Narrative:

We were lead aircraft on a 3 ship tactical formation leaving the drop zone (in the edwards complex) proceeding to palmdale airport for a formation overhead recovery runway 25 palmdale and prebriefed low approach. I was flying with a brand new copilot. In the past palmdale tower has been closed at this time of night, so when edwards approach told us 'radar service terminated, frequency change approved', I directed the copilot to change to (and send the formation to) palmdale tower frequency. I told him to make an advisory call 'palmdale traffic flight, flight of 3 mlts entering initial for runway 25 palmdale'. The copilot changed frequencys and made the call. We did not hear any response (which to me was normal) so we proceeded with our recovery, after the low approach (500 ft AGL on the right side of the runway). After departing the airport environment, one of our wing men told us on interplane frequency that palmdale tower was open and they did not receive any call from us. We then discovered that the wrong frequency was set in the radio (127.3 instead of 123.7) and our advisory call was not heard by the tower. To correct this problem in the future I shall insure I know when palmdale tower is open and I will insure that the correct radio frequency is in the radio. I incorrectly assumed that although the copilot was new, he could set radio frequencys as directed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT OF 3 MLTS UNAUTHORIZED PENETRATION OF PMD ATA.

Narrative: WE WERE LEAD ACFT ON A 3 SHIP TACTICAL FORMATION LEAVING THE DROP ZONE (IN THE EDWARDS COMPLEX) PROCEEDING TO PALMDALE ARPT FOR A FORMATION OVERHEAD RECOVERY RWY 25 PALMDALE AND PREBRIEFED LOW APCH. I WAS FLYING WITH A BRAND NEW COPLT. IN THE PAST PALMDALE TWR HAS BEEN CLOSED AT THIS TIME OF NIGHT, SO WHEN EDWARDS APCH TOLD US 'RADAR SVC TERMINATED, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED', I DIRECTED THE COPLT TO CHANGE TO (AND SEND THE FORMATION TO) PALMDALE TWR FREQ. I TOLD HIM TO MAKE AN ADVISORY CALL 'PALMDALE TFC FLT, FLT OF 3 MLTS ENTERING INITIAL FOR RWY 25 PALMDALE'. THE COPLT CHANGED FREQS AND MADE THE CALL. WE DID NOT HEAR ANY RESPONSE (WHICH TO ME WAS NORMAL) SO WE PROCEEDED WITH OUR RECOVERY, AFTER THE LOW APCH (500 FT AGL ON THE R SIDE OF THE RWY). AFTER DEPARTING THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT, ONE OF OUR WING MEN TOLD US ON INTERPLANE FREQ THAT PALMDALE TWR WAS OPEN AND THEY DID NOT RECEIVE ANY CALL FROM US. WE THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE WRONG FREQ WAS SET IN THE RADIO (127.3 INSTEAD OF 123.7) AND OUR ADVISORY CALL WAS NOT HEARD BY THE TWR. TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE I SHALL INSURE I KNOW WHEN PALMDALE TWR IS OPEN AND I WILL INSURE THAT THE CORRECT RADIO FREQ IS IN THE RADIO. I INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT ALTHOUGH THE COPLT WAS NEW, HE COULD SET RADIO FREQS AS DIRECTED.

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.