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An EMB140 captain reports maintenance attempting to defer the captain's push to talk button. The real problem was the flight deck interphone between captain and first officer and between flight crew and cabin was inoperative.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 700582 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200606 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 140 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| ASRS Report | 700582 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Chart Or Publication Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
During our flight from ZZZ1 to ZZZ; I noticed that the interphone communications between the captain side and the first officer and flight attendant was intermittent. When we were approaching at ZZZ it got worse up to the point that I lost the interphone system on my side. It was impossible to communicate with the first officer and flight attendant. We noticed that the 3 position push to talk switch on my yoke was creating all the problems when it was in the 'hot microphone' position. After we landed at ZZZ I reported the problem to maintenance also waited for the technician to personally explain the problem. We had 3 hours sitting time. So the problem can be fixed for our next flight. An hour before departure time I went to the aircraft; I noticed that they put the push to talk button on MEL (MEL #23-22) but my interphone system was still not working. I was unable to communicate with the first officer and flight attendant. The push to talk switch was working; the problem was the interphone function. I went through the MEL book and I noticed that the only applicable MEL was MEL #23-10 and it refers to the interphone function between cockpit and cabin and also stated that is always required so MEL #23-22 was not applicable. I called maintenance at ZZZ and they agreed with me. For some reason maintenance control did not agree but everything was in black and white on the MEL book.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN EMB140 CAPT RPTS MAINT ATTEMPTING TO DEFER THE CAPT'S PUSH TO TALK BUTTON. THE REAL PROB WAS THE FLT DECK INTERPHONE BTWN CAPT AND FO AND BTWN FLT CREW AND CABIN WAS INOP.
Narrative: DURING OUR FLT FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ; I NOTICED THAT THE INTERPHONE COMS BTWN THE CAPT SIDE AND THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANT WAS INTERMITTENT. WHEN WE WERE APCHING AT ZZZ IT GOT WORSE UP TO THE POINT THAT I LOST THE INTERPHONE SYS ON MY SIDE. IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANT. WE NOTICED THAT THE 3 POS PUSH TO TALK SWITCH ON MY YOKE WAS CREATING ALL THE PROBS WHEN IT WAS IN THE 'HOT MIKE' POS. AFTER WE LANDED AT ZZZ I RPTED THE PROB TO MAINT ALSO WAITED FOR THE TECHNICIAN TO PERSONALLY EXPLAIN THE PROB. WE HAD 3 HRS SITTING TIME. SO THE PROB CAN BE FIXED FOR OUR NEXT FLT. AN HR BEFORE DEP TIME I WENT TO THE ACFT; I NOTICED THAT THEY PUT THE PUSH TO TALK BUTTON ON MEL (MEL #23-22) BUT MY INTERPHONE SYS WAS STILL NOT WORKING. I WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE FO AND FLT ATTENDANT. THE PUSH TO TALK SWITCH WAS WORKING; THE PROB WAS THE INTERPHONE FUNCTION. I WENT THROUGH THE MEL BOOK AND I NOTICED THAT THE ONLY APPLICABLE MEL WAS MEL #23-10 AND IT REFERS TO THE INTERPHONE FUNCTION BTWN COCKPIT AND CABIN AND ALSO STATED THAT IS ALWAYS REQUIRED SO MEL #23-22 WAS NOT APPLICABLE. I CALLED MAINT AT ZZZ AND THEY AGREED WITH ME. FOR SOME REASON MAINT CTL DID NOT AGREE BUT EVERYTHING WAS IN BLACK AND WHITE ON THE MEL BOOK.
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.