Air carrier captain reports radio interference on intercom during push back at sea.

Attributes
ACN	796320
Time
Date	200807
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea.airport
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 6000
ASRS Report	796320
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Before pushback I could hear the handler well over the interphone. However once pushed back from north satellite; I could not distinguish what the ground handler was saying over the interphone due to interference from what sounded like a commercial radio station. I was eventually able to hear enough to make educated guesses on the progress on the ground handler; and we started engines and I released him. Had there been any unusual situations; we would not have been able to communicate. I often hear an interference like this (sounding like a commercial radio station) in this location in sea. Usually it is weak enough to hear over; but not this time. I have written up this situation before. In this case; the severity may have been aircraft related; but the continual occurrence is location related.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter could add no additional information except to say that the interference was definitely coming through the intercom since no other communications sources were selected at the time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CAPT REPORTS RADIO INTERFERENCE ON INTERCOM DURING PUSH BACK AT SEA.

Narrative: BEFORE PUSHBACK I COULD HEAR THE HANDLER WELL OVER THE INTERPHONE. HOWEVER ONCE PUSHED BACK FROM NORTH SATELLITE; I COULD NOT DISTINGUISH WHAT THE GROUND HANDLER WAS SAYING OVER THE INTERPHONE DUE TO INTERFERENCE FROM WHAT SOUNDED LIKE A COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION. I WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO HEAR ENOUGH TO MAKE EDUCATED GUESSES ON THE PROGRESS ON THE GROUND HANDLER; AND WE STARTED ENGINES AND I RELEASED HIM. HAD THERE BEEN ANY UNUSUAL SITUATIONS; WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE. I OFTEN HEAR AN INTERFERENCE LIKE THIS (SOUNDING LIKE A COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION) IN THIS LOCATION IN SEA. USUALLY IT IS WEAK ENOUGH TO HEAR OVER; BUT NOT THIS TIME. I HAVE WRITTEN UP THIS SITUATION BEFORE. IN THIS CASE; THE SEVERITY MAY HAVE BEEN AIRCRAFT RELATED; BUT THE CONTINUAL OCCURRENCE IS LOCATION RELATED.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER COULD ADD NO ADDITIONAL INFORMATION EXCEPT TO SAY THAT THE INTERFERENCE WAS DEFINITELY COMING THROUGH THE INTERCOM SINCE NO OTHER COMMUNICATIONS SOURCES WERE SELECTED AT THE TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.