Narrative:

The first officer was flying the aircraft. The captain was handling routine communication. While descending to 6000 ft on the approach to ILS 21R at dtw, the first officer saw and announced an intruder aircraft at about 1 O'clock, crossing right to left in front of our aircraft. The intruder aircraft was at our altitude, or slightly below us, with an estimated 300 ft horizontal separation. I took command of our aircraft and initiated a left roll, toga climb. The evasive maneuver resulted in a 30-40 degree heading change and an approximately 2000 ft climb. We were then given a new clearance and continued the approach in a normal fashion. The intruder aircraft was flying in and about the scattered cloud layer with bases at 6000 ft. When we questioned ATC as to why the traffic was not called, he stated that we had just been handed off to him and he didn't have time to tell us. When he did try to tell us, he couldn't because we had a 'stuck microphone.' the stuck microphone resulted when I grabbed the side-stick controller to initiate the required evasive maneuver. The microphone trigger is located on front of the side-stick. The frequency had been clear until evasive action was initiated. The following facts are evident: had we been in IMC, there would have been a collision. Had the first officer not scanned when he did, there would have been a collision. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft. I made 2 announcements to the passenger explaining the incident. The first officer was at the cockpit door during passenger deplaning answering any questions asked. The passenger were concerned, but calm. With few exceptions, every one thanked him for our actions. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter described the side stick and the microphone 'trigger' used to key the microphone. During the evasive action, they went NORDO because he had gripped the microphone key during the maneuver. After clear of the traffic, the first officer had strong words for ATC. ATC said, 'why are you mad at me?' claiming their microphone was stuck. Crew wonders what good a TA is if it is given while they are in the process of evading the traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT HAS NMAC JUST OUTSIDE DTW TCA. ATC BLAMES 'STUCK' MIKE.

Narrative: THE FO WAS FLYING THE ACFT. THE CAPT WAS HANDLING ROUTINE COM. WHILE DSNDING TO 6000 FT ON THE APCH TO ILS 21R AT DTW, THE FO SAW AND ANNOUNCED AN INTRUDER ACFT AT ABOUT 1 O'CLOCK, XING R TO L IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT. THE INTRUDER ACFT WAS AT OUR ALT, OR SLIGHTLY BELOW US, WITH AN ESTIMATED 300 FT HORIZ SEPARATION. I TOOK COMMAND OF OUR ACFT AND INITIATED A L ROLL, TOGA CLB. THE EVASIVE MANEUVER RESULTED IN A 30-40 DEG HDG CHANGE AND AN APPROX 2000 FT CLB. WE WERE THEN GIVEN A NEW CLRNC AND CONTINUED THE APCH IN A NORMAL FASHION. THE INTRUDER ACFT WAS FLYING IN AND ABOUT THE SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER WITH BASES AT 6000 FT. WHEN WE QUESTIONED ATC AS TO WHY THE TFC WAS NOT CALLED, HE STATED THAT WE HAD JUST BEEN HANDED OFF TO HIM AND HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO TELL US. WHEN HE DID TRY TO TELL US, HE COULDN'T BECAUSE WE HAD A 'STUCK MIKE.' THE STUCK MIKE RESULTED WHEN I GRABBED THE SIDE-STICK CTLR TO INITIATE THE REQUIRED EVASIVE MANEUVER. THE MIKE TRIGGER IS LOCATED ON FRONT OF THE SIDE-STICK. THE FREQ HAD BEEN CLR UNTIL EVASIVE ACTION WAS INITIATED. THE FOLLOWING FACTS ARE EVIDENT: HAD WE BEEN IN IMC, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. HAD THE FO NOT SCANNED WHEN HE DID, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A COLLISION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. I MADE 2 ANNOUNCEMENTS TO THE PAX EXPLAINING THE INCIDENT. THE FO WAS AT THE COCKPIT DOOR DURING PAX DEPLANING ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS ASKED. THE PAX WERE CONCERNED, BUT CALM. WITH FEW EXCEPTIONS, EVERY ONE THANKED HIM FOR OUR ACTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR DESCRIBED THE SIDE STICK AND THE MIKE 'TRIGGER' USED TO KEY THE MIKE. DURING THE EVASIVE ACTION, THEY WENT NORDO BECAUSE HE HAD GRIPPED THE MIKE KEY DURING THE MANEUVER. AFTER CLR OF THE TFC, THE FO HAD STRONG WORDS FOR ATC. ATC SAID, 'WHY ARE YOU MAD AT ME?' CLAIMING THEIR MIKE WAS STUCK. CREW WONDERS WHAT GOOD A TA IS IF IT IS GIVEN WHILE THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS OF EVADING THE TFC.

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.