GA small aircraft radio communication problem on training flight.

Attributes
ACN	139660
Time
Date	199003
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tlh
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tlh
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time total : 235
ASRS Report	139660
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was under the hood and my husband was acting safety pilot. I transmitted a response to ATC and noticed the push to talk appeared dead--it felt different in that it did not depress. I assumed if ATC did not get my reply, they would contact me. I wasn't sure I had transmitted. Meanwhile, I continued talking to my husband over our headsets via our intercom. 10 mins later I noticed I had not heard anyone transmit for a while. This is not unusual, but it is also not typical. I turned the squelch all the way up. No static, no one transmitting. Told my husband we may have a problem. He switched to our other radio--same problem. He asked me to transmit a radio check. This freed up the push to talk switch which was stuck in the down position. I should have not assumed ATC heard me, but felt my transmission unimportant and hate to clutter the frequency. Being under hood (I am not INS rated), I could not visually check push to talk switch and fly--I should have taken hood off. Lastly, and one of the biggest problems, is the flaky communication. We have 2 radios, 1 audio panel, 1 intercom, 2 types of headsets (1 with a vol control). Half the time 1 person can hear, 1 cannot. 3 vols to play with. It is confusion. I also learned to monitor what I say, even though I'm a private pilot and do not have a little black box!!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA RADIO COM PROBLEM ON TRAINING FLT.

Narrative: I WAS UNDER THE HOOD AND MY HUSBAND WAS ACTING SAFETY PLT. I XMITTED A RESPONSE TO ATC AND NOTICED THE PUSH TO TALK APPEARED DEAD--IT FELT DIFFERENT IN THAT IT DID NOT DEPRESS. I ASSUMED IF ATC DID NOT GET MY REPLY, THEY WOULD CONTACT ME. I WASN'T SURE I HAD XMITTED. MEANWHILE, I CONTINUED TALKING TO MY HUSBAND OVER OUR HEADSETS VIA OUR INTERCOM. 10 MINS LATER I NOTICED I HAD NOT HEARD ANYONE XMIT FOR A WHILE. THIS IS NOT UNUSUAL, BUT IT IS ALSO NOT TYPICAL. I TURNED THE SQUELCH ALL THE WAY UP. NO STATIC, NO ONE XMITTING. TOLD MY HUSBAND WE MAY HAVE A PROB. HE SWITCHED TO OUR OTHER RADIO--SAME PROB. HE ASKED ME TO XMIT A RADIO CHK. THIS FREED UP THE PUSH TO TALK SWITCH WHICH WAS STUCK IN THE DOWN POS. I SHOULD HAVE NOT ASSUMED ATC HEARD ME, BUT FELT MY XMISSION UNIMPORTANT AND HATE TO CLUTTER THE FREQ. BEING UNDER HOOD (I AM NOT INS RATED), I COULD NOT VISUALLY CHK PUSH TO TALK SWITCH AND FLY--I SHOULD HAVE TAKEN HOOD OFF. LASTLY, AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROBS, IS THE FLAKY COM. WE HAVE 2 RADIOS, 1 AUDIO PANEL, 1 INTERCOM, 2 TYPES OF HEADSETS (1 WITH A VOL CONTROL). HALF THE TIME 1 PERSON CAN HEAR, 1 CANNOT. 3 VOLS TO PLAY WITH. IT IS CONFUSION. I ALSO LEARNED TO MONITOR WHAT I SAY, EVEN THOUGH I'M A PVT PLT AND DO NOT HAVE A LITTLE BLACK BOX!!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.