Narrative:

Departed block island west over long island to kennedy. Then west to phila. I find it safer to stay in radio contact near ny, and I did. When 20 mi from the ny TCA I asked for passage through and was reassured I would get same, I did. After the frequency change I was instructed to go direct kennedy. Direct colts neck. I confirmed this and any frequency changes were confirmed by the controllers. I was completely shocked and surprised to be informed while over kennedy that I was on the wrong frequency. West/O hearing the tapes I cannot say what went wrong. The controller suggested I took another acfts instructions. He asked if I was surprised to see other aircraft. No I wasn't, in that area, but I was surprised that I wasn't informed, but that often happens over ny city. In retrospect, sometimes an easy flight, a relaxing flight, over crowded airspace can call for a high level of concentration because something as fundamental as a frequency change can lead to a potentially dangerous situation. Someone on that evening made a fundamental error. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter did not follow up with N90 to find out about the error and has not heard of any enforcement follow up by FAA. Controller was matter-of-fact in his manner when error was discovered and simply put reporter on correct frequency and flight continued west/O further incidents. Reporter is certain his clearance into TCA was correct and that error occurred with a subsequent frequency change. Error discovered when he saw air carrier traffic coming out of the undercast in his vicinity and called to find out why no advisory. He says, however, that there was no conflict involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA, TRANSITING TCA WITH CLRNC, TAKES AND VERIFIES FREQ CHANGE INTENDED FOR ANOTHER ACFT.

Narrative: DEPARTED BLOCK ISLAND W OVER LONG ISLAND TO KENNEDY. THEN W TO PHILA. I FIND IT SAFER TO STAY IN RADIO CONTACT NEAR NY, AND I DID. WHEN 20 MI FROM THE NY TCA I ASKED FOR PASSAGE THROUGH AND WAS REASSURED I WOULD GET SAME, I DID. AFTER THE FREQ CHANGE I WAS INSTRUCTED TO GO DIRECT KENNEDY. DIRECT COLTS NECK. I CONFIRMED THIS AND ANY FREQ CHANGES WERE CONFIRMED BY THE CTLRS. I WAS COMPLETELY SHOCKED AND SURPRISED TO BE INFORMED WHILE OVER KENNEDY THAT I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. W/O HEARING THE TAPES I CANNOT SAY WHAT WENT WRONG. THE CTLR SUGGESTED I TOOK ANOTHER ACFTS INSTRUCTIONS. HE ASKED IF I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE OTHER ACFT. NO I WASN'T, IN THAT AREA, BUT I WAS SURPRISED THAT I WASN'T INFORMED, BUT THAT OFTEN HAPPENS OVER NY CITY. IN RETROSPECT, SOMETIMES AN EASY FLT, A RELAXING FLT, OVER CROWDED AIRSPACE CAN CALL FOR A HIGH LEVEL OF CONCENTRATION BECAUSE SOMETHING AS FUNDAMENTAL AS A FREQ CHANGE CAN LEAD TO A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. SOMEONE ON THAT EVENING MADE A FUNDAMENTAL ERROR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR DID NOT FOLLOW UP WITH N90 TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE ERROR AND HAS NOT HEARD OF ANY ENFORCEMENT FOLLOW UP BY FAA. CTLR WAS MATTER-OF-FACT IN HIS MANNER WHEN ERROR WAS DISCOVERED AND SIMPLY PUT RPTR ON CORRECT FREQ AND FLT CONTINUED W/O FURTHER INCIDENTS. RPTR IS CERTAIN HIS CLRNC INTO TCA WAS CORRECT AND THAT ERROR OCCURRED WITH A SUBSEQUENT FREQ CHANGE. ERROR DISCOVERED WHEN HE SAW ACR TFC COMING OUT OF THE UNDERCAST IN HIS VICINITY AND CALLED TO FIND OUT WHY NO ADVISORY. HE SAYS, HOWEVER, THAT THERE WAS NO CONFLICT INVOLVED.

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.