Instructor pilot turns off speaker switch on a training flight and fails to communicate with tower w...

Attributes
ACN	157097
Time
Date	199009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : sjc
State Reference	CA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sjc artcc : zla
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent other other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 1900 flight time type : 15
ASRS Report	157097
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : student
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While we were landing at sjc in an small aircraft over embassy suites the tower advised of small aircraft Y making a right crosswind departure. I reported looking for him. Then continued looking for reported aircraft. No sighting. Many radio calls at that time to other aircraft by tower. Turned off speaker switch to tell student to descend to pattern altitude. Why I let go of switch after giving directions in the now relative quietness of the cabin I'll never know, but it did seem quite for some time. We had not yet seen the small aircraft Y. Shortly I decided he had passed us west/O us seeing him somehow as called out aircraft too often seem to do. Passing the white tanks VFR reporting point, I spotted the small aircraft below us just completing his right turn to the crosswind. There was no conflict; we were well clear. We still had not heard anymore from the tower. I couldn't believe the small aircraft was at that point in his departure based on the tower callout some mins ago. What's wrong? No speaker; darn. Switch on! Shortly tower called my aircraft # and I replied. 'Where have you been? We've been calling for you for the last 5 mins?' I don't think it takes 5 mins to go from the embassy suites to the white tanks, but the impression of a period of time passing west/O hearing anything on the radio was evident to me-- it was longer than one normally expects. It was of course the silence that brought my attention to the off switch. I thought of apologizing to controller. More landing instructions interrupted my thoughts. Thought I might incriminate myself under some far.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT TURNS OFF SPEAKER SWITCH ON A TRAINING FLT AND FAILS TO COMMUNICATE WITH TWR WHEN APCHING VISUAL CHECKPOINT FOR TRAFFIC PATTERN ENTRY.

Narrative: WHILE WE WERE LNDG AT SJC IN AN SMA OVER EMBASSY SUITES THE TWR ADVISED OF SMA Y MAKING A RIGHT XWIND DEP. I RPTED LOOKING FOR HIM. THEN CONTINUED LOOKING FOR RPTED ACFT. NO SIGHTING. MANY RADIO CALLS AT THAT TIME TO OTHER ACFT BY TWR. TURNED OFF SPEAKER SWITCH TO TELL STUDENT TO DSND TO PATTERN ALT. WHY I LET GO OF SWITCH AFTER GIVING DIRECTIONS IN THE NOW RELATIVE QUIETNESS OF THE CABIN I'LL NEVER KNOW, BUT IT DID SEEM QUITE FOR SOME TIME. WE HAD NOT YET SEEN THE SMA Y. SHORTLY I DECIDED HE HAD PASSED US W/O US SEEING HIM SOMEHOW AS CALLED OUT ACFT TOO OFTEN SEEM TO DO. PASSING THE WHITE TANKS VFR RPTING POINT, I SPOTTED THE SMA BELOW US JUST COMPLETING HIS RIGHT TURN TO THE XWIND. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT; WE WERE WELL CLR. WE STILL HAD NOT HEARD ANYMORE FROM THE TWR. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THE SMA WAS AT THAT POINT IN HIS DEP BASED ON THE TWR CALLOUT SOME MINS AGO. WHAT'S WRONG? NO SPEAKER; DARN. SWITCH ON! SHORTLY TWR CALLED MY ACFT # AND I REPLIED. 'WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WE'VE BEEN CALLING FOR YOU FOR THE LAST 5 MINS?' I DON'T THINK IT TAKES 5 MINS TO GO FROM THE EMBASSY SUITES TO THE WHITE TANKS, BUT THE IMPRESSION OF A PERIOD OF TIME PASSING W/O HEARING ANYTHING ON THE RADIO WAS EVIDENT TO ME-- IT WAS LONGER THAN ONE NORMALLY EXPECTS. IT WAS OF COURSE THE SILENCE THAT BROUGHT MY ATTN TO THE OFF SWITCH. I THOUGHT OF APOLOGIZING TO CTLR. MORE LNDG INSTRUCTIONS INTERRUPTED MY THOUGHTS. THOUGHT I MIGHT INCRIMINATE MYSELF UNDER SOME FAR.

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.

Instructor pilot turns off speaker switch on a training flight and fails to communicate with tower when approaching visual checkpoint for traffic pattern entry.