LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative

MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH PLTS. MY WIFE WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND I WAS R SEAT; OPERATING RADIOS AND NAVING. WE WERE GOING TO TRANSIT THE DFW TCA AND HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM ADS. ADDISON TWR HANDED US OFF TO APCH CTL. WE CONTACTED APCH AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2000 MSL AND FLY DIRECT TO LOVE FIELD. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS. MY WIFE AND I WERE ENGAGED IN EFFORTS TO NAV TO LOVE FIELD FOR SEVERAL MINS WHEN I BECAME AWARE THAT THE RADIOS WERE VERY QUIET. WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH AND HAD NOT HEARD ANY OTHER ACFT CONTACT APCH. I BEGAN PLAYING WITH THE VOLUME AND SQUELCH CTLS; TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE RADIOS WERE SET UP PROPERLY. AFTER ABOUT 90 SECONDS OF THIS; I SUDDENLY THOUGHT OF A STUCK PIT SWITCH. THE PIT SWITCH IS MOUNTED ON THE YOKE AND IS THE LARGE PLASTIC RECTANGULAR VARIETY; VELCROED TO THE YOKE. I TAPPED THE SWITCH WITH A QUICK SNAP OF MY FINGER. I IMMEDIATELY HEARD STATIC IN MY HEADPHONES; AND APCH CTL CALLING US IN A MOST UNFRIENDLY VOICE. APCH INFORMED US THAT OUR MICROPHONE HAD BEEN STUCK OPEN FOR 4-5 MINS. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE TO TURN THE SQUELCH OFF PERIODICALLY TO ENSURE THE RADIO IS IN A RECEIVE MODE. FROM NOW ON; I WILL EITHER TURN THE SQUELCH OFF PERIODICALLY OR TURN IT OFF ALTOGETHER WHEN OPERATING IN CONGESTED ENVIRONMENTS WHERE COM IS CRITICAL; SUCH AS A TCA.