Narrative:

We were level at FL350 when we received a call from ZDV asking about the ride. I was the PNF and replied it was smooth. There was no reply from ATC. About 1 min later, we received a call from ATC asking 'how we heard this transmission.' I replied they were 'loud and clear.' at the same time I made this call, I looked down at my radio panel and noticed I was not transmitting. My radio control panel had been selected to the cabin when I spoke with the flight attendants about 5 mins earlier. I immediately switched to transmit over the ATC frequency and checked in with center. ATC chastised us heavily on not being on frequency and not listening to the radio. ATC said they had tried to call us numerous times with no reply. The only xmissions myself or the captain heard were the 2 calls within a few seconds. The captain then got on the radio and said he had not heard any prior calls prior to the 2 calls. ATC replied they could 'pull the tapes' and that there 'were 2 people here that could verify I had been trying to call you' and that we had 'better start listening to the radio.' at this time another company aircraft chimed onto the frequency and said they also had not heard ATC calling us the numerous times they had claimed. ATC replied, 'well, that's typical company.' at this point, my captain asked ATC to 'pull the tapes.' there was no reply from ATC. About 1 min later, we received an ACARS message asking us to switch to another frequency (126.87). The captain elected not to switch and said he would wait for ATC to request a frequency change. ATC requested a frequency change about 8 mins after this event and did not mention the previous conversation or the 'pulling of the tapes' again. We had no further issues with ATC for the remainder of the flight. I believe this was an unfortunate verbal exchange between 2 parties which quickly deteriorated. I was in the wrong for not reconfiguring my radio panel after speaking with the flight attendants. This was the root cause of the communication delay with ATC. I feel ATC unfortunately began to take the captain's comments personally after the other company aircraft confirmed our side of the story. I believe the first call from ATC concerning the rides was the only reason they were calling us.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: VERBAL ALTERCATION BREAKS OUT BTWN A320 FLT CREW AND ZDV CTLR WHEN FO'S XMITTER SELECTOR INADVERTENTLY IN INTERPHONE POS.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT FL350 WHEN WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM ZDV ASKING ABOUT THE RIDE. I WAS THE PNF AND REPLIED IT WAS SMOOTH. THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM ATC. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM ATC ASKING 'HOW WE HEARD THIS XMISSION.' I REPLIED THEY WERE 'LOUD AND CLR.' AT THE SAME TIME I MADE THIS CALL, I LOOKED DOWN AT MY RADIO PANEL AND NOTICED I WAS NOT XMITTING. MY RADIO CTL PANEL HAD BEEN SELECTED TO THE CABIN WHEN I SPOKE WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT 5 MINS EARLIER. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO XMIT OVER THE ATC FREQ AND CHKED IN WITH CTR. ATC CHASTISED US HEAVILY ON NOT BEING ON FREQ AND NOT LISTENING TO THE RADIO. ATC SAID THEY HAD TRIED TO CALL US NUMEROUS TIMES WITH NO REPLY. THE ONLY XMISSIONS MYSELF OR THE CAPT HEARD WERE THE 2 CALLS WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. THE CAPT THEN GOT ON THE RADIO AND SAID HE HAD NOT HEARD ANY PRIOR CALLS PRIOR TO THE 2 CALLS. ATC REPLIED THEY COULD 'PULL THE TAPES' AND THAT THERE 'WERE 2 PEOPLE HERE THAT COULD VERIFY I HAD BEEN TRYING TO CALL YOU' AND THAT WE HAD 'BETTER START LISTENING TO THE RADIO.' AT THIS TIME ANOTHER COMPANY ACFT CHIMED ONTO THE FREQ AND SAID THEY ALSO HAD NOT HEARD ATC CALLING US THE NUMEROUS TIMES THEY HAD CLAIMED. ATC REPLIED, 'WELL, THAT'S TYPICAL COMPANY.' AT THIS POINT, MY CAPT ASKED ATC TO 'PULL THE TAPES.' THERE WAS NO REPLY FROM ATC. ABOUT 1 MIN LATER, WE RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE ASKING US TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER FREQ (126.87). THE CAPT ELECTED NOT TO SWITCH AND SAID HE WOULD WAIT FOR ATC TO REQUEST A FREQ CHANGE. ATC REQUESTED A FREQ CHANGE ABOUT 8 MINS AFTER THIS EVENT AND DID NOT MENTION THE PREVIOUS CONVERSATION OR THE 'PULLING OF THE TAPES' AGAIN. WE HAD NO FURTHER ISSUES WITH ATC FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. I BELIEVE THIS WAS AN UNFORTUNATE VERBAL EXCHANGE BTWN 2 PARTIES WHICH QUICKLY DETERIORATED. I WAS IN THE WRONG FOR NOT RECONFIGURING MY RADIO PANEL AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THIS WAS THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE COM DELAY WITH ATC. I FEEL ATC UNFORTUNATELY BEGAN TO TAKE THE CAPT'S COMMENTS PERSONALLY AFTER THE OTHER COMPANY ACFT CONFIRMED OUR SIDE OF THE STORY. I BELIEVE THE FIRST CALL FROM ATC CONCERNING THE RIDES WAS THE ONLY REASON THEY WERE CALLING US.

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.