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An inadvertent frequency change on an instructional flight results in confusion over clearance and handoff between 2 closely located class D towers.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 488034 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200010 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bfi.airport |
| State Reference | WA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bfi.tower tower : rnt.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Route In Use | approach : traffic pattern enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 825 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 488034 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | airspace violation : entry non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Following final low approach on training flight to bfi, we requested VFR departure to rnt. Controller advised us to fly straight out. I flew while my student removed his hood. Student then tried to assist by tuning radio to rnt ATIS and tower. Unknown to me, he tuned the active radio, resulting in a NORDO situation, with bfi tower. After not hearing calls for about 30 seconds to 1 min, I checked the radios and discovered we were tuned to rnt tower, not bfi tower. Quickly tuned bfi tower on #1 radio communication. As soon as I punched in the frequency, bfi tower rattled off a high speed clearance to enter a right base for rnt. By that time we were almost abeam rnt tower, so the clearance did not make sense. My student keyed the microphone and said 'call sign, accepting the clearance' where he should have questioned it. Rather than accepting an essentially unflyable clearance, I instructed my student to fly straight out and query the controller. By the time he could query, we were south of rnt. The controller instructed us to fly straight out. This could have resulted in a loss of separation. As an instructor, I should have paid more attention to my student's tuning of radios. Contributing factors were some minor fatigue due to being at the end of a difficult instrument lesson and my student's acceptance of an unflyable clearance due to the delay in getting the clearance by being off frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN INADVERTENT FREQ CHANGE ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLT RESULTS IN CONFUSION OVER CLRNC AND HDOF BTWN 2 CLOSELY LOCATED CLASS D TWRS.
Narrative: FOLLOWING FINAL LOW APCH ON TRAINING FLT TO BFI, WE REQUESTED VFR DEP TO RNT. CTLR ADVISED US TO FLY STRAIGHT OUT. I FLEW WHILE MY STUDENT REMOVED HIS HOOD. STUDENT THEN TRIED TO ASSIST BY TUNING RADIO TO RNT ATIS AND TWR. UNKNOWN TO ME, HE TUNED THE ACTIVE RADIO, RESULTING IN A NORDO SIT, WITH BFI TWR. AFTER NOT HEARING CALLS FOR ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO 1 MIN, I CHKED THE RADIOS AND DISCOVERED WE WERE TUNED TO RNT TWR, NOT BFI TWR. QUICKLY TUNED BFI TWR ON #1 RADIO COM. AS SOON AS I PUNCHED IN THE FREQ, BFI TWR RATTLED OFF A HIGH SPD CLRNC TO ENTER A R BASE FOR RNT. BY THAT TIME WE WERE ALMOST ABEAM RNT TWR, SO THE CLRNC DID NOT MAKE SENSE. MY STUDENT KEYED THE MIKE AND SAID 'CALL SIGN, ACCEPTING THE CLRNC' WHERE HE SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED IT. RATHER THAN ACCEPTING AN ESSENTIALLY UNFLYABLE CLRNC, I INSTRUCTED MY STUDENT TO FLY STRAIGHT OUT AND QUERY THE CTLR. BY THE TIME HE COULD QUERY, WE WERE S OF RNT. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO FLY STRAIGHT OUT. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A LOSS OF SEPARATION. AS AN INSTRUCTOR, I SHOULD HAVE PAID MORE ATTN TO MY STUDENT'S TUNING OF RADIOS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE SOME MINOR FATIGUE DUE TO BEING AT THE END OF A DIFFICULT INST LESSON AND MY STUDENT'S ACCEPTANCE OF AN UNFLYABLE CLRNC DUE TO THE DELAY IN GETTING THE CLRNC BY BEING OFF FREQ.
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.