Narrative:

While accepting vectors to an ILS runway 27L at ord, I attempted to brief our approach as per company procedures. This was the first flight for me as PIC in our advanced medium large transport. Frequency congestion was heavy and, as I briefed the approach and tried to keep alert for any ATC calls, I reached down to dial in the NDB frequency in the ADF receiver. The transponder in this aircraft was not physically located in the same space as the one we learned to reach for in the simulator. The ADF receiver was not in the same location, either. My purpose was to tune in the taffs compass locator, but as I looked down to dial in 414, the controller called out traffic and was talking so fast I erroneously tried to tune the transponder to an NDB frequency. We had received a change in codes earlier from a 5500 code to a 1300 code, and since some pilots listen to radio broadcasts at the gate occasionally, I thought I was tuning an ADF receiver. When I realized my mistake, I tried to dial back to the correct frequency for the transponder. I stopped, going to a 1200 code while I answered the controller. We did not have the changed transponder code written down, and could not remember at the tie what code we had been assigned. The controller asked if we had changed codes, and wanted to know why we were not on the assigned code. I replied by telling him we had erred. When a new captain on an advanced aircraft is assigned to fly to a city as congested as chicago, a good procedure would be to brief the approach, let the copilot (if he or she has more time in the aircraft) say and touch the dialed frequencys for the approach, and both crew members could confirm their information. Also, writing down frequencys and codes is a basic, but good idea to avoid such a problem in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT, NEW TO ACFT, GRABBED WRONG KNOBS AND CHANGED TRANSPONDER CODE.

Narrative: WHILE ACCEPTING VECTORS TO AN ILS RWY 27L AT ORD, I ATTEMPTED TO BRIEF OUR APCH AS PER COMPANY PROCS. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLT FOR ME AS PIC IN OUR ADVANCED MLG. FREQ CONGESTION WAS HEAVY AND, AS I BRIEFED THE APCH AND TRIED TO KEEP ALERT FOR ANY ATC CALLS, I REACHED DOWN TO DIAL IN THE NDB FREQ IN THE ADF RECEIVER. THE XPONDER IN THIS ACFT WAS NOT PHYSICALLY LOCATED IN THE SAME SPACE AS THE ONE WE LEARNED TO REACH FOR IN THE SIMULATOR. THE ADF RECEIVER WAS NOT IN THE SAME LOCATION, EITHER. MY PURPOSE WAS TO TUNE IN THE TAFFS COMPASS LOCATOR, BUT AS I LOOKED DOWN TO DIAL IN 414, THE CTLR CALLED OUT TFC AND WAS TALKING SO FAST I ERRONEOUSLY TRIED TO TUNE THE XPONDER TO AN NDB FREQ. WE HAD RECEIVED A CHANGE IN CODES EARLIER FROM A 5500 CODE TO A 1300 CODE, AND SINCE SOME PLTS LISTEN TO RADIO BROADCASTS AT THE GATE OCCASIONALLY, I THOUGHT I WAS TUNING AN ADF RECEIVER. WHEN I REALIZED MY MISTAKE, I TRIED TO DIAL BACK TO THE CORRECT FREQ FOR THE XPONDER. I STOPPED, GOING TO A 1200 CODE WHILE I ANSWERED THE CTLR. WE DID NOT HAVE THE CHANGED XPONDER CODE WRITTEN DOWN, AND COULD NOT REMEMBER AT THE TIE WHAT CODE WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED. THE CTLR ASKED IF WE HAD CHANGED CODES, AND WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE WERE NOT ON THE ASSIGNED CODE. I REPLIED BY TELLING HIM WE HAD ERRED. WHEN A NEW CAPT ON AN ADVANCED ACFT IS ASSIGNED TO FLY TO A CITY AS CONGESTED AS CHICAGO, A GOOD PROC WOULD BE TO BRIEF THE APCH, LET THE COPLT (IF HE OR SHE HAS MORE TIME IN THE ACFT) SAY AND TOUCH THE DIALED FREQS FOR THE APCH, AND BOTH CREW MEMBERS COULD CONFIRM THEIR INFO. ALSO, WRITING DOWN FREQS AND CODES IS A BASIC, BUT GOOD IDEA TO AVOID SUCH A PROB IN THE FUTURE.

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.