Narrative:

En route to pdk from sjc. This is a new stop on this trip, which is normally flown non stop from sjc to sea. This helped add to the complacency. We had been cleared via the moxee arrival routing, FL350 to pdx. Shortly after changing en route frequencys, I was checking a write-up in the logbook. When I turned to put the logbook back, I dropped it on the center console. I thought it hit the interphone panel so I checked that. Nothing had been changed. In actuality it had hit the radio head knocking us off frequency. This was step one. Step two occurred when I noticed a fuel imbalance just about the time I tuned in the pdx VOR. What I did was dial in the frequency but did not switch to pdx (or identification it for that matter). In my mind, however, pdx was the information I was looking at on my instruments, but now I was distracted to the fuel imbalance which I wanted to correct before the copilot, who was flying, started his descent. Since I feel that screwing up the fuel is a very easy thing to do, especially in a 2-MAN cockpit, I always try to devote all my attention to that and only that while I am cross-feeding. When I glanced at the DME and saw 100+ miles (thinking this was from pdx) nothing clicked that we were really getting behind. When I stopped the cross-feed and glanced at the copilot's navigation radio to cross-check that he too had pdx I realized that he still had medford tuned in. I switched his to pdx, looked at mine and saw that I also had not switched. When we did and saw that we were now 54 mi from pdx and still at FL350, I tried calling center and this was when I realized the reason the radios had been so quiet. Very humbly, I found the right frequency, checked in and received vectors to the west for a descent to pdx. There were many opportunities to catch this screw up, unfortunately I missed them all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLT CREW NOT MONITORING ARTCC FREQ.

Narrative: ENRTE TO PDK FROM SJC. THIS IS A NEW STOP ON THIS TRIP, WHICH IS NORMALLY FLOWN NON STOP FROM SJC TO SEA. THIS HELPED ADD TO THE COMPLACENCY. WE HAD BEEN CLRED VIA THE MOXEE ARR ROUTING, FL350 TO PDX. SHORTLY AFTER CHANGING ENRTE FREQS, I WAS CHECKING A WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. WHEN I TURNED TO PUT THE LOGBOOK BACK, I DROPPED IT ON THE CENTER CONSOLE. I THOUGHT IT HIT THE INTERPHONE PANEL SO I CHECKED THAT. NOTHING HAD BEEN CHANGED. IN ACTUALITY IT HAD HIT THE RADIO HEAD KNOCKING US OFF FREQ. THIS WAS STEP ONE. STEP TWO OCCURRED WHEN I NOTICED A FUEL IMBALANCE JUST ABOUT THE TIME I TUNED IN THE PDX VOR. WHAT I DID WAS DIAL IN THE FREQ BUT DID NOT SWITCH TO PDX (OR ID IT FOR THAT MATTER). IN MY MIND, HOWEVER, PDX WAS THE INFO I WAS LOOKING AT ON MY INSTRUMENTS, BUT NOW I WAS DISTRACTED TO THE FUEL IMBALANCE WHICH I WANTED TO CORRECT BEFORE THE COPLT, WHO WAS FLYING, STARTED HIS DSCNT. SINCE I FEEL THAT SCREWING UP THE FUEL IS A VERY EASY THING TO DO, ESPECIALLY IN A 2-MAN COCKPIT, I ALWAYS TRY TO DEVOTE ALL MY ATTN TO THAT AND ONLY THAT WHILE I AM CROSS-FEEDING. WHEN I GLANCED AT THE DME AND SAW 100+ MILES (THINKING THIS WAS FROM PDX) NOTHING CLICKED THAT WE WERE REALLY GETTING BEHIND. WHEN I STOPPED THE CROSS-FEED AND GLANCED AT THE COPLT'S NAV RADIO TO CROSS-CHECK THAT HE TOO HAD PDX I REALIZED THAT HE STILL HAD MEDFORD TUNED IN. I SWITCHED HIS TO PDX, LOOKED AT MINE AND SAW THAT I ALSO HAD NOT SWITCHED. WHEN WE DID AND SAW THAT WE WERE NOW 54 MI FROM PDX AND STILL AT FL350, I TRIED CALLING CENTER AND THIS WAS WHEN I REALIZED THE REASON THE RADIOS HAD BEEN SO QUIET. VERY HUMBLY, I FOUND THE RIGHT FREQ, CHECKED IN AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO THE W FOR A DSCNT TO PDX. THERE WERE MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO CATCH THIS SCREW UP, UNFORTUNATELY I MISSED THEM ALL.

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.