Narrative:

We were swapped to another aircraft. Inbound captain advised aircraft had 2 write-ups. One being the ACARS bleeding over VHF 1, VHF 2, and int/service. He reported the screeching facsimile-like noise resulted in missing several ATC communications. Maintenance came to investigate, the mechanic reported it was his first time on a crj. After inquiring a few times and receiving negative progress reports, I had him recap his troubleshooting. In a few words he was unable to duplicate an ACARS transmission and reception sound on the ground. I helped him by requesting an ATIS. Maintenance was then able to duplicate the bleed from ACARS VHF 1, VHF 2 and int. At this point, the flight was swapped to an emj, but since scheduling could not find an first officer, we went back to first aircraft. Back at ZZZ1, the original mechanic I had helped advised me the manufacturer had a service letter clearing up the write-up. I studied the service letter carefully and compared it with present approved public transportation procedure in the aircraft operations manual. I ended with more questions and reservations. Systems operations center manager elected to call operations management on a conference call. Maintenance operations center, systems operations center, ZZZ1 dispatch and crj fleet manager participated. Fleet gave background and technical information. He acknowledged the problem and related experience while on takeoff during delivery/acceptance flight in ZZZ2. He noted the bleed was nothing more than a nuisance in opposition to the previous captain. After listening to the various opinions and assessing the situation, I elected not to operate this aircraft in public transportation. This letter in the discussion part of it describes part 91 flying. It appears the letter covers operations for part 91. It does not refer to any approval from the FAA for part 121 and the aircraft operations manual and part 1 do not refer to this letter either. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the problem has not been resolved, but the service letter still does not apply to part 121 operations. The reporter said the problem must be in the ACARS unit ground or wiring and you can't fly around with the ACARS unit deferred as inoperative continuously.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ-700 CAPT RPTS ACFT HAS TWO RPTS OF ACARS AUDIO BLEEDING INTO VHF 1 AND 2 AUDIO AND INTO SERVICE INTERPHONE AUDIO. ACARS AUDIO, A SCREECHING FAX-LIKE NOISE, RESULTED IN MISSING ATC COM. RPT COULD BE DUPLICATED ON THE GND.

Narrative: WE WERE SWAPPED TO ANOTHER ACFT. INBOUND CAPT ADVISED ACFT HAD 2 WRITE-UPS. ONE BEING THE ACARS BLEEDING OVER VHF 1, VHF 2, AND INT/SVC. HE RPTED THE SCREECHING FAX-LIKE NOISE RESULTED IN MISSING SEVERAL ATC COMS. MAINT CAME TO INVESTIGATE, THE MECHANIC RPTED IT WAS HIS FIRST TIME ON A CRJ. AFTER INQUIRING A FEW TIMES AND RECEIVING NEGATIVE PROGRESS RPTS, I HAD HIM RECAP HIS TROUBLESHOOTING. IN A FEW WORDS HE WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE AN ACARS TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION SOUND ON THE GND. I HELPED HIM BY REQUESTING AN ATIS. MAINT WAS THEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE BLEED FROM ACARS VHF 1, VHF 2 AND INT. AT THIS POINT, THE FLT WAS SWAPPED TO AN EMJ, BUT SINCE SCHEDULING COULD NOT FIND AN FO, WE WENT BACK TO FIRST ACFT. BACK AT ZZZ1, THE ORIGINAL MECHANIC I HAD HELPED ADVISED ME THE MANUFACTURER HAD A SERVICE LETTER CLEARING UP THE WRITE-UP. I STUDIED THE SERVICE LETTER CAREFULLY AND COMPARED IT WITH PRESENT APPROVED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION PROC IN THE ACFT OPS MANUAL. I ENDED WITH MORE QUESTIONS AND RESERVATIONS. SYSTEMS OPS CTR MGR ELECTED TO CALL OPS MGMNT ON A CONFERENCE CALL. MAINT OPS CTR, SYSTEMS OPS CTR, ZZZ1 DISPATCH AND CRJ FLEET MANAGER PARTICIPATED. FLEET GAVE BACKGROUND AND TECHNICAL INFO. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROB AND RELATED EXPERIENCE WHILE ON TKOF DURING DELIVERY/ACCEPTANCE FLT IN ZZZ2. HE NOTED THE BLEED WAS NOTHING MORE THAN A NUISANCE IN OPPOSITION TO THE PREVIOUS CAPT. AFTER LISTENING TO THE VARIOUS OPINIONS AND ASSESSING THE SIT, I ELECTED NOT TO OPERATE THIS ACFT IN PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. THIS LETTER IN THE DISCUSSION PART OF IT DESCRIBES PART 91 FLYING. IT APPEARS THE LETTER COVERS OPS FOR PART 91. IT DOES NOT REFER TO ANY APPROVAL FROM THE FAA FOR PART 121 AND THE ACFT OPS MANUAL AND PART 1 DO NOT REFER TO THIS LETTER EITHER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROB HAS NOT BEEN RESOLVED, BUT THE SERVICE LETTER STILL DOES NOT APPLY TO PART 121 OPS. THE RPTR SAID THE PROB MUST BE IN THE ACARS UNIT GND OR WIRING AND YOU CAN'T FLY AROUND WITH THE ACARS UNIT DEFERRED AS INOPERATIVE CONTINUOUSLY.

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.