Narrative:

After being handed over from approach (125.6) to tower 119.7 the tower cleared us to land on 18L while we were 8 mi out on straight-in. Shortly thereafter, we heard an air carrier flight acknowledge 'cleared for the visibility to 18L'. We heard several similar air carrier xmissions, and became concerned that an airliner was overtaking us. I asked huntsville tower 'where is our air carrier traffic?', and was told that huntsville was not working an air carrier flight. We subsequently heard the air carrier change to 18R (huntsville's preferred airline runway) and stopped worrying. Later telephone discussion with huntsville ATC indicates that we were probably hearing traffic at memphis, which has runways 18L and 18R, and local traffic control on 119.7. Whether the transmission was skip or line-of-sight, I can't guess. However, it seems to me to be a basic violation of safety to have identical runway numbers and identical local control frequencys on two airports within 160 mi of each other.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA APCHING HSV HAD TWR FREQ OVERLAP FROM MEM TWR.

Narrative: AFTER BEING HANDED OVER FROM APCH (125.6) TO TWR 119.7 THE TWR CLRED US TO LAND ON 18L WHILE WE WERE 8 MI OUT ON STRAIGHT-IN. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WE HEARD AN ACR FLT ACKNOWLEDGE 'CLRED FOR THE VIS TO 18L'. WE HEARD SEVERAL SIMILAR ACR XMISSIONS, AND BECAME CONCERNED THAT AN AIRLINER WAS OVERTAKING US. I ASKED HUNTSVILLE TWR 'WHERE IS OUR ACR TFC?', AND WAS TOLD THAT HUNTSVILLE WAS NOT WORKING AN ACR FLT. WE SUBSEQUENTLY HEARD THE ACR CHANGE TO 18R (HUNTSVILLE'S PREFERRED AIRLINE RWY) AND STOPPED WORRYING. LATER TELEPHONE DISCUSSION WITH HUNTSVILLE ATC INDICATES THAT WE WERE PROBABLY HEARING TFC AT MEMPHIS, WHICH HAS RWYS 18L AND 18R, AND LCL TFC CTL ON 119.7. WHETHER THE XMISSION WAS SKIP OR LINE-OF-SIGHT, I CAN'T GUESS. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE A BASIC VIOLATION OF SAFETY TO HAVE IDENTICAL RWY NUMBERS AND IDENTICAL LCL CTL FREQS ON TWO ARPTS WITHIN 160 MI OF EACH OTHER.

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.