Loss of radio contact.

Attributes
ACN	223907
Time
Date	199210
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ads
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : dfw
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : passenger observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 10 flight time total : 140 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	223907
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 6 flight time total : 116 flight time type : 8
ASRS Report	224142
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

My wife and I are both pilots. My wife was flying the airplane and I was right seat, operating radios and navigating. We were going to transit the dfw TCA and had just taken off from ads. Addison tower handed us off to approach control. We contacted approach and were told to maintain 2000 MSL and fly direct to love field. I acknowledged the instructions. My wife and I were engaged in efforts to navigation to love field for several mins when I became aware that the radios were very quiet. We had not received any additional instructions from approach and had not heard any other aircraft contact approach. I began playing with the volume and squelch controls, trying to ensure that the radios were set up properly. After about 90 seconds of this, I suddenly thought of a stuck pit switch. The pit switch is mounted on the yoke and is the large plastic rectangular variety, velcroed to the yoke. I tapped the switch with a quick snap of my finger. I immediately heard static in my headphones, and approach control calling us in a most unfriendly voice. Approach informed us that our microphone had been stuck open for 4-5 mins. The only way to avoid this problem would be to turn the squelch off periodically to ensure the radio is in a receive mode. From now on, I will either turn the squelch off periodically or turn it off altogether when operating in congested environments where communication is critical, such as a TCA.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT.

Narrative: MY WIFE AND I ARE BOTH PLTS. MY WIFE WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE AND I WAS R SEAT, OPERATING RADIOS AND NAVING. WE WERE GOING TO TRANSIT THE DFW TCA AND HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM ADS. ADDISON TWR HANDED US OFF TO APCH CTL. WE CONTACTED APCH AND WERE TOLD TO MAINTAIN 2000 MSL AND FLY DIRECT TO LOVE FIELD. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE INSTRUCTIONS. MY WIFE AND I WERE ENGAGED IN EFFORTS TO NAV TO LOVE FIELD FOR SEVERAL MINS WHEN I BECAME AWARE THAT THE RADIOS WERE VERY QUIET. WE HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS FROM APCH AND HAD NOT HEARD ANY OTHER ACFT CONTACT APCH. I BEGAN PLAYING WITH THE VOLUME AND SQUELCH CTLS, TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THE RADIOS WERE SET UP PROPERLY. AFTER ABOUT 90 SECONDS OF THIS, I SUDDENLY THOUGHT OF A STUCK PIT SWITCH. THE PIT SWITCH IS MOUNTED ON THE YOKE AND IS THE LARGE PLASTIC RECTANGULAR VARIETY, VELCROED TO THE YOKE. I TAPPED THE SWITCH WITH A QUICK SNAP OF MY FINGER. I IMMEDIATELY HEARD STATIC IN MY HEADPHONES, AND APCH CTL CALLING US IN A MOST UNFRIENDLY VOICE. APCH INFORMED US THAT OUR MICROPHONE HAD BEEN STUCK OPEN FOR 4-5 MINS. THE ONLY WAY TO AVOID THIS PROBLEM WOULD BE TO TURN THE SQUELCH OFF PERIODICALLY TO ENSURE THE RADIO IS IN A RECEIVE MODE. FROM NOW ON, I WILL EITHER TURN THE SQUELCH OFF PERIODICALLY OR TURN IT OFF ALTOGETHER WHEN OPERATING IN CONGESTED ENVIRONMENTS WHERE COM IS CRITICAL, SUCH AS A TCA.

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.