Stuck microphone creates frequency congestion. Frequency change brings standby. TCASII RA.

Attributes
ACN	232046
Time
Date	199301
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : n90
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial
Route In Use	departure other departure sid : sid
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	232046
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : overshoot conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Night time departure out of jfk. Initial altitude 3000 ft sbound. On handoff from jfk tower to ny departure, we were flying bette 1 with a canarsie climb. Departure control had a stuck microphone on the main frequency. Tower gave me a new frequency. No one would answer me, and when they finally did all I got was standby. In the middle of this TCASII gives us an immediate climb command followed by a descend command and another climb command. We finally settled at 5000 ft without a clearance and still no instructions from ATC. The only thing that prevented total disaster was the fact that we had a third pilot for the trip. He spotted the airplane while the captain was flying and I was working the radios. We need another set of eyes in the cockpit in and out of busy airports. Even if it's one of the flight attendants from the regular crew. 2 pilot crews are unsafe!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: STUCK MIKE CREATES FREQ CONGESTION. FREQ CHANGE BRINGS STANDBY. TCASII RA.

Narrative: NIGHT TIME DEP OUT OF JFK. INITIAL ALT 3000 FT SBOUND. ON HDOF FROM JFK TWR TO NY DEP, WE WERE FLYING BETTE 1 WITH A CANARSIE CLB. DEP CTL HAD A STUCK MIKE ON THE MAIN FREQ. TWR GAVE ME A NEW FREQ. NO ONE WOULD ANSWER ME, AND WHEN THEY FINALLY DID ALL I GOT WAS STANDBY. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS TCASII GIVES US AN IMMEDIATE CLB COMMAND FOLLOWED BY A DSND COMMAND AND ANOTHER CLB COMMAND. WE FINALLY SETTLED AT 5000 FT WITHOUT A CLRNC AND STILL NO INSTRUCTIONS FROM ATC. THE ONLY THING THAT PREVENTED TOTAL DISASTER WAS THE FACT THAT WE HAD A THIRD PLT FOR THE TRIP. HE SPOTTED THE AIRPLANE WHILE THE CAPT WAS FLYING AND I WAS WORKING THE RADIOS. WE NEED ANOTHER SET OF EYES IN THE COCKPIT IN AND OUT OF BUSY ARPTS. EVEN IF IT'S ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS FROM THE REGULAR CREW. 2 PLT CREWS ARE UNSAFE!

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.