Narrative:

A student and I departed 1d2 for yip about 11 mi southwest to do touch and go's. Apparently I looked right at my VFR terminal area chart for the ATIS and tower frequencys for yip and inadvertently picked the frequencys for ptk, about 20 mi north of 1d2. I recorded the ATIS, called the ptk tower and advised we were off 1d2 with ATIS for touch and go's. The controller cleared me to enter left traffic for 27L and advise 2 mi south of the tower. Immediately upon acknowledging this clearance, I realized it didn't make sense when approaching from 1d2 (this should have been my first clue something was wrong), so I called to verify we were in fact approaching from the north. The amended clearance now made sense, so we continued on and flew right traffic for 27R at yip. The ptk tower advised that though we were not yet in sight (another clue) we were #2 behind an aircraft on final for 27R. At the time we had in sight an aircraft on final for 27R at yip so we acknowledged an continued on our downwind. About the time we were ready to turn base, the controller advised she had yet to make a visibility on us and asked us to verify we were in fact landing at ptk. Like a ton of bricks the error became obvious. She gave us the proper frequency and we immediately called yip tower. After quickly explaining what happened, we were cleared for the option, continued our touch and go flight lesson, and returned to 1d2 west/O further incident. Fortunately, we had apparently caused no traffic conflicts or other problems; indeed, the yip controller seemed unaware that we were even there. There is no excuse for this. I just made a plain old stupid mistake. I paid insufficient attention to what I was doing due to the distraction of a new and somewhat ill-at-ease student. I guess I had 'ptk-on-the-mind' as I had made a flight there earlier in the day, and earlier in the week had taken a part-time night freight job there as well. Contributing factors: 1) both airports have parallel 9-27 runways, so reference to them made sense. 2) tower frequencys are similar--120.0 and 120.5. 3) both have similar sounding female controllers. 4) controller didn't catch my initial error(south)--my call to 'willow run tower,' and my location indicating we were off 1d2, hence south of ptk. In conclusion, this incident is yet another vivid reminder of the importance of constant vigilance scrutiny and prioritizing to the safety of a flight. I feel confident I will never make this particular mistake again. Also, when a controller gives a clearance that doesn't make sense, I will consider that it may be me, not her, that it is in error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA FLT INSTRUCTOR MADE THE WRONG FREQ CHANGE AND WAS IN COM WITH PIK WHILE IN ATA FOR YIP.

Narrative: A STUDENT AND I DEPARTED 1D2 FOR YIP ABOUT 11 MI SW TO DO TOUCH AND GO'S. APPARENTLY I LOOKED RIGHT AT MY VFR TERMINAL AREA CHART FOR THE ATIS AND TWR FREQS FOR YIP AND INADVERTENTLY PICKED THE FREQS FOR PTK, ABOUT 20 MI N OF 1D2. I RECORDED THE ATIS, CALLED THE PTK TWR AND ADVISED WE WERE OFF 1D2 WITH ATIS FOR TOUCH AND GO'S. THE CTLR CLRED ME TO ENTER LEFT TFC FOR 27L AND ADVISE 2 MI S OF THE TWR. IMMEDIATELY UPON ACKNOWLEDGING THIS CLRNC, I REALIZED IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE WHEN APCHING FROM 1D2 (THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MY FIRST CLUE SOMETHING WAS WRONG), SO I CALLED TO VERIFY WE WERE IN FACT APCHING FROM THE N. THE AMENDED CLRNC NOW MADE SENSE, SO WE CONTINUED ON AND FLEW RIGHT TFC FOR 27R AT YIP. THE PTK TWR ADVISED THAT THOUGH WE WERE NOT YET IN SIGHT (ANOTHER CLUE) WE WERE #2 BEHIND AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR 27R. AT THE TIME WE HAD IN SIGHT AN ACFT ON FINAL FOR 27R AT YIP SO WE ACKNOWLEDGED AN CONTINUED ON OUR DOWNWIND. ABOUT THE TIME WE WERE READY TO TURN BASE, THE CTLR ADVISED SHE HAD YET TO MAKE A VIS ON US AND ASKED US TO VERIFY WE WERE IN FACT LNDG AT PTK. LIKE A TON OF BRICKS THE ERROR BECAME OBVIOUS. SHE GAVE US THE PROPER FREQ AND WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED YIP TWR. AFTER QUICKLY EXPLAINING WHAT HAPPENED, WE WERE CLRED FOR THE OPTION, CONTINUED OUR TOUCH AND GO FLT LESSON, AND RETURNED TO 1D2 W/O FURTHER INCIDENT. FORTUNATELY, WE HAD APPARENTLY CAUSED NO TFC CONFLICTS OR OTHER PROBS; INDEED, THE YIP CTLR SEEMED UNAWARE THAT WE WERE EVEN THERE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THIS. I JUST MADE A PLAIN OLD STUPID MISTAKE. I PAID INSUFFICIENT ATTN TO WHAT I WAS DOING DUE TO THE DISTR OF A NEW AND SOMEWHAT ILL-AT-EASE STUDENT. I GUESS I HAD 'PTK-ON-THE-MIND' AS I HAD MADE A FLT THERE EARLIER IN THE DAY, AND EARLIER IN THE WK HAD TAKEN A PART-TIME NIGHT FREIGHT JOB THERE AS WELL. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) BOTH ARPTS HAVE PARALLEL 9-27 RWYS, SO REF TO THEM MADE SENSE. 2) TWR FREQS ARE SIMILAR--120.0 AND 120.5. 3) BOTH HAVE SIMILAR SOUNDING FEMALE CTLRS. 4) CTLR DIDN'T CATCH MY INITIAL ERROR(S)--MY CALL TO 'WILLOW RUN TWR,' AND MY LOCATION INDICATING WE WERE OFF 1D2, HENCE S OF PTK. IN CONCLUSION, THIS INCIDENT IS YET ANOTHER VIVID REMINDER OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSTANT VIGILANCE SCRUTINY AND PRIORITIZING TO THE SAFETY OF A FLT. I FEEL CONFIDENT I WILL NEVER MAKE THIS PARTICULAR MISTAKE AGAIN. ALSO, WHEN A CTLR GIVES A CLRNC THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, I WILL CONSIDER THAT IT MAY BE ME, NOT HER, THAT IT IS IN ERROR.

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.