Narrative:

The captain's audio box transmit button was left in intercom. The copilot handled the radios as we taxied. This was the copilot's leg. When we were 'cleared for takeoff runway 23R, fly runway heading' I (PNF) responded with my boom microphone and we commenced our takeoff. The tower made no call or query as to whether we received the takeoff instruction because they saw us on the roll. As we passed through 2000 ft, the tower called and instructed us to 'right turn 050 degrees, contact departure.' I (PNF) responded with my boom microphone and proceeded to change the heading bug and switch frequency. The tower called again (with a more urgent tone) with the same instructions, and queried if we had received their instructions, I (PNF) then switched to my hand microphone and replied again. The tower, in a most excited tone, called again and repeated their last instruction and 'identify if you can hear me or contact departure.' at this time, I was looking at the communication #1, audio box (captain) and the transponder and noticed that my captain (PNF) audio box was set to transmit on intercom not communication #1, the second officer switched xponders and asked if ATC was receiving our squawk. I pressed the identify button on the transponder and switched to communication #1 on my audio box and replied to ATC. As I looked up from the center console and saw our altitude had been exceeded. I called 'altitude' and pulled the thrust levers back and pushed on the yoke. The copilot (PF) responded with 'sorry' and continued the maneuver to correct back to our assigned altitude (3000 ft). The tower called, queried our altitude and gave us an immediate command of 'further left turn to 090 degrees for traffic separation.' I responded to the instructions. The tower then advised us to call them when we reached our destination and handed us to departure. I believe this deviation occurred because the copilot (PF) was distraction by the communication problem caused by the captain's audio panel not being in the proper position and the excited tone and nonstandard terminology of ATC. The call from tower to 'identify if you can hear me or contact departure' had us confused as to whether or not our transponder was working or our communication radio was inoperative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 CREW, DEPARTING IND, FOUND THAT THE CAPT'S VHF XMISSIONS WERE NOT BEING RECEIVED DUE TO WRONG SWITCH POS.

Narrative: THE CAPT'S AUDIO BOX XMIT BUTTON WAS LEFT IN INTERCOM. THE COPLT HANDLED THE RADIOS AS WE TAXIED. THIS WAS THE COPLT'S LEG. WHEN WE WERE 'CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 23R, FLY RWY HDG' I (PNF) RESPONDED WITH MY BOOM MIKE AND WE COMMENCED OUR TKOF. THE TWR MADE NO CALL OR QUERY AS TO WHETHER WE RECEIVED THE TKOF INSTRUCTION BECAUSE THEY SAW US ON THE ROLL. AS WE PASSED THROUGH 2000 FT, THE TWR CALLED AND INSTRUCTED US TO 'R TURN 050 DEGS, CONTACT DEP.' I (PNF) RESPONDED WITH MY BOOM MIKE AND PROCEEDED TO CHANGE THE HDG BUG AND SWITCH FREQ. THE TWR CALLED AGAIN (WITH A MORE URGENT TONE) WITH THE SAME INSTRUCTIONS, AND QUERIED IF WE HAD RECEIVED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS, I (PNF) THEN SWITCHED TO MY HAND MIKE AND REPLIED AGAIN. THE TWR, IN A MOST EXCITED TONE, CALLED AGAIN AND REPEATED THEIR LAST INSTRUCTION AND 'IDENT IF YOU CAN HEAR ME OR CONTACT DEP.' AT THIS TIME, I WAS LOOKING AT THE COM #1, AUDIO BOX (CAPT) AND THE XPONDER AND NOTICED THAT MY CAPT (PNF) AUDIO BOX WAS SET TO XMIT ON INTERCOM NOT COM #1, THE SECOND OFFICER SWITCHED XPONDERS AND ASKED IF ATC WAS RECEIVING OUR SQUAWK. I PRESSED THE IDENT BUTTON ON THE XPONDER AND SWITCHED TO COM #1 ON MY AUDIO BOX AND REPLIED TO ATC. AS I LOOKED UP FROM THE CTR CONSOLE AND SAW OUR ALT HAD BEEN EXCEEDED. I CALLED 'ALT' AND PULLED THE THRUST LEVERS BACK AND PUSHED ON THE YOKE. THE COPLT (PF) RESPONDED WITH 'SORRY' AND CONTINUED THE MANEUVER TO CORRECT BACK TO OUR ASSIGNED ALT (3000 FT). THE TWR CALLED, QUERIED OUR ALT AND GAVE US AN IMMEDIATE COMMAND OF 'FURTHER L TURN TO 090 DEGS FOR TFC SEPARATION.' I RESPONDED TO THE INSTRUCTIONS. THE TWR THEN ADVISED US TO CALL THEM WHEN WE REACHED OUR DEST AND HANDED US TO DEP. I BELIEVE THIS DEV OCCURRED BECAUSE THE COPLT (PF) WAS DISTR BY THE COM PROB CAUSED BY THE CAPT'S AUDIO PANEL NOT BEING IN THE PROPER POS AND THE EXCITED TONE AND NONSTANDARD TERMINOLOGY OF ATC. THE CALL FROM TWR TO 'IDENT IF YOU CAN HEAR ME OR CONTACT DEP' HAD US CONFUSED AS TO WHETHER OR NOT OUR XPONDER WAS WORKING OR OUR COM RADIO WAS INOP.

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.