Narrative:

Outbound crew reported to maintenance that aircraft would not take ground power. (We were unaware of this issue.) while we were doing preflight checks; I noticed the avionics door open below. I asked the first officer if he knew what maintenance was doing. He was also unaware. I went downstairs to talk to mechanic. He informed me of the ground power issue. I asked him if we needed to write it up as we did not see a write-up. He said yes; and we did so. After he did his checks; he came to the flight deck to let us know he could not find any issues. He said that the ground power worked; our system showed no faults; and they could not find a reason why ground power could not be used. We informed him that we had no ground power light on overhead panel when plugged in; and questioned logic of why everything showed normal but we could not use ground power; and questioned if this could be an indication of some other problem in the electrical system we were not seeing. He said that he had checked all circuit breakers down below and ran all the tests on the system and ground power but would ask his supervisor our question. He came back and stated that the supervisor stated it was 'weird' but they were going to defer the ground power on aircraft. As we were talking to the mechanic; he got a call from maintenance (over his radio; as we could hear as he was sitting talking to us). Maintenance asked what he was doing. He stated; talking to the crew about the issue. At that point maintenance responded to him to release the jet; even though we were clearly not done discussing the issue. We told the mechanic we were not yet done and that he needs to work with us regarding this; as he was (the mechanic at the jet was very good to work with). Maintenance did defer the ground power and we took the jet. After pushback and after engine start (on a jet that just flew in) the #1 generator dropped off line. We reset; and the generator operations normal. In cruise my radio; which had been operating properly; was unable to transmit; although I could hear ATC loud and clear. I was also unable to talk to the flight attendants through my radio. I tried both #1 and #2 on my side and could not transmit. I checked to see if headset was correctly plugged in -- it was. I checked all toggle switches on my side including the handheld microphone; and still could not transmit -- all of them inoperative. The first officer radio at that point worked; so he made radio calls. I sent an ACARS message to dispatch to let them know and we informed ATC. The first officer; a few mins later; could also not transmit. He also tried #1 and #2 radio. At all times we could hear both ATC loud and clear. We put 7600 in the transponder and sent a message to dispatch to inform them and to have them call ATC regarding our situation. During this time; ATC was stating that they had a stuck microphone. We checked all our toggle switches again and got the communication #1 transmit on the ECAM (several times). All toggle switches were in the normal position. At this time ATC had called us several times. They then gave us an altitude change to descend to 16000 ft and identify if we heard. We idented and started our descent. As my radio seemed to be transmitting (and although we could not hear a stuck microphone on the frequency as we heard ATC loud and clear at all times); I turned off my radio panel. At that point the first officer could transmit on his #2 radio and he informed ATC of our situation. ATC told us to squawk our normal squawk now that we were back in contact. We also informed dispatch we were down to the one radio. After my radio had been off for approximately 15 mins; I turned on my radio panel and was able to transmit on my #2 radio only. On the ground; first officer could use both his #1 and #2 radio. We had no other failures. We were unable to talk to ATC for only a few mins before we could get the first officer's #2 radio back. There were no traffic issues or any other irregular operations. I contacted dispatch on landing (along with maintenance). Dispatch informed me he was completing an irregularity report. Dispatch also informed me that they had spoken to ATC.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW REPORTS ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE AND RADIO COMMUNICATIONS DIFFICULTIES ENROUTE.

