DC9-30 LEFT SWF IN IMC; UNAWARE THEY HAD A STUCK MIKE. THIS RESULTED IN LOST COMS PROC AND A RETURN TO SWF BECAUSE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW LOST COM PROC.

Date: 1996-12 · Aircraft: DC-9 30

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-less-severe

Synopsis

DC9-30 LEFT SWF IN IMC; UNAWARE THEY HAD A STUCK MIKE. THIS RESULTED IN LOST COMS PROC AND A RETURN TO SWF BECAUSE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW LOST COM PROC.

Narrative

PRIOR TO TKOF; NO CONTACT WITH TWR ON 121.0. CONTACTED GND 121.9 AND WAS ADVISED OF A STUCK MIKE ON 121.0 AND TO USE 121.9 FOR TKOF. AFTER TKOF; NO CONTACT WITH SWF ON 121.0 OR 121.9 AND NO CONTACT WITH DEP ON 132.75. TRIED BOTH RADIOS; BOTH MIXER BOXES AND BOTH MIKES. EVENTUALLY REGAINED COM (WHILE SQUAWKING 7600 AND FLYING PUBLISHED LOST COM PROC) WITH SWF TWR BY XMITTING ON RADIO #2 121.9 AND RECEIVING ON RADIO #1 121.0. RETURNED TO SWF VOR RWY 27 UNEVENTFUL. 'STUCK MIKE' WAS APPARENTLY INTERNAL TO OUR RADIO RACK. REPAIRED BY MAINT. RADIO #3 VOLUME TOO WEAK TO BE USEFUL AND IS NOT CONTROLLABLE FROM FLT DECK SINCE IT IS PRIMARILY USED BY ACARS. RAISED AN INTERESTING QUESTION. DEP ARPT IMC. DEST VMC AND WILL PROBABLY ENCOUNTER VMC ENRTE. AS AN ACR; WOULD FAA REALLY WANT US TO FLY ENTIRE RTE 'NO RADIO' AS FILED? MAY NOT HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO STAY VMC/VFR BELOW 18000 FT WITH ADEQUATE RESERVES. ROUTING GOES THROUGH ZNY AND ZDC AND TERMINATES AT A BUSY HUB ARPT. ADDITIONALLY; ENCOUNTERING VMC MAY NOT ASSURE THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN VMC FOR THE ENTIRE 400-600 MI FLT. IS THIS PROC STILL VALID IN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT.

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