A B737-300 captain's right leg depressed the transmit button on a handheld mic located on the forwar...

Attributes
ACN	973353
Time
Date	201110
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.TRACON
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Initial Approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Microphone
Person 1
Function	Captain Pilot Flying
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 146
Person 2
Function	First Officer Pilot Not Flying
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 127
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

Narrative:

Cleared for ILS xx. Lost ATC communications from 25-15 miles on final due to my stuck microphone button. Hand held microphone was stowed on captain's forward panel and transmit switch was depressed by lower right leg causing a loss of communications. The first officer noticed the lack of communications. We tried the number two radio on primary; with no luck; and realized my leg was up against the microphone switch. Regained ATC communications and instructed to go around. Most of our older classic fleet have a microphone guard on the stowed hand held microphone switch. Unfortunately; this aircraft does not have a guard and my leg caused lost communications in critical phase of the approach to marginal weather. It was my fault for the stuck microphone. It may be the manufacturer's fault for a poor design location of the stowed captain's hand-held microphone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 Captain's right leg depressed the transmit button on a handheld mic located on the forward panel causing lost commutations during approach; TRACON issued a go-around to resequence their arrival.

Narrative: Cleared for ILS XX. Lost ATC communications from 25-15 miles on final due to my stuck MIC button. Hand held MIC was stowed on Captain's forward panel and transmit switch was depressed by lower right leg causing a loss of communications. The First Officer noticed the lack of communications. We tried the number two radio on primary; with no luck; and realized my leg was up against the MIC switch. Regained ATC communications and instructed to go around. Most of our older classic fleet have a MIC guard on the stowed hand held MIC switch. Unfortunately; this aircraft does not have a guard and my leg caused lost communications in critical phase of the approach to marginal weather. It was my fault for the stuck MIC. It may be the manufacturer's fault for a poor design location of the stowed Captain's hand-held MIC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

A B737-300 captain's right leg depressed the transmit button on a handheld mic located on the forward panel causing lost commutations during approach; TRACON issued a go-around to resequence their arrival.