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Flight crew of DC9-30 has flag appear on radio altimeter plus TCASII fail and GPWS fail. Both annunciate. After other checks a passenger electronic device walk through the aircraft reveals a passenger with pager operating. It is shut off and instruments return to normal.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 412259 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199808 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mem |
| State Reference | TN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 6000 msl bound upper : 6000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : mem |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 230 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 5000 |
| ASRS Report | 412259 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Climbing out through 6000 ft departing mem, the captain's radio altimeter flag appeared. 'TCASII fail' annunciated on the vsi and GPWS fail annunciated on the annunciator panel. The usual checks proved negative so I asked the lead flight attendant to do a passenger electronic device walk and she returned to say that a passenger had been using a pager in first class, but had just shut it off. The radio altimeter did in fact return to normal as did TCASII and GPWS. Both tested normal as did the radio altimeter. Since we had had the same problem earlier in the day with the same aircraft and the same type of pager and had had the radio altimeter checked after the first incident, I did not feel it was necessary to have the radio altimeter checked again (although I did make an information only entry in the logbook). This was my 5TH pager passenger electronic device incident in 8 months and the second of the day. I feel that pagers ought to be added to the list of passenger electronic device items the use of which on aircraft is specifically banned.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF DC9-30 HAS FLAG APPEAR ON RADIO ALTIMETER PLUS TCASII FAIL AND GPWS FAIL. BOTH ANNUNCIATE. AFTER OTHER CHKS A PAX ELECTRONIC DEVICE WALK THROUGH THE ACFT REVEALS A PAX WITH PAGER OPERATING. IT IS SHUT OFF AND INSTS RETURN TO NORMAL.
Narrative: CLBING OUT THROUGH 6000 FT DEPARTING MEM, THE CAPT'S RADIO ALTIMETER FLAG APPEARED. 'TCASII FAIL' ANNUNCIATED ON THE VSI AND GPWS FAIL ANNUNCIATED ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. THE USUAL CHKS PROVED NEGATIVE SO I ASKED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO DO A PAX ELECTRONIC DEVICE WALK AND SHE RETURNED TO SAY THAT A PAX HAD BEEN USING A PAGER IN FIRST CLASS, BUT HAD JUST SHUT IT OFF. THE RADIO ALTIMETER DID IN FACT RETURN TO NORMAL AS DID TCASII AND GPWS. BOTH TESTED NORMAL AS DID THE RADIO ALTIMETER. SINCE WE HAD HAD THE SAME PROB EARLIER IN THE DAY WITH THE SAME ACFT AND THE SAME TYPE OF PAGER AND HAD HAD THE RADIO ALTIMETER CHKED AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT, I DID NOT FEEL IT WAS NECESSARY TO HAVE THE RADIO ALTIMETER CHKED AGAIN (ALTHOUGH I DID MAKE AN INFO ONLY ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK). THIS WAS MY 5TH PAGER PAX ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCIDENT IN 8 MONTHS AND THE SECOND OF THE DAY. I FEEL THAT PAGERS OUGHT TO BE ADDED TO THE LIST OF PAX ELECTRONIC DEVICE ITEMS THE USE OF WHICH ON ACFT IS SPECIFICALLY BANNED.
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.