Narrative:

Excessive air noise in cockpit during entire flight. Used captain's authority; turned off right recirc fan; slight improvement only. Numerous missed calls from ATC. Some relays provided by company via ACARS. This is a disaster waiting to happen. Company and FAA need to take action on this problem immediately.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the cockpit noise level is an ongoing issue with pilots flying the B757. He has also flown the B777; B747-400 and the airbus A320/319 and none of those aircraft cockpit noise levels come close to the B757. He has missed numerous ATC calls and only found out that ATC was trying to reach him when responding to company sel-cals as to why he was not responding to ATC requests. Even pilot to pilot communication is difficult between himself and the co-pilot. As a result; many of the pilots have bought noise canceling headsets in order to hear and have clearer communications from ATC as well as each other in the cockpit. Reporter feels the FAA is not addressing the air noise level issue as a contributory cause for hearing loss among flight crews. Reporter also added his company maintenance has informed him that many new recirc fans have been installed and that boeing sells a baffle that could be installed to fix the noise issue. Reporter concluded by stating he will do his own noise decibel level check during all phases of flight to indicate the unsafe environment this excessive noise causes. He does not believe the FAA has set any standard for cockpit noise level maximums.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 PILOT REPORTS OF EXCESSIVE AIR NOISE IN THE COCKPIT DURING ENTIRE FLT RESULTING IN NUMEROUS MISSED CALLS FROM ATC.

Narrative: EXCESSIVE AIR NOISE IN COCKPIT DURING ENTIRE FLT. USED CAPT'S AUTHORITY; TURNED OFF RIGHT RECIRC FAN; SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT ONLY. NUMEROUS MISSED CALLS FROM ATC. SOME RELAYS PROVIDED BY COMPANY VIA ACARS. THIS IS A DISASTER WAITING TO HAPPEN. COMPANY AND FAA NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS PROBLEM IMMEDIATELY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE COCKPIT NOISE LEVEL IS AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH PILOTS FLYING THE B757. HE HAS ALSO FLOWN THE B777; B747-400 AND THE AIRBUS A320/319 AND NONE OF THOSE ACFT COCKPIT NOISE LEVELS COME CLOSE TO THE B757. HE HAS MISSED NUMEROUS ATC CALLS AND ONLY FOUND OUT THAT ATC WAS TRYING TO REACH HIM WHEN RESPONDING TO COMPANY SEL-CALS AS TO WHY HE WAS NOT RESPONDING TO ATC REQUESTS. EVEN PILOT TO PILOT COMMUNICATION IS DIFFICULT BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE CO-PILOT. AS A RESULT; MANY OF THE PILOTS HAVE BOUGHT NOISE CANCELING HEADSETS IN ORDER TO HEAR AND HAVE CLEARER COMMUNICATIONS FROM ATC AS WELL AS EACH OTHER IN THE COCKPIT. REPORTER FEELS THE FAA IS NOT ADDRESSING THE AIR NOISE LEVEL ISSUE AS A CONTRIBUTORY CAUSE FOR HEARING LOSS AMONG FLIGHT CREWS. REPORTER ALSO ADDED HIS COMPANY MAINT HAS INFORMED HIM THAT MANY NEW RECIRC FANS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED AND THAT BOEING SELLS A BAFFLE THAT COULD BE INSTALLED TO FIX THE NOISE ISSUE. REPORTER CONCLUDED BY STATING HE WILL DO HIS OWN NOISE DECIBEL LEVEL CHECK DURING ALL PHASES OF FLIGHT TO INDICATE THE UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT THIS EXCESSIVE NOISE CAUSES. HE DOES NOT BELIEVE THE FAA HAS SET ANY STANDARD FOR COCKPIT NOISE LEVEL MAXIMUMS.

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.