Flight crew of atx small transport inadvertently tunes wrong radio to obtain WX information and cuts themselves off from communication with ZNY resutling in a traffic conflict.

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Attributes
ACN	145259
Time
Date	199005
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 19000 msl bound upper : 19000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zny tower : fat
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 2100 flight time type : 90
ASRS Report	145259
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : required legal separation non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Being handled by ZNY inbound to jfk about 90 mi northwest. Center issued a heading to turn to and a speed restriction for traffic into jfk. Suspecting delay, captain requested that I check jfk WX. I advised him I was leaving center frequency to get WX. I tuned in jfk ATIS but was unable to read so I tuned the standby frequency selector to 122.00, switched over to it and proceeded to get current conditions at jfk from flight watch. I then switched back to communication #1 and proceeded to relay WX information to the captain. The captain was confused as to the status of the radios and queried as to which frequency we were on. I then realized that I had tuned 122.00 on the frequency selector common to both radio's and in so doing, cut us off from center. Luckily I remembered the frequency we were on and retuned communication #1 back to it. Upon returning center was calling and advised us that he had been trying to call us with no response and wanted to know what our problem was. We advised him that we had a problem with our radio switches and apologized. He then informed us that the communications interuption had resulted in a traffic conflict.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF ATX SMT INADVERTENTLY TUNES WRONG RADIO TO OBTAIN WX INFO AND CUTS THEMSELVES OFF FROM COM WITH ZNY RESUTLING IN A TRAFFIC CONFLICT.

Narrative: BEING HANDLED BY ZNY INBND TO JFK ABOUT 90 MI NW. CTR ISSUED A HDG TO TURN TO AND A SPD RESTRICTION FOR TFC INTO JFK. SUSPECTING DELAY, CAPT REQUESTED THAT I CHK JFK WX. I ADVISED HIM I WAS LEAVING CTR FREQ TO GET WX. I TUNED IN JFK ATIS BUT WAS UNABLE TO READ SO I TUNED THE STANDBY FREQ SELECTOR TO 122.00, SWITCHED OVER TO IT AND PROCEEDED TO GET CURRENT CONDITIONS AT JFK FROM FLT WATCH. I THEN SWITCHED BACK TO COM #1 AND PROCEEDED TO RELAY WX INFO TO THE CAPT. THE CAPT WAS CONFUSED AS TO THE STATUS OF THE RADIOS AND QUERIED AS TO WHICH FREQ WE WERE ON. I THEN REALIZED THAT I HAD TUNED 122.00 ON THE FREQ SELECTOR COMMON TO BOTH RADIO'S AND IN SO DOING, CUT US OFF FROM CTR. LUCKILY I REMEMBERED THE FREQ WE WERE ON AND RETUNED COM #1 BACK TO IT. UPON RETURNING CTR WAS CALLING AND ADVISED US THAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO CALL US WITH NO RESPONSE AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT OUR PROB WAS. WE ADVISED HIM THAT WE HAD A PROB WITH OUR RADIO SWITCHES AND APOLOGIZED. HE THEN INFORMED US THAT THE COMS INTERUPTION HAD RESULTED IN A TFC CONFLICT.

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.