Narrative:

Had an edct of XA07, blocked out at XA58, at approximately XA10 atlanta ground control told us to follow a turboprop to runway 27R. Approaching 'run-up area,' first officer asked me if it was ok to switch to tower frequency. I was uncomfortable with this, but I did not want to micro-manage the first officer who was new on the airplane, and had received a fair amount of tutoring from me during this 4-DAY trip (I normally like ground control to hand me off to tower when an edct is present, and the commercial chart shows 2 possible tower frequencys for the south side of the airport). So I let the first officer switch to a tower frequency...she chose 123.85. I thought that if that frequency was no good, we would realize it by silence on the frequency and then change to the other one. However, I noticed that we could hear the control tower working our runway, but not hear readbacks from airplanes. I told the first officer this, and asked her if there were any other frequencys for the tower. In my mind, this is a pretty big hint that we should be on another frequency. I believe that, in the big picture of CRM, sometimes a hint is better than a straight-out command, in a non-critical situation, thus keeping lines of communication and good CRM going, and not deterring the first officer from future input to future sits. But she did not take the hint, and misread the (poorly-designed) chart, and told me we were on the correct frequency. She did not notice the possibility of 119.1. At this time the tower spoke to us (on 123.85) and cleared us into position. We read back the clearance, and because tower did not have to repeat this, it then seemed to me that he was also listening on 123.85. Then we were cleared for takeoff. We read back that clearance. Apparently, at that time the tower controller seemed to realize that he was not hearing anything from us and asked us what frequency we were on, and he told us that ground control had assigned us 119.1. He was transmitting but not receiving on 123.85. Turned away from ground control before being xferred. Misread (poorly designed) chart, tuned in wrong tower frequency. Captain knew the situation, but did not want to micro-manage first officer. Captain made strong hints that were not picked up on. Publish guidance as to when to change frequency to tower from ground. Tower frequency section of chart should say 'south side' or 'north side' instead of runways 9L/right, 27L/right, and 8L/right, 26L/right. Tower should listen on frequencys that he transmits on, and should be alert to the lack of readbacks before he clears an aircraft for takeoff. Supplemental information from acn 542457: while #3 for takeoff (1 airplane in position on the runway) I asked the captain if we should switch to tower frequency. We were not given a tower frequency from ground control. I consulted the ATC page of my approach charts and found 123.85 to be the frequency for runway 27R. We were unable to hear other traffic answer the tower, and we discussed this concern with each other. At this time the tower cleared us in operations on runway 27R, and I acknowledged the transmission with 'flight number...cleared into position and hold runway 27R.' we should have checked with ground control for a tower frequency before tuning in the frequency listed on the chart page. We should have double-checked the frequency when we heard only the tower on frequency. The ground controller should issue a tower frequency within a timely fashion. If the tower controller believes a crew is on an incorrect frequency, he should alert the crew immediately before issuing new clrncs. The crew should be alert to all conversations between all aircraft and ATC. Crews should not dismiss the feeling that 'something may not be quite right.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF COM FREQ WHEN A B737-700 FLC SELECTS THE WRONG TWR FREQ, RECEIVING TWR BUT TWR NOT RECEIVING THEIR READBACKS ON 123 PT 85 AT ATL, GA.

