FLC MISINTERPS CLRNC AND THEN LOSES COM BEFORE THEY CAN CONFIRM IT WHICH RESULTS IN A HDG DEV.

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APCHING ATL FOR LNDG (ABOUT 10 MINS OUT) THE CAPT DISCOVERED THAT HIS MIKE WAS STICKING; WHILE XMITTING ON A COMPANY FREQ. HE RETURNED TO HANDLING THE ATC FREQ; AND USED THE HAND-HELD MIKE; AS THAT SEEMED TO WORK OK. WE RECEIVED WHAT WE BOTH THOUGHT WAS A VECTOR OF 180 DEGS FROM ATL APCH. WHEN THE CAPT ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL; I DID NOT HEAR IT THROUGH MY HEADSET; SO I QUICKLY ANSWERED OUR CALL SIGN AND 1; 8; 0. (IN MY HASTE; I MAY NOT HAVE SAID 'HDG;' I CAN'T REMEMBER.) AS IT TURNS OUT THE CAPT MUST HAVE INADVERTENTLY KEYED HIS YOKE MIKE TOGGLE; WHICH CAUSED A HOT MIKE ON THE ATC FREQ. I THINK HE HAD UNPLUGGED THE XMIT PLUG OF HIS HEADSET WRONG; SO WE COULDN'T HEAR STUCK MIKE TYPE OF SOUNDS. AFTER A MIN OR SO ON THIS HDG; THE CAPT AND I BOTH TRIED TO CALL ATC A COUPLE OF TIMES; BUT HEARD NO RESPONSE. THE CAPT THEN JIGGLED HIS YOKE SWITCH; AND WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR ATL APCH AGAIN. THE CTLR SAID HE HAD NOT WANTED US ON A 180 DEG HDG; BUT REALIZING WE HAD A STUCK MIKE; CLRED OUT ANY POTENTIALLY CONFLICTING TFC. A LITTLE LATER HE SAID WE MUST HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD A SPD REDUCTION TO 180 KTS AS A HDG OF 180 DEGS. HE VECTORED US BACK ON DOWNWIND AND WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. THIS WAS AN UNFORTUNATE COMBINATION OF CIRCUMSTANCES. A MISUNDERSTOOD COMMAND FROM ATC; FOLLOWED BY WHAT PROVED TO BE A STUCK MIKE; SO WE COULDN'T HEAR THE CTLR TRY TO CALL US (WHICH I ASSUME HE DID). THIS WAS A BUSY TIME OF FLT ANYWAY; BUT I THINK WE GOT THINGS UNDER CTL FAIRLY QUICKLY. ABOUT THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID IT WOULD HAVE BEEN TO SWITCH DUTIES AFTER REALIZING THE CAPT HAD COM PROBS; WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 238233: IF WE ARE NOT SURE OF A CLRNC WE QUESTION IT. IF WE FEEL THE CLRNC IS CORRECT; NO REPLY FROM THE CTLR IS CONSIDERED VERIFICATION; WHICH HAS BECOME NORMAL BUT IMPROPER PROC FOR A GOOD; SAFE OP. CTLRS NEED TO VERBALLY VERIFY OUR READBACKS REGULARLY TO AT LEAST LET US KNOW WE ARE HEARD.