STUCK MIKE CAUSED LOSS COM. THE CAPT'S MIKE WAS FOUND IN ITS DESIGNED RECEPTACLE BEING KEYED BY HIS FLT BAG AND APCH MANUAL. THAT WAS A 'HAIRY' SIT SAID HIGH ALT SECTOR WHEN CONTACTED. THE PLT'S MIKE LOCATION HAS PROMPTED 3 STUCK MIKES IN 10 LEGS.

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QUIET ON CTR. I CHKED; NO ANSWER. CTR CTLR WAS RIDING JUMPSEAT. HE GAVE US SEVERAL ALTERNATE FREQS TO NO AVAIL. FINALLY REACHED LOW ALT CTLR FOR THE OAL TO CEDES INTXN SEGMENT. SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A STUCK MIKE. I CHKED MINE AND I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE CHKED HIS AND HE ANSWERED YES. AFTER A FEW MORE MINS I ASKED THE CAPT AGAIN MORE FIRMLY AND LOUDER IF HE CHKED HIS MIKE AND SURE ENOUGH HIS MANUAL THAT WAS ON TOP OF HIS FLT KIT HAD SHIFTED AND WAS KEYING HIS HAND-HELD MIKE. REESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH HI ALT CTR WITH NO FURTHER PROB. I KEPT MY EYE ON TCASII (20 MI RANGE) AND THERE WAS NO TFC. OUT OF CONTACT FOR ABOUT 5 MINS. THE LOCATION OF THE HAND-HELD MIKE FOR BOTH THE CAPT AND COPLT ON THE B767 IS A VERY POOR CHOICE. IT IS RIGHT IN LINE WITH MANUALS AND FLT KITS. I'VE ONLY FLOWN THE B767 ON MAYBE 10 LEGS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME 3 TIMES NOW! MIKE HOOK SHOULD BE RELOCATED. CTLR ON 135.02 SAID THERE WAS A 'HAIRY' SIT REFERRING TO TFC BUT DID NOT ELABORATE FURTHER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE CAPT HAD JUST COME BACK FROM THE RESTROOM. PERHAPS WHILE READJUSTING HIS SEAT THE APCH MANUAL SLID OVER THE TOP OF THE MIKE BUTTON. THERE WAS A ZOA CTLR IN THE JUMPSEAT AS CHANCE WOULD HAVE IT THAT NORMALLY WORKED THE SECTOR AROUND COALDALE AND HE KNEW ALL THE FREQS. NONE GOT THROUGH. THE RPTR WAS ASKED IF THERE ARE 2 WAYS OF STORING THE MIKE. THE ANSWER WAS THE RPTR WAS UNABLE TO RECALL FOR SURE; WOULD HAVE TO CHK; BUT THOUGHT THERE WAS ONLY 1 WAY FOR THE SLEEVE ON THE BACK OF THE MIKE TO RECEIVE THE RECEPTACLE BLADE/HOOK ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. THERE ARE MIKES THAT HAVE MAGNETIC BUTTONS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MIKE AND CAN BE PLACED WRONGLY WITH THE MOUTHPIECE FACING TOWARD THE NOSE OF THE ACFT INSTEAD OF TOWARD THE TAIL. WHEN THIS POS IS USED THE CAPT'S KNEE CAN EASILY COME AGAINST AND KEY THE MIKE. THE RPTR HAS CORRECTED THE PLT STUCK MIKE PROB UNOFFICIALLY BY TAKING THE MIKE OFF THE RECEPTACLE AND DRAPING THE CORD OVER THE WINDOW HANDLE SO THE MIKE DANGLES IN PLAIN SIGHT WITHOUT TOUCHING ANYTHING. THIS IS ROUTINELY DONE WHEN PLACING THE FLT BAG BESIDE THE SEAT WHEN FIRST GETTING INTO THE ACFT. THIS CORRECTS THE PROB OF THAT MIKE BEING STUCK. THE RPTR STATED THE B757 PLT'S MIKE LOCATION IS DIFFERENT -- NO PROB. THERE WAS NO FURTHER REPERCUSSIONS REGARDING THE STUCK MIKE OR THE 'HAIRY' SIT. THE CTLR SAID IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE RECRIMINATION FROM THE CTR MORE WOULD HAVE BEEN SAID BY THE CTLR.