B757 flight crew loss of comrdo with ATC due to the aircraft logbook placed on the center console wh...

Attributes
ACN	541184
Time
Date	200203
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 39000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc tower : anc.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	541184
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Location: 130 degree radial from mia. En route approximately 50 mins before landing at mia, I had a flight attendant come to the cockpit to man the door as the copilot and I took turns using the lavatory. When she sat on the jump seat, the logbook was placed on the center console toggling all of our radio volume switches down. I did not discover this until asking for our descent into mia. At that time ZMA informed us that they had been trying to contact us for the past 100 mi. I apologized and informed them that our volume switched had been inadvertently toggled down. When we used ACARS for ATIS we discovered that our ACARS paper was jammed so that dispatch's attempts to get us to contact mia had also failed. What also contributed to us not recognizing the problem sooner was that the frequency had so little traffic earlier we had asked san juan for a radio check. He informed us that there were only 4 aircraft on frequency. We were with mia at the time of the incident, but were expecting quieter than normal radio traffic due to our earlier radio check. The copilot and I recognize the importance of maintaining radio contact with ATC -- especially post 9/tue/01, and must make sure nothing is placed on the center console that may affect the radios and must be more careful monitoring the radios.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLC LOSS OF COMRDO WITH ATC DUE TO THE ACFT LOGBOOK PLACED ON THE CTR CONSOLE WHEN THE CABIN ATTENDANT SAT ON JUMP SEAT WHILE THE FLC TOOK TURNS USING THE LAVATORY.

Narrative: LOCATION: 130 DEG RADIAL FROM MIA. ENRTE APPROX 50 MINS BEFORE LNDG AT MIA, I HAD A FLT ATTENDANT COME TO THE COCKPIT TO MAN THE DOOR AS THE COPLT AND I TOOK TURNS USING THE LAVATORY. WHEN SHE SAT ON THE JUMP SEAT, THE LOGBOOK WAS PLACED ON THE CTR CONSOLE TOGGLING ALL OF OUR RADIO VOLUME SWITCHES DOWN. I DID NOT DISCOVER THIS UNTIL ASKING FOR OUR DSCNT INTO MIA. AT THAT TIME ZMA INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO CONTACT US FOR THE PAST 100 MI. I APOLOGIZED AND INFORMED THEM THAT OUR VOLUME SWITCHED HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY TOGGLED DOWN. WHEN WE USED ACARS FOR ATIS WE DISCOVERED THAT OUR ACARS PAPER WAS JAMMED SO THAT DISPATCH'S ATTEMPTS TO GET US TO CONTACT MIA HAD ALSO FAILED. WHAT ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO US NOT RECOGNIZING THE PROB SOONER WAS THAT THE FREQ HAD SO LITTLE TFC EARLIER WE HAD ASKED SAN JUAN FOR A RADIO CHK. HE INFORMED US THAT THERE WERE ONLY 4 ACFT ON FREQ. WE WERE WITH MIA AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, BUT WERE EXPECTING QUIETER THAN NORMAL RADIO TFC DUE TO OUR EARLIER RADIO CHK. THE COPLT AND I RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING RADIO CONTACT WITH ATC -- ESPECIALLY POST 9/TUE/01, AND MUST MAKE SURE NOTHING IS PLACED ON THE CTR CONSOLE THAT MAY AFFECT THE RADIOS AND MUST BE MORE CAREFUL MONITORING THE RADIOS.

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.

B757 flight crew loss of comrdo with ATC due to the aircraft logbook placed on the center console when the cabin attendant sat on jump seat while the flight crew took turns using the lavatory.