Mke local controller experienced radio failure with departure traffic on the runway and arrival traf...

Attributes
ACN	730413
Time
Date	200703
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mke.airport
State Reference	WI
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mke.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : position and hold
Flight Plan	IFR
Aircraft 2
Controlling Facilities	tower : mke.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : radar
Experience	controller radar : 25 controller time certified in position1 : 15
ASRS Report	730413
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA
Primary Problem	FAA
Situations
ATC Facility	communication equipment : mke.tower

Narrative:

While working local control at mke I had just departed a sbound E145 and put another E145 into position and hold. The airbus was on a 5 mi final. I was waiting to get some extra spacing for the aircraft on the runway as he was going out the same departure track. When the airbus was on a 3 mi final I cleared the E145 for takeoff. There was no response. I tried again with no response. I then gave the airbus instructions to go around with no response. The airbus tried to contact me. I could hear him but could not talk to him. I then tried the other phone jack at my position with no luck. I then plugged into the voice switch bypass with no response. The airbus then decided to go around. At this time the supervisor was able to get the pet 2000 radio on and dialed into local frequency and gave go around instructions to the airbus. I worked off the pet 2000 for approximately 2 mins. We tried our regular jacks and they worked fine. We didn't do anything to fix them; they just came back. At the same time this was going on west radar had a loud squeal on their position; and they called the tower to stop departures to the west. East radar was getting bleed through of an aircraft that I believe was on local frequency. I; of course; have no idea what caused this to happen. Over the last couple of months we seem to be having an exorbitant amount of frequency outages. But they are out until maintenance fixes them. However; last night everything returned to normal by itself. It was not a stuck microphone. This scenario is unexplainable. It seems strange; because of the timing of the event. (With the airbus on close in final and an aircraft on the runway; when it went out; and then coming back after the airbus had gone around.) I feel that somehow I was being jammed. If this is the case; it makes me wonder what would happen at another larger airport. In my experience this was far from an ordinary frequency malfunction.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MKE LCL CTLR EXPERIENCED RADIO FAILURE WITH DEP TFC ON THE RWY AND ARR TFC EXECUTING GAR; REPORTER FEELING FREQ JAMMING WAS A FACTOR.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING LCL CTL AT MKE I HAD JUST DEPARTED A SBOUND E145 AND PUT ANOTHER E145 INTO POS AND HOLD. THE AIRBUS WAS ON A 5 MI FINAL. I WAS WAITING TO GET SOME EXTRA SPACING FOR THE ACFT ON THE RWY AS HE WAS GOING OUT THE SAME DEP TRACK. WHEN THE AIRBUS WAS ON A 3 MI FINAL I CLRED THE E145 FOR TKOF. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. I TRIED AGAIN WITH NO RESPONSE. I THEN GAVE THE AIRBUS INSTRUCTIONS TO GO AROUND WITH NO RESPONSE. THE AIRBUS TRIED TO CONTACT ME. I COULD HEAR HIM BUT COULD NOT TALK TO HIM. I THEN TRIED THE OTHER PHONE JACK AT MY POS WITH NO LUCK. I THEN PLUGGED INTO THE VOICE SWITCH BYPASS WITH NO RESPONSE. THE AIRBUS THEN DECIDED TO GO AROUND. AT THIS TIME THE SUPVR WAS ABLE TO GET THE PET 2000 RADIO ON AND DIALED INTO LCL FREQ AND GAVE GAR INSTRUCTIONS TO THE AIRBUS. I WORKED OFF THE PET 2000 FOR APPROX 2 MINS. WE TRIED OUR REGULAR JACKS AND THEY WORKED FINE. WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO FIX THEM; THEY JUST CAME BACK. AT THE SAME TIME THIS WAS GOING ON W RADAR HAD A LOUD SQUEAL ON THEIR POS; AND THEY CALLED THE TWR TO STOP DEPS TO THE W. E RADAR WAS GETTING BLEED THROUGH OF AN ACFT THAT I BELIEVE WAS ON LCL FREQ. I; OF COURSE; HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THIS TO HAPPEN. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS WE SEEM TO BE HAVING AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT OF FREQ OUTAGES. BUT THEY ARE OUT UNTIL MAINT FIXES THEM. HOWEVER; LAST NIGHT EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL BY ITSELF. IT WAS NOT A STUCK MIKE. THIS SCENARIO IS UNEXPLAINABLE. IT SEEMS STRANGE; BECAUSE OF THE TIMING OF THE EVENT. (WITH THE AIRBUS ON CLOSE IN FINAL AND AN ACFT ON THE RWY; WHEN IT WENT OUT; AND THEN COMING BACK AFTER THE AIRBUS HAD GONE AROUND.) I FEEL THAT SOMEHOW I WAS BEING JAMMED. IF THIS IS THE CASE; IT MAKES ME WONDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AT ANOTHER LARGER ARPT. IN MY EXPERIENCE THIS WAS FAR FROM AN ORDINARY FREQ MALFUNCTION.

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.

Mke local controller experienced radio failure with departure traffic on the runway and arrival traffic executing go around; reporter feeling frequency jamming was a factor.