Air carrier pilot complains about receiving squelch in headset whenever transmitter key is depressed...

Attributes
ACN	171685
Time
Date	199102
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : san
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	171685
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

The audio selector panels of this aircraft type have a flaw which causes painful noise levels in the headset when the transmit selector button is depressed. Vol level can be controled normally only if transmit selector is not selected. This makes responding to ATC communications awkward and encourages the use of cockpit overhead speakers. (I currently have tissue paper in my earpiece.) please, ask the FAA to do their job and make this aircraft compatible with the headsets. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter says that the audio select panel has a slider switch for vol that must be set at the lowest setting, and even then the incoming calls are too loud. Reporter says that most pilots use tissue in the headset to reduce the loud calls. All aircraft in the fleet have the same type of audio equipment. Other pilots have also complained about the noise. He said that there was a modification made to it, but it has not taken care of the problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR PLT COMPLAINS ABOUT RECEIVING SQUELCH IN HEADSET WHENEVER TRANSMITTER KEY IS DEPRESSED.

Narrative: THE AUDIO SELECTOR PANELS OF THIS ACFT TYPE HAVE A FLAW WHICH CAUSES PAINFUL NOISE LEVELS IN THE HEADSET WHEN THE XMIT SELECTOR BUTTON IS DEPRESSED. VOL LEVEL CAN BE CTLED NORMALLY ONLY IF XMIT SELECTOR IS NOT SELECTED. THIS MAKES RESPONDING TO ATC COMS AWKWARD AND ENCOURAGES THE USE OF COCKPIT OVERHEAD SPEAKERS. (I CURRENTLY HAVE TISSUE PAPER IN MY EARPIECE.) PLEASE, ASK THE FAA TO DO THEIR JOB AND MAKE THIS ACFT COMPATIBLE WITH THE HEADSETS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAYS THAT THE AUDIO SELECT PANEL HAS A SLIDER SWITCH FOR VOL THAT MUST BE SET AT THE LOWEST SETTING, AND EVEN THEN THE INCOMING CALLS ARE TOO LOUD. RPTR SAYS THAT MOST PLTS USE TISSUE IN THE HEADSET TO REDUCE THE LOUD CALLS. ALL ACFT IN THE FLEET HAVE THE SAME TYPE OF AUDIO EQUIPMENT. OTHER PLTS HAVE ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE NOISE. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A MODIFICATION MADE TO IT, BUT IT HAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF THE PROB.

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.