PLT INSTRUCTOR OF AN SMT TWIN ENG ACFT HAD STUCK MIKE RESULTING IN LOST COM DURING AN IFR TRAINING FLT.

Date: 1994-01 · Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|other-unspecified

Synopsis

PLT INSTRUCTOR OF AN SMT TWIN ENG ACFT HAD STUCK MIKE RESULTING IN LOST COM DURING AN IFR TRAINING FLT.

Narrative

2 INSTRUCTORS; ONE AN MEI; ON INST FLT PLAN FROM 2V2 TO LAS CRUCES. PURPOSE OF FLT IS 3-FOLD: TEST 2 NEW ENGS AND PROPS; TRAINING; AND ACCUMULATING MULTI TIME. WHILE ON V60 (I THINK); ABQ APCH ASKED US TO CONTACT ZAB. ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO CONTACT CTR ON NEW FREQ; BUT TO NO AVAIL. AT THIS TIME; I RETURNED TO APCH FREQ IN ORDER TO VERIFY NEW FREQ. APCH VERIFIED AND RESPONDED TO MY CALL IN TIMELY MANNER. (I FELT; AT THIS TIME; THAT BECAUSE OF APCH'S RESPONSE; MY RADIO XMISSION CAPABILITIES WERE FINE.) AFTER THIS; ATTEMPTS WERE CONTINUOUSLY MADE TO CONTACT ZAB. WE TRIED TO TROUBLESHOOT; HAVING THE OTHER INSTRUCTOR XMIT ON HIS PUSH-TO-TALK SWITCH. ONCE AGAIN; WE WERE MET WITH DISAPPOINTMENT. THROUGHOUT THIS EXERCISE IN FUTILITY; WE WERE ACTING IN THE MANNER PRESCRIBED IN FAR 91.185(C)(1)(2). ALTHOUGH ON IFR FLT PLAN; VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED. CONTINUING ON; WE REALIZED THERE MUST BE A SERIOUS BREAKDOWN OF COM CAPABILITIES AND WE TRIED TO CONTACT ABQ RADIO IN ORDER TO HAVE THEM REACH CTR; CANCEL IFR; GET OUT OF EVERYBODY'S HAIR AND CONTINUE VFR UNTIL MALFUNCTION RESOLUTION COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. NEAR TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES (HOW APPROPRIATE!) WE STARTED RIPPING INTERCOM CABLES OUT AND TRYING DRASTIC MEASURES TO FIGURE OUT PROB. ALL OF A SUDDEN; THE LIVING WORLD OF ATC CAME IN LOUD AND CLR; WITH AN UNDERSTANDABLY VERY UPSET CTLR (HAVING SPENT WHAT MUST HAVE SEEMED AN ETERNITY LISTENING TO A GRATING WOMAN'S VOICE WITH A STUCK MIKE!) IT WAS AT THIS TIME I RECEIVED NOTICE OF PLTDEV. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 261454: THROUGH SOME MORE INVESTIGATION WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A STUCK MIKE AFTER THE PORTABLE INTERCOM WAS UNPLUGGED. AT THAT TIME WE IMMEDIATELY HEARD CTR TELLING US NOT TO XMIT AND WE SWITCHED TO THE HANDHELD MIKE. WE CONTINUED ON OUR FLT PLAN AS FILED; SWITCHED FREQS AS REQUESTED; AND CANCELED IFR WHEN WE BECAME ABLE TO COMPLETE THE VISUAL APCH. WE THEN CALLED THE INDIVIDUAL AS REQUESTED BY ATC -- IN ALBUQUERQUE; AND HE TOLD MY INSTRUCTOR HE WAS NOT GOING TO VIOLATE HER. THE ONLY THING WE FAILED TO DO WAS SQUAWK 7600 ON XPONDER FOR LOST COM.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.