Narrative:

On base leg mem, runway 27, heading 220 degrees, altitude 5000' MSL, slats extend, flaps 5 degrees, controller turned us to a heading of 270 degrees. His other comments were drowned out by the activating of stall warning (stickshaker, recognition lights, horn). Aircraft had slats extended/flaps set at 5 degrees, airspeed 175 KTS. The WX was cavu. Aircraft had previous write up on stall indicator failure system, discrepancy had been signed off by maintenance control. Communication in cockpit was impossible with all the warning noise. As captain and PF I went through stall recovery procedures. I maintained heading 220 degrees. As stall recognition continued I lowered nose of aircraft to pick up speed (I wanted maneuvering speed and 20 KTS for slats retracted and flaps 0). This would also eliminate any possibility of a stall due to inadvertent slat and flaps retraction or hydraulic failure. Aircraft leveled off at 4000' MSL with appropriate speed. We accomplished company procedures for stall indicator system failure. This procedure eliminated the stall warnings we were experiencing. We called approach, told them we had a problem and were back with them with the runway in sight. He cleared us for the visual and asked if we needed any emergency equipment standing by on the field. We declined. I called approach after landing by pay phone and talked to approach control supervisor. He said there wasn't a problem because we were cleared for the visual but lost communication with us for about 15-20 seconds after clearance was given. I'm writing this because I didn't hear we were cleared for a visual and want to protect myself in the event he misled me in our conversation. My actions were based on maintaining control of the aircraft for safety of flight and deemed necessary under the VFR conditions we were in. The altitude loss and not turning to final were based on these conditions. This occurrence took place in a total elapsed time of approximately 15-20 seconds. Stall warning written up in maintenance logbook. Supplemental information from acn 82712: aircraft stall recovery procedures were initiated. Stall warning and stick shaker continued, confirming that system had failed and aircraft had not stalled.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG ALT DEVIATION EXCURSION FROM CLRNC ALT WHILE TROUBLE SHOOTING A PROBLEM THAT ACTIVATED THE STALL WARNING SYSTEM.

Narrative: ON BASE LEG MEM, RWY 27, HDG 220 DEGS, ALT 5000' MSL, SLATS EXTEND, FLAPS 5 DEGS, CTLR TURNED US TO A HDG OF 270 DEGS. HIS OTHER COMMENTS WERE DROWNED OUT BY THE ACTIVATING OF STALL WARNING (STICKSHAKER, RECOGNITION LIGHTS, HORN). ACFT HAD SLATS EXTENDED/FLAPS SET AT 5 DEGS, AIRSPD 175 KTS. THE WX WAS CAVU. ACFT HAD PREVIOUS WRITE UP ON STALL INDICATOR FAILURE SYS, DISCREPANCY HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF BY MAINT CTL. COM IN COCKPIT WAS IMPOSSIBLE WITH ALL THE WARNING NOISE. AS CAPT AND PF I WENT THROUGH STALL RECOVERY PROCS. I MAINTAINED HDG 220 DEGS. AS STALL RECOGNITION CONTINUED I LOWERED NOSE OF ACFT TO PICK UP SPD (I WANTED MANEUVERING SPD AND 20 KTS FOR SLATS RETRACTED AND FLAPS 0). THIS WOULD ALSO ELIMINATE ANY POSSIBILITY OF A STALL DUE TO INADVERTENT SLAT AND FLAPS RETRACTION OR HYD FAILURE. ACFT LEVELED OFF AT 4000' MSL WITH APPROPRIATE SPD. WE ACCOMPLISHED COMPANY PROCS FOR STALL INDICATOR SYS FAILURE. THIS PROC ELIMINATED THE STALL WARNINGS WE WERE EXPERIENCING. WE CALLED APCH, TOLD THEM WE HAD A PROB AND WERE BACK WITH THEM WITH THE RWY IN SIGHT. HE CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED ANY EMER EQUIP STANDING BY ON THE FIELD. WE DECLINED. I CALLED APCH AFTER LNDG BY PAY PHONE AND TALKED TO APCH CTL SUPVR. HE SAID THERE WASN'T A PROB BECAUSE WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL BUT LOST COM WITH US FOR ABOUT 15-20 SECS AFTER CLRNC WAS GIVEN. I'M WRITING THIS BECAUSE I DIDN'T HEAR WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL AND WANT TO PROTECT MYSELF IN THE EVENT HE MISLED ME IN OUR CONVERSATION. MY ACTIONS WERE BASED ON MAINTAINING CTL OF THE ACFT FOR SAFETY OF FLT AND DEEMED NECESSARY UNDER THE VFR CONDITIONS WE WERE IN. THE ALT LOSS AND NOT TURNING TO FINAL WERE BASED ON THESE CONDITIONS. THIS OCCURRENCE TOOK PLACE IN A TOTAL ELAPSED TIME OF APPROX 15-20 SECS. STALL WARNING WRITTEN UP IN MAINT LOGBOOK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 82712: ACFT STALL RECOVERY PROCS WERE INITIATED. STALL WARNING AND STICK SHAKER CONTINUED, CONFIRMING THAT SYS HAD FAILED AND ACFT HAD NOT STALLED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.