Narrative:

Upon change over from approach to tower frequency, new first officer failed to move communication selector head switch to new frequency; we called on wrong frequency for landing and call was covered by another aircraft or transmission. I thought we had called on tower frequency and were cleared to land, but we were distraction at this same time by performing the final landing checklist and I was explaining a recent change to this checklist which had occurred during the first officer's recent 6 mo absence for duty in desert storm. This was his first trip since returning. He is still on his first yr probation period which was interrupted by his call to active duty in the USA navy reserve. This uneventful incident was the result of the new/inexperienced first officer, distraction by the crew with performing the landing checklist during the frequency change, and my assuming that the covered transmission was the tower clearing us to land. I should have questioned the first officer about the landing clearance and established positive two-way communication with the tower prior to landing but familiarity/complacency prevented me from assuring that we were, in fact, cleared to land. I did, however, as always, visly ensure that the runway was clear of traffic. Perhaps an earlier handoff from approach to tower would have helped. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Callback was placed as part of a structured callback effort on runway incursions. Reporter admitted that he was distraction by explaining a change in the checklist to a new first officer. Reporter stated that it is important to be especially attentive when flying with an inexperienced crew member.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MLG ARRIVING AT TUL FAILS TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC BECAUSE FO FORGOT TO MOVE THE TRANSMIT SWITCH TO THE RADIO ON WHICH HE HAD THE TWR FREQ DIALED IN.

Narrative: UPON CHANGE OVER FROM APCH TO TWR FREQ, NEW F/O FAILED TO MOVE COM SELECTOR HEAD SWITCH TO NEW FREQ; WE CALLED ON WRONG FREQ FOR LNDG AND CALL WAS COVERED BY ANOTHER ACFT OR XMISSION. I THOUGHT WE HAD CALLED ON TWR FREQ AND WERE CLRED TO LAND, BUT WE WERE DISTR AT THIS SAME TIME BY PERFORMING THE FINAL LNDG CHKLIST AND I WAS EXPLAINING A RECENT CHANGE TO THIS CHKLIST WHICH HAD OCCURRED DURING THE F/O'S RECENT 6 MO ABSENCE FOR DUTY IN DESERT STORM. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TRIP SINCE RETURNING. HE IS STILL ON HIS FIRST YR PROBATION PERIOD WHICH WAS INTERRUPTED BY HIS CALL TO ACTIVE DUTY IN THE USA NAVY RESERVE. THIS UNEVENTFUL INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF THE NEW/INEXPERIENCED F/O, DISTR BY THE CREW WITH PERFORMING THE LNDG CHKLIST DURING THE FREQ CHANGE, AND MY ASSUMING THAT THE COVERED XMISSION WAS THE TWR CLRING US TO LAND. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED THE F/O ABOUT THE LNDG CLRNC AND ESTABLISHED POSITIVE TWO-WAY COM WITH THE TWR PRIOR TO LNDG BUT FAMILIARITY/COMPLACENCY PREVENTED ME FROM ASSURING THAT WE WERE, IN FACT, CLRED TO LAND. I DID, HOWEVER, AS ALWAYS, VISLY ENSURE THAT THE RWY WAS CLR OF TFC. PERHAPS AN EARLIER HDOF FROM APCH TO TWR WOULD HAVE HELPED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. CALLBACK WAS PLACED AS PART OF A STRUCTURED CALLBACK EFFORT ON RWY INCURSIONS. RPTR ADMITTED THAT HE WAS DISTR BY EXPLAINING A CHANGE IN THE CHKLIST TO A NEW F/O. RPTR STATED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE ESPECIALLY ATTENTIVE WHEN FLYING WITH AN INEXPERIENCED CREW MEMBER.

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.