Narrative:

I was on V485 south of flw cleared for the fernando 3 arrival ohigh transition to vny. I was trying to think ahead and tuned in and listened to the vny ATIS, then set vny tower frequency in the standby frequency when I went to talk to la center and request lower, I discovered I had turned my active radio and erased the frequency. I was talking on and did not know what it was as I had neglected to write it down. I hurriedly scanned my charts and tried to find a frequency to reestablish communication and tried to remember the lost communication procedure. I found a frequency for bur approach but they did not answer. I finally called anyone on 121.5 and got bur approach. The controller switched me to his frequency and coordinated with la center to get me back in the loop. Meanwhile I realized I had flown past ohigh intersection by a few mi and had descended below my assigned altitude by 300-400 ft. I got back on course and altitude as quickly as I could. The rest of the flight was uneventful. The following factors contributed to this event. I had not flown at night for quite a while and had not flown a long IFR trip for quite a while also so I was tense because I was not as proficient as I should have been. I did not write all frequencys down as I should have because I was having to concentrate too much on routine flying and procedure as I was not proficient. I forgot the rule: aviate, navigation, then communicate. So I flew past my turn point and deviated from altitude while I was trying to reestablish communication. Moral: I need more proficiency training in night and IFR.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LOST COM WITH CTR. LOST FREQ. SCRAMBLED TO FIND APPROPRIATE FREQ. REGAINED COM.

Narrative: I WAS ON V485 S OF FLW CLRED FOR THE FERNANDO 3 ARR OHIGH TRANSITION TO VNY. I WAS TRYING TO THINK AHEAD AND TUNED IN AND LISTENED TO THE VNY ATIS, THEN SET VNY TWR FREQ IN THE STANDBY FREQ WHEN I WENT TO TALK TO LA CTR AND REQUEST LOWER, I DISCOVERED I HAD TURNED MY ACTIVE RADIO AND ERASED THE FREQ. I WAS TALKING ON AND DID NOT KNOW WHAT IT WAS AS I HAD NEGLECTED TO WRITE IT DOWN. I HURRIEDLY SCANNED MY CHARTS AND TRIED TO FIND A FREQ TO REESTABLISH COM AND TRIED TO REMEMBER THE LOST COM PROC. I FOUND A FREQ FOR BUR APCH BUT THEY DID NOT ANSWER. I FINALLY CALLED ANYONE ON 121.5 AND GOT BUR APCH. THE CTLR SWITCHED ME TO HIS FREQ AND COORDINATED WITH LA CTR TO GET ME BACK IN THE LOOP. MEANWHILE I REALIZED I HAD FLOWN PAST OHIGH INTXN BY A FEW MI AND HAD DSNDED BELOW MY ASSIGNED ALT BY 300-400 FT. I GOT BACK ON COURSE AND ALT AS QUICKLY AS I COULD. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE FOLLOWING FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS EVENT. I HAD NOT FLOWN AT NIGHT FOR QUITE A WHILE AND HAD NOT FLOWN A LONG IFR TRIP FOR QUITE A WHILE ALSO SO I WAS TENSE BECAUSE I WAS NOT AS PROFICIENT AS I SHOULD HAVE BEEN. I DID NOT WRITE ALL FREQS DOWN AS I SHOULD HAVE BECAUSE I WAS HAVING TO CONCENTRATE TOO MUCH ON ROUTINE FLYING AND PROC AS I WAS NOT PROFICIENT. I FORGOT THE RULE: AVIATE, NAV, THEN COMMUNICATE. SO I FLEW PAST MY TURN POINT AND DEVIATED FROM ALT WHILE I WAS TRYING TO REESTABLISH COM. MORAL: I NEED MORE PROFICIENCY TRAINING IN NIGHT AND IFR.

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.