Narrative:

At FL270 as #2 in a formation of 2; I was flying off the wing of the formation lead. We were approximately 75 NM to the southwest of trm TACAN; when lead's microphone for the primary UHF ATC radio had a stuck microphone. I tried a number of times to inform lead of his situation by talking on my radio; but none of my xmissions were heard. Next; I flew my aircraft into fingertip formation to give lead visual signals that he had a stuck microphone. When I was established in formation; lead looked for my signals and was confused at first. It was clear to me that he did not have a good understanding of what I was trying to say; because we could hear him talking on the radios on the stuck microphone. Since there is no standard formation hand signal for stuck microphone; I was giving him the standard intercom failure. During this time lead started a slight descent; I was not aware of the descent since my job as the wingman is to fly off of lead and not hit him. Soon after he figured out that he had the stuck microphone; he corrected his altitude. Right after the altitude correction; ATC queried the formation on our altitude; we were established at our assigned flight level. The controller said that we had opposite direction traffic at FL260. We were not asked to give center a call and nothing more was asked of the flight. Obviously; the aircraft malfunction contributed to the altitude deviation; the fact that I had to inform lead of the problem distraction him from holding altitude. As far as remedies; I will brief to the formation a hand signal for stuck microphone; and I think that center should have given the flight a call on UHF guard frequency; since we can still monitor that frequency even though we have a stuck microphone.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A T38 PLT IN FORMATION DISCUSSES A STUCK MIKE ON LEAD ACFT'S ATC RADIO. ALTDEV RESULTS AS WINGMAN NOTIFIES LEAD OF RADIO PROB.

Narrative: AT FL270 AS #2 IN A FORMATION OF 2; I WAS FLYING OFF THE WING OF THE FORMATION LEAD. WE WERE APPROX 75 NM TO THE SW OF TRM TACAN; WHEN LEAD'S MIKE FOR THE PRIMARY UHF ATC RADIO HAD A STUCK MIKE. I TRIED A NUMBER OF TIMES TO INFORM LEAD OF HIS SITUATION BY TALKING ON MY RADIO; BUT NONE OF MY XMISSIONS WERE HEARD. NEXT; I FLEW MY ACFT INTO FINGERTIP FORMATION TO GIVE LEAD VISUAL SIGNALS THAT HE HAD A STUCK MIKE. WHEN I WAS ESTABLISHED IN FORMATION; LEAD LOOKED FOR MY SIGNALS AND WAS CONFUSED AT FIRST. IT WAS CLR TO ME THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY; BECAUSE WE COULD HEAR HIM TALKING ON THE RADIOS ON THE STUCK MIKE. SINCE THERE IS NO STANDARD FORMATION HAND SIGNAL FOR STUCK MIKE; I WAS GIVING HIM THE STANDARD INTERCOM FAILURE. DURING THIS TIME LEAD STARTED A SLIGHT DSCNT; I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE DSCNT SINCE MY JOB AS THE WINGMAN IS TO FLY OFF OF LEAD AND NOT HIT HIM. SOON AFTER HE FIGURED OUT THAT HE HAD THE STUCK MIKE; HE CORRECTED HIS ALT. RIGHT AFTER THE ALT CORRECTION; ATC QUERIED THE FORMATION ON OUR ALT; WE WERE ESTABLISHED AT OUR ASSIGNED FLT LEVEL. THE CTLR SAID THAT WE HAD OPPOSITE DIRECTION TFC AT FL260. WE WERE NOT ASKED TO GIVE CTR A CALL AND NOTHING MORE WAS ASKED OF THE FLT. OBVIOUSLY; THE ACFT MALFUNCTION CONTRIBUTED TO THE ALTDEV; THE FACT THAT I HAD TO INFORM LEAD OF THE PROB DISTR HIM FROM HOLDING ALT. AS FAR AS REMEDIES; I WILL BRIEF TO THE FORMATION A HAND SIGNAL FOR STUCK MIKE; AND I THINK THAT CTR SHOULD HAVE GIVEN THE FLT A CALL ON UHF GUARD FREQ; SINCE WE CAN STILL MONITOR THAT FREQ EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE A STUCK MIKE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.