PLT REPORTS RECURRING A320 VHF COM RADIO STATIC PROB AT ALTITUDE. HE ALSO NOTES A PERSISTENT FREQ BLEEDOVER PROB AT CLT 18R RWY APCH END.

Date: 2008-03 · Aircraft: A320 · Phase: cruise

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical

Synopsis

PLT REPORTS RECURRING A320 VHF COM RADIO STATIC PROB AT ALTITUDE. HE ALSO NOTES A PERSISTENT FREQ BLEEDOVER PROB AT CLT 18R RWY APCH END.

Narrative

FLYING A320 IN CRUISE AT FL380 IN CIRRUS CLOUDS. STRONG SW FLOW FROM GULF OF MEXICO OVER FLORIDA PENINSULA; FUELING CONVECTION IN BROKEN LINE ACROSS CENTRAL FLORIDA. NOT NEAR ANY TWRS. USING VHF-1 FOR ATC; ENCOUNTERED SUCH STRONG; CONTINUOUS COMMUNICATION STATIC THAT WE COULD NOT HEAR EITHER ATC OR OTHER AIRCRAFT FOR ABOUT 2 MINS. THIS WAS ON ALL FREQUENCIES AND BOTH VHF-1 AND VHF-2 COMMUNICATION RADIOS. FINALLY; STATIC STOPPED AND WE WERE ABLE TO HEAR ATC AGAIN. ALL STATIC WICKS INSTALLED AND APPEARED NORMAL. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT A DOZEN TIMES OVER THE 6 YEARS AND 4000 HRS I HAVE BEEN FLYING THE A320 SERIES AIRCRAFT. THE A320 SERIES HAS THE WORST COMMUNICATION STATIC PROBLEM I HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED IN ANY TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRPLANE OF ANY MANUFACTURER. ALSO; THERE IS A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM OF ALTERNATE CHANNEL BLEEDTHROUGH ON THE A320 SERIES THAT IS ESPECIALLY BAD AT CHARLOTTE; NC (CLT); TAXIING FROM THE TERMINAL RAMP TO RUNWAY 18R; NORTHBOUND ON TAXIWAY E; WHEN WE ARE ON GROUND CONTROL 121.8 AND WE HEAR THE DEPARTURE ATIS BLEED THROUGH LOUDLY FROM 132.1. THIS DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE A PROBLEM WITH ONLY CERTAIN INDIVIDUAL TAIL NUMBERS; BUT A GENERAL PROBLEM WITH THE ENTIRE FLEET OF THIS AIRCRAFT TYPE. IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT A TRANSPORT CATEGORY AIRCRAFT COULD BE CERTIFIED THIS WAY. THIS IS THE KIND OF COMMUNICATION STATIC ONE WOULD EXPECT TO EXPERIENCE IN A CESSNA (ABSOLUTELY NO EXAGGERATION). SUGGEST FAA/AIRBUS SPECIAL CERTIFICATION REVIEW OF A319/320/320 COMMUNICATION RADIO/ANTENNA/STATIC WICK/BONDING ISSUES.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER BELIEVES THAT THE VHF PROBLEMS ARE MORE PRONOUNCED IN AIRBUS EQUIPMENT THAN IN OTHER ACFT TYPES. THE STATIC ISSUE OCCURRING IN FLT IS MOST CRITICAL AND COULD BE A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE BECAUSE THE ACFT IS ESSENTIALLY NORDO FOR A PERIOD OF TIME EXPOSING IT TO TFC CONFLICTS.

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