Narrative:

Inadvertent frequency shift on tower frequency on 3/mar/90. I was the captain on air carrier flight from fwa-dtw. My first officer was in his first year of airline flying after 12 yrs of military aviation. After taxiing out to the end of the duty runway, we informed the tower that we would need another minute or so while the F/a's completed their safety briefing. The tower cleared us into position on the runway. After about 30 seconds the tower issued the following clearance: 'company identify cleared for takeoff when ready, left turn on course, change your departure control frequency to 120.2.' I marked out the old frequency on my notepad and wrote in the new one a few seconds later when we started our takeoff roll. I transmitted company identify rolling. Departure control answered with an inquiry as to whether our transponder was on. I then realized my first officer had changed the radio frequency prematurely. In the military a change to departure control is usual in the jet aircraft before starting the takeoff roll. The terminology is almost exactly the same. Use caution.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG CHANGED TO DEP CTL FREQ BEFORE TKOF.

Narrative: INADVERTENT FREQ SHIFT ON TWR FREQ ON 3/MAR/90. I WAS THE CAPT ON ACR FLT FROM FWA-DTW. MY F/O WAS IN HIS FIRST YEAR OF AIRLINE FLYING AFTER 12 YRS OF MIL AVIATION. AFTER TAXIING OUT TO THE END OF THE DUTY RWY, WE INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE WOULD NEED ANOTHER MINUTE OR SO WHILE THE F/A'S COMPLETED THEIR SAFETY BRIEFING. THE TWR CLRED US INTO POS ON THE RWY. AFTER ABOUT 30 SECS THE TWR ISSUED THE FOLLOWING CLRNC: 'COMPANY IDENT CLRED FOR TKOF WHEN READY, LEFT TURN ON COURSE, CHANGE YOUR DEP CTL FREQ TO 120.2.' I MARKED OUT THE OLD FREQ ON MY NOTEPAD AND WROTE IN THE NEW ONE A FEW SECS LATER WHEN WE STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. I XMITTED COMPANY IDENT ROLLING. DEP CTL ANSWERED WITH AN INQUIRY AS TO WHETHER OUR XPONDER WAS ON. I THEN REALIZED MY F/O HAD CHANGED THE RADIO FREQ PREMATURELY. IN THE MIL A CHANGE TO DEP CTL IS USUAL IN THE JET ACFT BEFORE STARTING THE TKOF ROLL. THE TERMINOLOGY IS ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. USE CAUTION.

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.