleared for takeoff. Aircraft control xferred from captain. I told him my radio call did not go out. He repeated clearance as we started to roll. I told him it did not go out. I could hear myself breathing on intercom; determined I had a stuck microphone switch. Below 80 KTS turned up speaker volume and unplugged my microphone cord from aircraft sidewall jack. Takeoff was normal. Clearance was runway 27; runway heading; 270 degrees and 3000 ft; expect radar vectors to intercept radial. At 3000 ft I leveled aircraft; turned on autoplt to assist captain with lost communication. We could hear clrncs from departure control (fll) but not transmit. Departure asked us to 'confirm squawk.' I looked down and saw captain had dialed in 7500 by mistake! We found that my yoke microphone switch was stuck and once we had regained communication returned to normal operations. Major factor in this incident was extremely filthy cockpit. Company has not cleaned cockpits in yrs! Window on transponder readout was so filthy captain could not read difference between 7500 and 7600!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 FLT CREW LOST COM DURING TKOF; PLACE 7500 CODE INSTEAD OF 7600 IN XPONDER; REGAIN COM AND ATC REQUEST VERIFY CODE.

Narrative: FO WAS PF. CLRED FOR TKOF. ACFT CTL XFERRED FROM CAPT. I TOLD HIM MY RADIO CALL DID NOT GO OUT. HE REPEATED CLRNC AS WE STARTED TO ROLL. I TOLD HIM IT DID NOT GO OUT. I COULD HEAR MYSELF BREATHING ON INTERCOM; DETERMINED I HAD A STUCK MIKE SWITCH. BELOW 80 KTS TURNED UP SPEAKER VOLUME AND UNPLUGGED MY MIKE CORD FROM ACFT SIDEWALL JACK. TKOF WAS NORMAL. CLRNC WAS RWY 27; RWY HDG; 270 DEGS AND 3000 FT; EXPECT RADAR VECTORS TO INTERCEPT RADIAL. AT 3000 FT I LEVELED ACFT; TURNED ON AUTOPLT TO ASSIST CAPT WITH LOST COM. WE COULD HEAR CLRNCS FROM DEP CTL (FLL) BUT NOT XMIT. DEP ASKED US TO 'CONFIRM SQUAWK.' I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW CAPT HAD DIALED IN 7500 BY MISTAKE! WE FOUND THAT MY YOKE MIKE SWITCH WAS STUCK AND ONCE WE HAD REGAINED COM RETURNED TO NORMAL OPS. MAJOR FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT WAS EXTREMELY FILTHY COCKPIT. COMPANY HAS NOT CLEANED COCKPITS IN YRS! WINDOW ON XPONDER READOUT WAS SO FILTHY CAPT COULD NOT READ DIFFERENCE BTWN 7500 AND 7600!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.