Narrative:

B737 was about to enter monterrey center's airspace. The 375 dial line to mmy has been OTS for several weeks. The 52 satellite line has never worked properly; and the 315 shout line has been intermittent. These are the only lines we have to mmy. The 315 line is the primary and the 375 line is the back-up with the 52 line to be used if all other lines are inoperative. We tried to coordination with mmy for a handoff and to ensure that they had all the data on B737. We were extremely busy with the swap in effect sending all houston terminal departures to me and having to rerte dallas terminal and houston terminal landers. The 315 line malfunction causes it to ring over the loudspeaker blocking landlines and air-to-ground communications. I had called for the supervisor to bring me a commercial telephone and I would call monterrey center with the coordination. Fortunately the mmy controller called me just as B737 was about to enter their airspace. No violation occurred but we were to the point where we would have had to spin the aircraft. We have had to spin several aircraft away from mmy's airspace because of the malfunctioning lines over the past few weeks. We were instructed to tell the pilots to contact mmy center and ask them if they have a flight plan on their flight and return to our frequency with their response. No one is; of course; doing this as it is prohibited by the 7110.65. These problems are being ignored by the facility. Controller was distraction with communications problems and landline problems. Controller misinterped the readback because the shout line was ringing and blocking communication. If ZHU was an airplane I wouldn't take it up for all the money in the world!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ZHU CTLR EXPRESSED FRUSTRATION WITH THE CONTINUED FAILURE OF THE LANDLINE COM WITH MONTERREY CENTER IN MEXICO; RESULTING IN A NEAR OPDEV.

Narrative: B737 WAS ABOUT TO ENTER MONTERREY CTR'S AIRSPACE. THE 375 DIAL LINE TO MMY HAS BEEN OTS FOR SEVERAL WKS. THE 52 SATELLITE LINE HAS NEVER WORKED PROPERLY; AND THE 315 SHOUT LINE HAS BEEN INTERMITTENT. THESE ARE THE ONLY LINES WE HAVE TO MMY. THE 315 LINE IS THE PRIMARY AND THE 375 LINE IS THE BACK-UP WITH THE 52 LINE TO BE USED IF ALL OTHER LINES ARE INOP. WE TRIED TO COORD WITH MMY FOR A HDOF AND TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAD ALL THE DATA ON B737. WE WERE EXTREMELY BUSY WITH THE SWAP IN EFFECT SENDING ALL HOUSTON TERMINAL DEPS TO ME AND HAVING TO RERTE DALLAS TERMINAL AND HOUSTON TERMINAL LANDERS. THE 315 LINE MALFUNCTION CAUSES IT TO RING OVER THE LOUDSPEAKER BLOCKING LANDLINES AND AIR-TO-GND COMS. I HAD CALLED FOR THE SUPVR TO BRING ME A COMMERCIAL TELEPHONE AND I WOULD CALL MONTERREY CTR WITH THE COORD. FORTUNATELY THE MMY CTLR CALLED ME JUST AS B737 WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE. NO VIOLATION OCCURRED BUT WE WERE TO THE POINT WHERE WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO SPIN THE ACFT. WE HAVE HAD TO SPIN SEVERAL ACFT AWAY FROM MMY'S AIRSPACE BECAUSE OF THE MALFUNCTIONING LINES OVER THE PAST FEW WKS. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TELL THE PLTS TO CONTACT MMY CTR AND ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE A FLT PLAN ON THEIR FLT AND RETURN TO OUR FREQ WITH THEIR RESPONSE. NO ONE IS; OF COURSE; DOING THIS AS IT IS PROHIBITED BY THE 7110.65. THESE PROBS ARE BEING IGNORED BY THE FACILITY. CTLR WAS DISTR WITH COMS PROBS AND LANDLINE PROBS. CTLR MISINTERPED THE READBACK BECAUSE THE SHOUT LINE WAS RINGING AND BLOCKING COM. IF ZHU WAS AN AIRPLANE I WOULDN'T TAKE IT UP FOR ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.