Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 124; Flight Crew Total 15500; Flight Crew Type 6700
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation - Altitude Excursion From Assigned Altitude; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft; Human Factors; Weather
After taking off and entering IMC conditions in heavy rain. The pilots lost intercommunications between pilots; lost communications on radio one. The copilots yoke started to fall apart; which resulted in a stuck mike on the aircraft. The copilot switched to communications on radio two; the Captain was able to communicate with ATC on radio two intermittently; (I feel that P-factor with static electricity from a loose static wick or bracket connections may have been an additional problem). I chose not to continue the flight into night IMC. Due to the poor communications on Radio #2 I climbed 500 feet above an altitude assigned. (Due to poor communications) I returned to the departure airport; prior to returning I had to dump fuel to get below maximum landing weight.
LR35 Captain experiences communications difficulties shortly after takeoff into night IMC in heavy rain. The First Officer's yoke began falling apart; appeared to cause some of the communication difficulties and the Captain elects to return to the departure airport after dumping fuel.