Narrative:

Heavy/severe static on radios -- entering light precipitation (green) both captain/first officer radios began to receive static and ATC transmissions difficult to understand. As we got into more concentrated (green) returns; the radios became unreadable. Precisely at that time we got a TA for a traffic that was descending overhead. We barely caught ATC's advisory of the traffic and then heard nothing but static for about 15 seconds! We saw the traffic on TCAS and no RA was generated. However we were not in contact with ATC due to the static. The concern is the radios getting static while in precipitation. This is a long ongoing problem on the airbus. Maintenance has explained that the lower antenna could be cracked and thus precipitation entering and creating the static. When maintenance checks the aircraft upon arrival at the gate it almost always test normal? There is something inherently wrong with the radio system if static occurs entering precipitation as I have experienced with regularity over the years. Ultimately a missed call at an undesirable time is going to occur.supplemental information from acn 797387: during climb out of cyyz we got severe static on both radios; making 2 way radio communication almost unreadable. At that time we got a TA from ATC. We saw the traffic on TCAS (we were marginal IFR at that time) but could barely hear the transmission. Moisture trapped around antennas on airbus seems to be a problem creating static. Flight continued uneventfully.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the airbus A319 and A320 have the same issue regarding excessive; severe static in moisture environments on both radios. Reporter stated he has been reporting on this problem with his carrier for quite some time; but the radio static interference problem continues. His carrier's mechanics tell him they believe the problems are associated with the antennas; not the radios. But; the maintenance procedures only check for radio functional operation. Because the static issue is intermittent; and only in a moisture environment; maintenance seldom can replicate the static on the ground. So the radio static log write-up is signed-off as radio operational checks ok per maintenance procedure. Reporter stated he has flown boeing B737; B757 and B767 aircraft and has never experienced this kind of radio static interference. The radio functional check procedure mechanics use does not appear to be adequate to verify antenna integrity in a moisture environment. Reporter also stated he is quite concerned and considers this a hazardous condition when a flight crew loses all radio transmissions with ATC; especially around major airports; for 5-10-15 seconds due to excessive radio static interference.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A319 FLT CREW RPT SEVERE STATIC ON BOTH RADIOS DURING CLBOUT; MAKING 2-WAY RADIO COM ALMOST UNREADABLE. MOISTURE TRAPPED AROUND AIRBUS ANTENNAS MAY BE CREATING STATIC.

Narrative: HEAVY/SEVERE STATIC ON RADIOS -- ENTERING LIGHT PRECIP (GREEN) BOTH CAPT/FO RADIOS BEGAN TO RECEIVE STATIC AND ATC TRANSMISSIONS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. AS WE GOT INTO MORE CONCENTRATED (GREEN) RETURNS; THE RADIOS BECAME UNREADABLE. PRECISELY AT THAT TIME WE GOT A TA FOR A TFC THAT WAS DSNDING OVERHEAD. WE BARELY CAUGHT ATC'S ADVISORY OF THE TFC AND THEN HEARD NOTHING BUT STATIC FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS! WE SAW THE TFC ON TCAS AND NO RA WAS GENERATED. HOWEVER WE WERE NOT IN CONTACT WITH ATC DUE TO THE STATIC. THE CONCERN IS THE RADIOS GETTING STATIC WHILE IN PRECIP. THIS IS A LONG ONGOING PROBLEM ON THE AIRBUS. MAINT HAS EXPLAINED THAT THE LOWER ANTENNA COULD BE CRACKED AND THUS PRECIP ENTERING AND CREATING THE STATIC. WHEN MAINT CHECKS THE ACFT UPON ARR AT THE GATE IT ALMOST ALWAYS TEST NORMAL? THERE IS SOMETHING INHERENTLY WRONG WITH THE RADIO SYSTEM IF STATIC OCCURS ENTERING PRECIP AS I HAVE EXPERIENCED WITH REGULARITY OVER THE YEARS. ULTIMATELY A MISSED CALL AT AN UNDESIRABLE TIME IS GOING TO OCCUR.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 797387: DURING CLBOUT OF CYYZ WE GOT SEVERE STATIC ON BOTH RADIOS; MAKING 2 WAY RADIO COM ALMOST UNREADABLE. AT THAT TIME WE GOT A TA FROM ATC. WE SAW THE TFC ON TCAS (WE WERE MARGINAL IFR AT THAT TIME) BUT COULD BARELY HEAR THE TRANSMISSION. MOISTURE TRAPPED AROUND ANTENNAS ON AIRBUS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM CREATING STATIC. FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE AIRBUS A319 AND A320 HAVE THE SAME ISSUE REGARDING EXCESSIVE; SEVERE STATIC IN MOISTURE ENVIRONMENTS ON BOTH RADIOS. RPTR STATED HE HAS BEEN RPTING ON THIS PROBLEM WITH HIS CARRIER FOR QUITE SOME TIME; BUT THE RADIO STATIC INTERFERENCE PROBLEM CONTINUES. HIS CARRIER'S MECHANICS TELL HIM THEY BELIEVE THE PROBLEMS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ANTENNAS; NOT THE RADIOS. BUT; THE MAINT PROCS ONLY CHECK FOR RADIO FUNCTIONAL OP. BECAUSE THE STATIC ISSUE IS INTERMITTENT; AND ONLY IN A MOISTURE ENVIRONMENT; MAINT SELDOM CAN REPLICATE THE STATIC ON THE GND. SO THE RADIO STATIC LOG WRITE-UP IS SIGNED-OFF AS RADIO OPERATIONAL CHECKS OK PER MAINT PROC. RPTR STATED HE HAS FLOWN BOEING B737; B757 AND B767 ACFT AND HAS NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS KIND OF RADIO STATIC INTERFERENCE. THE RADIO FUNCTIONAL CHECK PROC MECHANICS USE DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE ADEQUATE TO VERIFY ANTENNA INTEGRITY IN A MOISTURE ENVIRONMENT. RPTR ALSO STATED HE IS QUITE CONCERNED AND CONSIDERS THIS A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHEN A FLT CREW LOSES ALL RADIO TRANSMISSIONS WITH ATC; ESPECIALLY AROUND MAJOR ARPTS; FOR 5-10-15 SECONDS DUE TO EXCESSIVE RADIO STATIC INTERFERENCE.

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.