Narrative: HAD AN EDCT OF XA07, BLOCKED OUT AT XA58, AT APPROX XA10 ATLANTA GND CTL TOLD US TO FOLLOW A TURBOPROP TO RWY 27R. APCHING 'RUN-UP AREA,' FO ASKED ME IF IT WAS OK TO SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO MICRO-MANAGE THE FO WHO WAS NEW ON THE AIRPLANE, AND HAD RECEIVED A FAIR AMOUNT OF TUTORING FROM ME DURING THIS 4-DAY TRIP (I NORMALLY LIKE GND CTL TO HAND ME OFF TO TWR WHEN AN EDCT IS PRESENT, AND THE COMMERCIAL CHART SHOWS 2 POSSIBLE TWR FREQS FOR THE S SIDE OF THE ARPT). SO I LET THE FO SWITCH TO A TWR FREQ...SHE CHOSE 123.85. I THOUGHT THAT IF THAT FREQ WAS NO GOOD, WE WOULD REALIZE IT BY SILENCE ON THE FREQ AND THEN CHANGE TO THE OTHER ONE. HOWEVER, I NOTICED THAT WE COULD HEAR THE CTL TWR WORKING OUR RWY, BUT NOT HEAR READBACKS FROM AIRPLANES. I TOLD THE FO THIS, AND ASKED HER IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER FREQS FOR THE TWR. IN MY MIND, THIS IS A PRETTY BIG HINT THAT WE SHOULD BE ON ANOTHER FREQ. I BELIEVE THAT, IN THE BIG PICTURE OF CRM, SOMETIMES A HINT IS BETTER THAN A STRAIGHT-OUT COMMAND, IN A NON-CRITICAL SIT, THUS KEEPING LINES OF COM AND GOOD CRM GOING, AND NOT DETERRING THE FO FROM FUTURE INPUT TO FUTURE SITS. BUT SHE DID NOT TAKE THE HINT, AND MISREAD THE (POORLY-DESIGNED) CHART, AND TOLD ME WE WERE ON THE CORRECT FREQ. SHE DID NOT NOTICE THE POSSIBILITY OF 119.1. AT THIS TIME THE TWR SPOKE TO US (ON 123.85) AND CLRED US INTO POS. WE READ BACK THE CLRNC, AND BECAUSE TWR DID NOT HAVE TO REPEAT THIS, IT THEN SEEMED TO ME THAT HE WAS ALSO LISTENING ON 123.85. THEN WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF. WE READ BACK THAT CLRNC. APPARENTLY, AT THAT TIME THE TWR CTLR SEEMED TO REALIZE THAT HE WAS NOT HEARING ANYTHING FROM US AND ASKED US WHAT FREQ WE WERE ON, AND HE TOLD US THAT GND CTL HAD ASSIGNED US 119.1. HE WAS XMITTING BUT NOT RECEIVING ON 123.85. TURNED AWAY FROM GND CTL BEFORE BEING XFERRED. MISREAD (POORLY DESIGNED) CHART, TUNED IN WRONG TWR FREQ. CAPT KNEW THE SIT, BUT DID NOT WANT TO MICRO-MANAGE FO. CAPT MADE STRONG HINTS THAT WERE NOT PICKED UP ON. PUBLISH GUIDANCE AS TO WHEN TO CHANGE FREQ TO TWR FROM GND. TWR FREQ SECTION OF CHART SHOULD SAY 'S SIDE' OR 'N SIDE' INSTEAD OF RWYS 9L/R, 27L/R, AND 8L/R, 26L/R. TWR SHOULD LISTEN ON FREQS THAT HE XMITS ON, AND SHOULD BE ALERT TO THE LACK OF READBACKS BEFORE HE CLRS AN ACFT FOR TKOF. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 542457: WHILE #3 FOR TKOF (1 AIRPLANE IN POS ON THE RWY) I ASKED THE CAPT IF WE SHOULD SWITCH TO TWR FREQ. WE WERE NOT GIVEN A TWR FREQ FROM GND CTL. I CONSULTED THE ATC PAGE OF MY APCH CHARTS AND FOUND 123.85 TO BE THE FREQ FOR RWY 27R. WE WERE UNABLE TO HEAR OTHER TFC ANSWER THE TWR, AND WE DISCUSSED THIS CONCERN WITH EACH OTHER. AT THIS TIME THE TWR CLRED US IN OPS ON RWY 27R, AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION WITH 'FLT NUMBER...CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD RWY 27R.' WE SHOULD HAVE CHKED WITH GND CTL FOR A TWR FREQ BEFORE TUNING IN THE FREQ LISTED ON THE CHART PAGE. WE SHOULD HAVE DOUBLE-CHKED THE FREQ WHEN WE HEARD ONLY THE TWR ON FREQ. THE GND CTLR SHOULD ISSUE A TWR FREQ WITHIN A TIMELY FASHION. IF THE TWR CTLR BELIEVES A CREW IS ON AN INCORRECT FREQ, HE SHOULD ALERT THE CREW IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ISSUING NEW CLRNCS. THE CREW SHOULD BE ALERT TO ALL CONVERSATIONS BTWN ALL ACFT AND ATC. CREWS SHOULD NOT DISMISS THE FEELING THAT 'SOMETHING MAY NOT BE QUITE RIGHT.'

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.