Narrative:

The excessive cockpit airflow noise was a major cause in our being out of contact with new york departure control for approximately 20 mi just after takeoff. After takeoff we contacted departure control and they turned us northwest and climbed us to either 13000 ft or 17000 ft (can't remember); then gave us another frequency. I switched to the new frequency; made the call and while waiting for the response noted that it was so loud in the cockpit I was having trouble hearing myself think. The copilot tried turning off the right recirculation fan which didn't help much; then the right pack which didn't help much either. We then turned off the left pack and right recirculation fan which got the airflow noise down to a normal level. During this I forgot to follow up with a second check-in attempt; and after a while we realized we were on a dead frequency. We returned to the original departure frequency and got straightened out with a big left turn from ATC. Luckily it was pretty late at night; light traffic and no airplanes heard us during the event. It turns out that I heard the frequency change wrong; the controller didn't catch my wrong readback. I have no excuse for my forgetting to continue my check-in with attempts with ATC other than to say I was tired from the all-nighter and have basically become fed up with noisy cockpits and the company not fixing them. I just wanted the noise to stop. After getting squared away with ATC; we wrote up the airplane. We also turned the left pack back on sometime during the climb; and transitioned to speakers and earplugs. During descent through 13000 ft we again turned off the left pack so we could talk in normal conversation for the approach. I didn't want to get yelled at by ATC twice in one night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW HAS LOST COM DUE TO EXCESSIVE NOISE IN COCKPIT.

Narrative: THE EXCESSIVE COCKPIT AIRFLOW NOISE WAS A MAJOR CAUSE IN OUR BEING OUT OF CONTACT WITH NEW YORK DEP CTL FOR APPROX 20 MI JUST AFTER TKOF. AFTER TKOF WE CONTACTED DEP CTL AND THEY TURNED US NW AND CLBED US TO EITHER 13000 FT OR 17000 FT (CAN'T REMEMBER); THEN GAVE US ANOTHER FREQ. I SWITCHED TO THE NEW FREQ; MADE THE CALL AND WHILE WAITING FOR THE RESPONSE NOTED THAT IT WAS SO LOUD IN THE COCKPIT I WAS HAVING TROUBLE HEARING MYSELF THINK. THE COPLT TRIED TURNING OFF THE R RECIRCULATION FAN WHICH DIDN'T HELP MUCH; THEN THE R PACK WHICH DIDN'T HELP MUCH EITHER. WE THEN TURNED OFF THE L PACK AND R RECIRCULATION FAN WHICH GOT THE AIRFLOW NOISE DOWN TO A NORMAL LEVEL. DURING THIS I FORGOT TO FOLLOW UP WITH A SECOND CHK-IN ATTEMPT; AND AFTER A WHILE WE REALIZED WE WERE ON A DEAD FREQ. WE RETURNED TO THE ORIGINAL DEP FREQ AND GOT STRAIGHTENED OUT WITH A BIG L TURN FROM ATC. LUCKILY IT WAS PRETTY LATE AT NIGHT; LIGHT TFC AND NO AIRPLANES HEARD US DURING THE EVENT. IT TURNS OUT THAT I HEARD THE FREQ CHANGE WRONG; THE CTLR DIDN'T CATCH MY WRONG READBACK. I HAVE NO EXCUSE FOR MY FORGETTING TO CONTINUE MY CHK-IN WITH ATTEMPTS WITH ATC OTHER THAN TO SAY I WAS TIRED FROM THE ALL-NIGHTER AND HAVE BASICALLY BECOME FED UP WITH NOISY COCKPITS AND THE COMPANY NOT FIXING THEM. I JUST WANTED THE NOISE TO STOP. AFTER GETTING SQUARED AWAY WITH ATC; WE WROTE UP THE AIRPLANE. WE ALSO TURNED THE L PACK BACK ON SOMETIME DURING THE CLB; AND TRANSITIONED TO SPEAKERS AND EARPLUGS. DURING DSCNT THROUGH 13000 FT WE AGAIN TURNED OFF THE L PACK SO WE COULD TALK IN NORMAL CONVERSATION FOR THE APCH. I DIDN'T WANT TO GET YELLED AT BY ATC TWICE IN ONE NIGHT.

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.