MD88 aircraft in cruise lost communication due to a shorted communications panel. Reporter captain suspects cause was leaking deice fluid.

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Attributes
ACN	390976
Time
Date	199801
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 23000 msl bound upper : 23000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl tower : ord
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-88
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	390976
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 4500 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	391193
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

At FL230 communications panel shorted to the transmit position on both radios. Probable cause was deice fluid leaking in cockpit windows on deicing. No radio approach to landing accomplished without mishap. Supplemental information from acn 391193: aircraft had been deiced in cle. It came in through a door seal in the windows and onto the captain's communication panel. All operations were normal for the first portion of the flight. The captain initially lost the ability to hear xmissions. Then on descent all communication was lost. It was later discovered that all radios were stuck in transmit due to fluid in the communication panel. A 'normal' type vector pattern was flown to an ILS runway 26R in atl. Center and approach did their part and cleared out traffic as we set 7600 in the transponder. TCASII was fantastic to help with traffic awareness. No known conflicts with other traffic occurred. Phone calls with center, approach and tower were all positive with good feedback. All ATC facilities did a great job.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD88 ACFT IN CRUISE LOST COM DUE TO A SHORTED COMS PANEL. RPTR CAPT SUSPECTS CAUSE WAS LEAKING DEICE FLUID.

Narrative: AT FL230 COMS PANEL SHORTED TO THE XMIT POS ON BOTH RADIOS. PROBABLE CAUSE WAS DEICE FLUID LEAKING IN COCKPIT WINDOWS ON DEICING. NO RADIO APCH TO LNDG ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT MISHAP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 391193: ACFT HAD BEEN DEICED IN CLE. IT CAME IN THROUGH A DOOR SEAL IN THE WINDOWS AND ONTO THE CAPT'S COM PANEL. ALL OPS WERE NORMAL FOR THE FIRST PORTION OF THE FLT. THE CAPT INITIALLY LOST THE ABILITY TO HEAR XMISSIONS. THEN ON DSCNT ALL COM WAS LOST. IT WAS LATER DISCOVERED THAT ALL RADIOS WERE STUCK IN XMIT DUE TO FLUID IN THE COM PANEL. A 'NORMAL' TYPE VECTOR PATTERN WAS FLOWN TO AN ILS RWY 26R IN ATL. CTR AND APCH DID THEIR PART AND CLRED OUT TFC AS WE SET 7600 IN THE XPONDER. TCASII WAS FANTASTIC TO HELP WITH TFC AWARENESS. NO KNOWN CONFLICTS WITH OTHER TFC OCCURRED. PHONE CALLS WITH CTR, APCH AND TWR WERE ALL POSITIVE WITH GOOD FEEDBACK. ALL ATC FACILITIES DID A GREAT JOB.

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.