Flight bag placed on fallen microphone creates stuck microphone condition.

Attributes
ACN	269478
Time
Date	199404
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	269478
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon accepting the airplane at the gate, I set my flight bag down in its place in the cockpit and went outside to do the walk around. Shortly after returning to the cockpit, company advised us that rdu tower was complaining of a stuck microphone on tower frequency. I found my flight bag sitting on top of the microphone. What a way to start the day! I didn't notice the microphone on the floor: the inbound first officer had knocked it down when he pulled his flight bag out. It should be our company policy that pilots turn the radio transmitter switches off while the aircraft is unattended in order to preclude stuck mikes.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT BAG PLACED ON FALLEN MIKE CREATES STUCK MIKE CONDITION.

Narrative: UPON ACCEPTING THE AIRPLANE AT THE GATE, I SET MY FLT BAG DOWN IN ITS PLACE IN THE COCKPIT AND WENT OUTSIDE TO DO THE WALK AROUND. SHORTLY AFTER RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT, COMPANY ADVISED US THAT RDU TWR WAS COMPLAINING OF A STUCK MIKE ON TWR FREQ. I FOUND MY FLT BAG SITTING ON TOP OF THE MIKE. WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY! I DIDN'T NOTICE THE MIKE ON THE FLOOR: THE INBOUND FO HAD KNOCKED IT DOWN WHEN HE PULLED HIS FLT BAG OUT. IT SHOULD BE OUR COMPANY POLICY THAT PLTS TURN THE RADIO XMITTER SWITCHES OFF WHILE THE ACFT IS UNATTENDED IN ORDER TO PRECLUDE STUCK MIKES.

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.