Narrative:

While taxiing out we were holding short of runway 15 on taxiway north. Runway 19 was in use. As I was sitting there I was thinking of the recent runway incursions and the FAA advisories at cle. I knew it was important that I listened up to call signs and to be careful because aircraft were also waiting to cross runway 15 at taxiway J. I knew it was late and I had been flying a lot so I was concentrating on staying alert. We were cleared to cross runway 15 and pull into the run-up block. We acknowledged the fact and proceeded. Just after that; while I was pushing the thrust levers up; the flight attendant pushed the call button. When they do that; it is so loud that it startles the pilots; blocks all other communication and diverts your attention to resetting the loud; obnoxious buzzer. You stabilizer at the interphone panel with your finger try to get rid of the noise and the reset button is in different locations; depending on the aircraft. Apparently; someone wanted to use the lavatory. I stayed on ground control while the first officer answered the flight attendant. The next thing we heard was ground control asking us if we were crossing. First officer said; 'yes; you crossed us.' ground control said; 'then you were told to hold short. You weren't listening up!;' scolding us on ground control frequency. We were listening up but we couldn't hear anything for the horn blasting in our ears. I thought his comment to be unprofessional. We were both relieved that he hadn't tried to hold us for landing traffic; but to avoid further congestion on the other side of the runway. I called ground control when I got to my hotel. I explained the situation to him. He told me that he was unaware of the problem we have with the buzzer and was glad to be aware of it. He said that training was in progress and there were different voices on the frequency. He said that it was decided to hold us after the clearance was given due to the release time. I asked if there was a problem and he said that there wasn't.' aircraft design. Some engineer decided that that flight attendant to pilot call button was the most important sound in the cockpit; blocking out everything else; causing runway incursions and clearance deviations. He must have felt it was extremely important that the pilots are aware when someone uses the lavatory. That buzzer needs to be toned down or silenced before something serious happens. I brief the flight attendants to pass everything through the a flight attendant so that there are not multiple calls about the same thing. Some capts tell the flight attendants to use the keypad on the door lock. I don't like to change SOP's because it confuses people. Every airbus pilot hates that buzzer.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW REPORTS MISSING A CALL FROM GROUND CONTROL AT DCA DUE TO EXCESSIVELY LOUD FA CALL BUZZER IN THE COCKPIT.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING OUT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 15 ON TXWY N. RWY 19 WAS IN USE. AS I WAS SITTING THERE I WAS THINKING OF THE RECENT RWY INCURSIONS AND THE FAA ADVISORIES AT CLE. I KNEW IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT I LISTENED UP TO CALL SIGNS AND TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE ACFT WERE ALSO WAITING TO CROSS RWY 15 AT TXWY J. I KNEW IT WAS LATE AND I HAD BEEN FLYING A LOT SO I WAS CONCENTRATING ON STAYING ALERT. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 15 AND PULL INTO THE RUN-UP BLOCK. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT AND PROCEEDED. JUST AFTER THAT; WHILE I WAS PUSHING THE THRUST LEVERS UP; THE FLT ATTENDANT PUSHED THE CALL BUTTON. WHEN THEY DO THAT; IT IS SO LOUD THAT IT STARTLES THE PLTS; BLOCKS ALL OTHER COM AND DIVERTS YOUR ATTN TO RESETTING THE LOUD; OBNOXIOUS BUZZER. YOU STAB AT THE INTERPHONE PANEL WITH YOUR FINGER TRY TO GET RID OF THE NOISE AND THE RESET BUTTON IS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS; DEPENDING ON THE ACFT. APPARENTLY; SOMEONE WANTED TO USE THE LAVATORY. I STAYED ON GND CTL WHILE THE FO ANSWERED THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE NEXT THING WE HEARD WAS GND CTL ASKING US IF WE WERE XING. FO SAID; 'YES; YOU CROSSED US.' GND CTL SAID; 'THEN YOU WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. YOU WEREN'T LISTENING UP!;' SCOLDING US ON GND CTL FREQ. WE WERE LISTENING UP BUT WE COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FOR THE HORN BLASTING IN OUR EARS. I THOUGHT HIS COMMENT TO BE UNPROFESSIONAL. WE WERE BOTH RELIEVED THAT HE HADN'T TRIED TO HOLD US FOR LNDG TFC; BUT TO AVOID FURTHER CONGESTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY. I CALLED GND CTL WHEN I GOT TO MY HOTEL. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO HIM. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE PROB WE HAVE WITH THE BUZZER AND WAS GLAD TO BE AWARE OF IT. HE SAID THAT TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS AND THERE WERE DIFFERENT VOICES ON THE FREQ. HE SAID THAT IT WAS DECIDED TO HOLD US AFTER THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN DUE TO THE RELEASE TIME. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND HE SAID THAT THERE WASN'T.' ACFT DESIGN. SOME ENGINEER DECIDED THAT THAT FLT ATTENDANT TO PLT CALL BUTTON WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT SOUND IN THE COCKPIT; BLOCKING OUT EVERYTHING ELSE; CAUSING RWY INCURSIONS AND CLRNC DEVS. HE MUST HAVE FELT IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE PLTS ARE AWARE WHEN SOMEONE USES THE LAVATORY. THAT BUZZER NEEDS TO BE TONED DOWN OR SILENCED BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENS. I BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PASS EVERYTHING THROUGH THE A FLT ATTENDANT SO THAT THERE ARE NOT MULTIPLE CALLS ABOUT THE SAME THING. SOME CAPTS TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO USE THE KEYPAD ON THE DOOR LOCK. I DON'T LIKE TO CHANGE SOP'S BECAUSE IT CONFUSES PEOPLE. EVERY AIRBUS PLT HATES THAT BUZZER.

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.