<< >> NASA ASRS Report 322550, December 1995

Approach control cleared aircraft for visual approach but had not changed them over to tower frequency. When setting tower frequency on alternate tuner, first officer inadvertently set it on active tuner and was on tower frequency without approach control clearance. Tower cleared them to land.

Attributes
ACN	322550
Time
Date	199512
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tul
State Reference	OK
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : tul tower : tul artcc : zbw
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	King Air C90 E90
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	322550
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ATC cleared us for visual approach approximately 8 mi southwest of the airport. I asked my copilot (PNF) to tune the tower on the alternate tuner for the radio we were using. He tuned the tower on the active tuner, changing from approach to tower without being cleared by ATC. We contacted tower, and they cleared us for an uneventful landing. This was most likely a switchology problem by the copilot (accidental). I have at least 500 hours with this copilot, our cockpit resource management together is excellent and he knows better. All of that said, it was still my responsibility and I should have supervised him more closely.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH CTL CLRED ACFT FOR VISUAL APCH BUT HAD NOT CHANGED THEM OVER TO TWR FREQ. WHEN SETTING TWR FREQ ON ALTERNATE TUNER, FO INADVERTENTLY SET IT ON ACTIVE TUNER AND WAS ON TWR FREQ WITHOUT APCH CTL CLRNC. TWR CLRED THEM TO LAND.

Narrative: ATC CLRED US FOR VISUAL APCH APPROX 8 MI SW OF THE ARPT. I ASKED MY COPLT (PNF) TO TUNE THE TWR ON THE ALTERNATE TUNER FOR THE RADIO WE WERE USING. HE TUNED THE TWR ON THE ACTIVE TUNER, CHANGING FROM APCH TO TWR WITHOUT BEING CLRED BY ATC. WE CONTACTED TWR, AND THEY CLRED US FOR AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. THIS WAS MOST LIKELY A SWITCHOLOGY PROB BY THE COPLT (ACCIDENTAL). I HAVE AT LEAST 500 HRS WITH THIS COPLT, OUR COCKPIT RESOURCE MGMNT TOGETHER IS EXCELLENT AND HE KNOWS BETTER. ALL OF THAT SAID, IT WAS STILL MY RESPONSIBILITY AND I SHOULD HAVE SUPERVISED HIM MORE CLOSELY.

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.