Narrative: OUTBOUND CREW RPTED TO MAINT THAT ACFT WOULD NOT TAKE GND PWR. (WE WERE UNAWARE OF THIS ISSUE.) WHILE WE WERE DOING PREFLT CHKS; I NOTICED THE AVIONICS DOOR OPEN BELOW. I ASKED THE FO IF HE KNEW WHAT MAINT WAS DOING. HE WAS ALSO UNAWARE. I WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO TALK TO MECH. HE INFORMED ME OF THE GND PWR ISSUE. I ASKED HIM IF WE NEEDED TO WRITE IT UP AS WE DID NOT SEE A WRITE-UP. HE SAID YES; AND WE DID SO. AFTER HE DID HIS CHKS; HE CAME TO THE FLT DECK TO LET US KNOW HE COULD NOT FIND ANY ISSUES. HE SAID THAT THE GND PWR WORKED; OUR SYS SHOWED NO FAULTS; AND THEY COULD NOT FIND A REASON WHY GND PWR COULD NOT BE USED. WE INFORMED HIM THAT WE HAD NO GND PWR LIGHT ON OVERHEAD PANEL WHEN PLUGGED IN; AND QUESTIONED LOGIC OF WHY EVERYTHING SHOWED NORMAL BUT WE COULD NOT USE GND PWR; AND QUESTIONED IF THIS COULD BE AN INDICATION OF SOME OTHER PROB IN THE ELECTRICAL SYS WE WERE NOT SEEING. HE SAID THAT HE HAD CHKED ALL CIRCUIT BREAKERS DOWN BELOW AND RAN ALL THE TESTS ON THE SYS AND GND PWR BUT WOULD ASK HIS SUPVR OUR QUESTION. HE CAME BACK AND STATED THAT THE SUPVR STATED IT WAS 'WEIRD' BUT THEY WERE GOING TO DEFER THE GND PWR ON ACFT. AS WE WERE TALKING TO THE MECH; HE GOT A CALL FROM MAINT (OVER HIS RADIO; AS WE COULD HEAR AS HE WAS SITTING TALKING TO US). MAINT ASKED WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE STATED; TALKING TO THE CREW ABOUT THE ISSUE. AT THAT POINT MAINT RESPONDED TO HIM TO RELEASE THE JET; EVEN THOUGH WE WERE CLEARLY NOT DONE DISCUSSING THE ISSUE. WE TOLD THE MECH WE WERE NOT YET DONE AND THAT HE NEEDS TO WORK WITH US REGARDING THIS; AS HE WAS (THE MECH AT THE JET WAS VERY GOOD TO WORK WITH). MAINT DID DEFER THE GND PWR AND WE TOOK THE JET. AFTER PUSHBACK AND AFTER ENG START (ON A JET THAT JUST FLEW IN) THE #1 GENERATOR DROPPED OFF LINE. WE RESET; AND THE GENERATOR OPS NORMAL. IN CRUISE MY RADIO; WHICH HAD BEEN OPERATING PROPERLY; WAS UNABLE TO XMIT; ALTHOUGH I COULD HEAR ATC LOUD AND CLR. I WAS ALSO UNABLE TO TALK TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS THROUGH MY RADIO. I TRIED BOTH #1 AND #2 ON MY SIDE AND COULD NOT XMIT. I CHKED TO SEE IF HEADSET WAS CORRECTLY PLUGGED IN -- IT WAS. I CHKED ALL TOGGLE SWITCHES ON MY SIDE INCLUDING THE HANDHELD MIKE; AND STILL COULD NOT XMIT -- ALL OF THEM INOP. THE FO RADIO AT THAT POINT WORKED; SO HE MADE RADIO CALLS. I SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO DISPATCH TO LET THEM KNOW AND WE INFORMED ATC. THE FO; A FEW MINS LATER; COULD ALSO NOT XMIT. HE ALSO TRIED #1 AND #2 RADIO. AT ALL TIMES WE COULD HEAR BOTH ATC LOUD AND CLR. WE PUT 7600 IN THE XPONDER AND SENT A MESSAGE TO DISPATCH TO INFORM THEM AND TO HAVE THEM CALL ATC REGARDING OUR SITUATION. DURING THIS TIME; ATC WAS STATING THAT THEY HAD A STUCK MIKE. WE CHKED ALL OUR TOGGLE SWITCHES AGAIN AND GOT THE COM #1 XMIT ON THE ECAM (SEVERAL TIMES). ALL TOGGLE SWITCHES WERE IN THE NORMAL POS. AT THIS TIME ATC HAD CALLED US SEVERAL TIMES. THEY THEN GAVE US AN ALT CHANGE TO DSND TO 16000 FT AND IDENT IF WE HEARD. WE IDENTED AND STARTED OUR DSCNT. AS MY RADIO SEEMED TO BE XMITTING (AND ALTHOUGH WE COULD NOT HEAR A STUCK MIKE ON THE FREQ AS WE HEARD ATC LOUD AND CLR AT ALL TIMES); I TURNED OFF MY RADIO PANEL. AT THAT POINT THE FO COULD XMIT ON HIS #2 RADIO AND HE INFORMED ATC OF OUR SITUATION. ATC TOLD US TO SQUAWK OUR NORMAL SQUAWK NOW THAT WE WERE BACK IN CONTACT. WE ALSO INFORMED DISPATCH WE WERE DOWN TO THE ONE RADIO. AFTER MY RADIO HAD BEEN OFF FOR APPROX 15 MINS; I TURNED ON MY RADIO PANEL AND WAS ABLE TO XMIT ON MY #2 RADIO ONLY. ON THE GND; FO COULD USE BOTH HIS #1 AND #2 RADIO. WE HAD NO OTHER FAILURES. WE WERE UNABLE TO TALK TO ATC FOR ONLY A FEW MINS BEFORE WE COULD GET THE FO'S #2 RADIO BACK. THERE WERE NO TFC ISSUES OR ANY OTHER IRREGULAR OPS. I CONTACTED DISPATCH ON LNDG (ALONG WITH MAINT). DISPATCH INFORMED ME HE WAS COMPLETING AN IRREGULARITY RPT. DISPATCH ALSO INFORMED ME THAT THEY HAD SPOKEN TO ATC.

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.