Narrative:

We were handed over to tower at cvg on a heading to intercept the final course for runway 18R at 3000 ft and approximately 13-14 mi from touchdown. I switched to tower frequency of 118.3 and checked in and was cleared to land following an large transport X which was 5 mi ahead of us. Approach had requested us to maintain 180 KTS to the final marker. After being cleared to land by the tower I recall hearing an large transport Y cleared to land following us and then a second aircraft cleared following the large transport Y. As we crossed the final marker, which is 3.9 mi from touchdown, the captain called for gear down and the before landing checklist was completed. I recall calling on localizer trk and GS trk and on speed as we crossed 1000 ft AGL. I also remember seeing the large transport X ahead of us rolling out long down the field and the tower saying to them to clear left and contact ground when clear. At about the middle marker the captain called an aircraft on the runway and began executing a missed approach and I called the tower to say we were going missed approach. Because I received no response from the tower I looked down at the radio and found it to be on 118.27. After correcting the frequency I called the tower again to announce our missed approach and they switched us to approach control. We were vectored around for an uneventful approach and landing to runway 18R. It is my best guess that when I reached around the throttle quadrant to arm the ground spoilers I inadvertently bumped the frequency knob for the number 1 radio was on the inboard window at the time and my arm would have been very close to the frequency knob during spoiler arming. I should also mention that 118.27 is one 'knob click' away from 118.3.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ACFT SLOW CLRING RWY. MLG ON CLOSE FINAL CAPT DECIDED TO GAR. FO ON WRONG TWR FREQ, HAD LOST COM WITHOUT KNOWING IT.

Narrative: WE WERE HANDED OVER TO TWR AT CVG ON A HDG TO INTERCEPT THE FINAL COURSE FOR RWY 18R AT 3000 FT AND APPROX 13-14 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN. I SWITCHED TO TWR FREQ OF 118.3 AND CHKED IN AND WAS CLRED TO LAND FOLLOWING AN LGT X WHICH WAS 5 MI AHEAD OF US. APCH HAD REQUESTED US TO MAINTAIN 180 KTS TO THE FINAL MARKER. AFTER BEING CLRED TO LAND BY THE TWR I RECALL HEARING AN LGT Y CLRED TO LAND FOLLOWING US AND THEN A SECOND ACFT CLRED FOLLOWING THE LGT Y. AS WE CROSSED THE FINAL MARKER, WHICH IS 3.9 MI FROM TOUCHDOWN, THE CAPT CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN AND THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. I RECALL CALLING ON LOC TRK AND GS TRK AND ON SPD AS WE CROSSED 1000 FT AGL. I ALSO REMEMBER SEEING THE LGT X AHEAD OF US ROLLING OUT LONG DOWN THE FIELD AND THE TWR SAYING TO THEM TO CLR L AND CONTACT GND WHEN CLR. AT ABOUT THE MIDDLE MARKER THE CAPT CALLED AN ACFT ON THE RWY AND BEGAN EXECUTING A MISSED APCH AND I CALLED THE TWR TO SAY WE WERE GOING MISSED APCH. BECAUSE I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR I LOOKED DOWN AT THE RADIO AND FOUND IT TO BE ON 118.27. AFTER CORRECTING THE FREQ I CALLED THE TWR AGAIN TO ANNOUNCE OUR MISSED APCH AND THEY SWITCHED US TO APCH CTL. WE WERE VECTORED AROUND FOR AN UNEVENTFUL APCH AND LNDG TO RWY 18R. IT IS MY BEST GUESS THAT WHEN I REACHED AROUND THE THROTTLE QUADRANT TO ARM THE GND SPOILERS I INADVERTENTLY BUMPED THE FREQ KNOB FOR THE NUMBER 1 RADIO WAS ON THE INBOARD WINDOW AT THE TIME AND MY ARM WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE TO THE FREQ KNOB DURING SPOILER ARMING. I SHOULD ALSO MENTION THAT 118.27 IS ONE 'KNOB CLICK' AWAY FROM 118.3.

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.