Narrative:

Our flight pushed back from gate at lga and pushed to 'spot 1.' we were given an ATC delay of 1.5 hours. I instructed the first officer to call ground and ask for taxi instructions to a holding area for ATC hold. He contacted ground control and we were given instructions to 'turn left at the outer and taxi to the hangars to hold.' the radio was broken and reception and the ground controller said he couldn't see us and had asked which taxiway we were on. I replied 'spot 1' and that the taxiway markings weren't visible from my position, but that I believed golf was the closest taxiway. (This position conversation preceded the actual clearance to the hangars.) we taxied uneventfully to the hangars and parked. We contacted ground again to determine if there were any changes to our release time and this time the ground controller queried us as to why we taxied west/O clearance. I took issue with that question and advised him of what I heard earlier as our clearance to the hangar. Then the first officer informed me that he had mistakenly set 121.9 in the radio earlier and was now on 121.7. 121.9 was kennedy ground and we somehow got good enough reception to receive that clearance. The geographical location of our location at lga with regard to the outer and hangars evidently matched closely to those at kennedy and the ensuing mix up in communication occurred. Luckily there were no conflicts in the process. It was one of those one in a million freak happenings but the conditions were right that night. I trusted the first officer to transmit on the correct frequency, and I should have looked, especially with poor reception initially.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT ON WRONG GND CTL FREQ RECEIVED TAXI CLRNC FROM GND CTL AT CLOSE PROX ARPT AND TAXIES WITHOUT LEGAL CLRNC.

Narrative: OUR FLT PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AT LGA AND PUSHED TO 'SPOT 1.' WE WERE GIVEN AN ATC DELAY OF 1.5 HRS. I INSTRUCTED THE F/O TO CALL GND AND ASK FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO A HOLDING AREA FOR ATC HOLD. HE CONTACTED GND CTL AND WE WERE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO 'TURN LEFT AT THE OUTER AND TAXI TO THE HANGARS TO HOLD.' THE RADIO WAS BROKEN AND RECEPTION AND THE GND CTLR SAID HE COULDN'T SEE US AND HAD ASKED WHICH TXWY WE WERE ON. I REPLIED 'SPOT 1' AND THAT THE TXWY MARKINGS WEREN'T VISIBLE FROM MY POS, BUT THAT I BELIEVED GOLF WAS THE CLOSEST TXWY. (THIS POS CONVERSATION PRECEDED THE ACTUAL CLRNC TO THE HANGARS.) WE TAXIED UNEVENTFULLY TO THE HANGARS AND PARKED. WE CONTACTED GND AGAIN TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGES TO OUR RELEASE TIME AND THIS TIME THE GND CTLR QUERIED US AS TO WHY WE TAXIED W/O CLRNC. I TOOK ISSUE WITH THAT QUESTION AND ADVISED HIM OF WHAT I HEARD EARLIER AS OUR CLRNC TO THE HANGAR. THEN THE F/O INFORMED ME THAT HE HAD MISTAKENLY SET 121.9 IN THE RADIO EARLIER AND WAS NOW ON 121.7. 121.9 WAS KENNEDY GND AND WE SOMEHOW GOT GOOD ENOUGH RECEPTION TO RECEIVE THAT CLRNC. THE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF OUR LOCATION AT LGA WITH REGARD TO THE OUTER AND HANGARS EVIDENTLY MATCHED CLOSELY TO THOSE AT KENNEDY AND THE ENSUING MIX UP IN COM OCCURRED. LUCKILY THERE WERE NO CONFLICTS IN THE PROCESS. IT WAS ONE OF THOSE ONE IN A MILLION FREAK HAPPENINGS BUT THE CONDITIONS WERE RIGHT THAT NIGHT. I TRUSTED THE F/O TO XMIT ON THE CORRECT FREQ, AND I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED, ESPECIALLY WITH POOR RECEPTION INITIALLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.