Aircraft flight crew used wrong frequency. Landed without verbal clearance.

Attributes
ACN	128133
Time
Date	198911
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : elm
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : elm
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 270 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 1900
ASRS Report	128133
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

While on a very short leg from bgm to elm, we were handed off from bgm departure to elm approach. Cruising altitude was 6000' at the time and IAS was 240 KTS. The night was fairly clear when we were cleared for the visibility runway 28. Total air time was 13 mins, and the leg was very busy for both the PF and PNF. When told to contact elm tower, the controller failed to provide us with the frequency, making it necessary for the first officer (the PNF for the leg) to look up the tower frequency. Unfortunately, the CTAF was not correct, and with the high cockpit workload at the time, we landed west/O a verbal response from the tower (i.e., 'cleared to land'). We did, however, received a green landing light from the tower. This could have been prevented by not making the workload so high, by not flying at vmo at 6000' for such a short leg, by not being verbally given the appropriate tower frequency initiating the event, and our high workload allowed us to not notice our incorrect frequency choice or that the tower did not respond to our calls.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FLT CREW USED WRONG FREQ. LANDED WITHOUT VERBAL CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE ON A VERY SHORT LEG FROM BGM TO ELM, WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM BGM DEP TO ELM APCH. CRUISING ALT WAS 6000' AT THE TIME AND IAS WAS 240 KTS. THE NIGHT WAS FAIRLY CLR WHEN WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VIS RWY 28. TOTAL AIR TIME WAS 13 MINS, AND THE LEG WAS VERY BUSY FOR BOTH THE PF AND PNF. WHEN TOLD TO CONTACT ELM TWR, THE CTLR FAILED TO PROVIDE US WITH THE FREQ, MAKING IT NECESSARY FOR THE FO (THE PNF FOR THE LEG) TO LOOK UP THE TWR FREQ. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CTAF WAS NOT CORRECT, AND WITH THE HIGH COCKPIT WORKLOAD AT THE TIME, WE LANDED W/O A VERBAL RESPONSE FROM THE TWR (I.E., 'CLRED TO LAND'). WE DID, HOWEVER, RECEIVED A GREEN LNDG LIGHT FROM THE TWR. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY NOT MAKING THE WORKLOAD SO HIGH, BY NOT FLYING AT VMO AT 6000' FOR SUCH A SHORT LEG, BY NOT BEING VERBALLY GIVEN THE APPROPRIATE TWR FREQ INITIATING THE EVENT, AND OUR HIGH WORKLOAD ALLOWED US TO NOT NOTICE OUR INCORRECT FREQ CHOICE OR THAT THE TWR DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR CALLS.

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.