Narrative:

After handoff to ord approach, I began preparing the approach. ATIS had 4R and 9R in use for landing. I was advised to expect 4R. I put the published tower frequency 126.90 in my second radio, the localizer for 4R in navigation 1, dpa VOR for localizer fixes on navigation 2. Just outside the marker the controller had us turn left and parallel the localizer for an medium large transport aircraft to pass us on our right. After reporting visual contact with the medium large transport, now slightly ahead of us, I was cleared for the visual approach and instructed to contact tower at 120.75. I had trouble understanding the frequency and asked the controller to say again. Again garbled. The runway within about 3 mi, I was getting nervous, thinking that I had understood the frequency I began to dial it in, but in my 'panic' on the communication which had the approach frequency, deleting it. The tower frequency which I believed to have understood was wrong (I was positive on 12?.?5, but was it 127 or 120, and .75 or .05 ???). Now I had neither tower nor approach. Being very disciplined at swapping between the 2 radios, I rarely write approach frequencys down. I always have them dialed in, ready to switch back and forth, should a missed approach become necessary. Even on this VFR day, I did the same thing. Should 1 radio fail, my graphic number memory has never failed to recognize the correct number when I see it again, e.g. On the approach plate. (I have at least 100 telephone numbers memorized). Problem: so what was I to do which would save my ass as much as possible and at the same time cause the least confusion and complications to the controller? For squawking 7700 for 1 min and then 7600 I was too close to the threshold. I could do a missed approach, but then what, having neither frequency? I figured, for a missed approach I could certainly find 1 frequency from the plates to contact any controller. But, I could do that now, as well, and keep the missed approach as a last option. I switched to 126.90, still dialed in my other radio and heard ord tower give takeoff clrncs. They were quite busy, but I managed 3 times to get in between, until when I was more than halfway down the runway, going 90 KTS, flaps still retracted, and ready for the missed approach at any second, I finally heard that controller say 'you are cleared to land.' cut power, flaps 20 degrees, ballooning, I brought the aircraft to the ground, navy style, and brought it to a stop less than 500 ft of a greater than 10000 ft runway. During the whole time, from losing contact until getting the clearance, I was scanning the taxiways, runways, instruments, and the tower, hoping for a light gun signal, as it was obvious that we had lost communication, even without 7700/7600!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR OF SMA TRAINING ACFT LANDED AT LARGE METRO ARPT WITHOUT LNDG CLRNC DUE TO MISHANDLING OF SETTING THE TWR FREQ.

Narrative: AFTER HDOF TO ORD APCH, I BEGAN PREPARING THE APCH. ATIS HAD 4R AND 9R IN USE FOR LNDG. I WAS ADVISED TO EXPECT 4R. I PUT THE PUBLISHED TWR FREQ 126.90 IN MY SECOND RADIO, THE LOC FOR 4R IN NAV 1, DPA VOR FOR LOC FIXES ON NAV 2. JUST OUTSIDE THE MARKER THE CTLR HAD US TURN L AND PARALLEL THE LOC FOR AN MLG ACFT TO PASS US ON OUR R. AFTER RPTING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE MLG, NOW SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF US, I WAS CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT TWR AT 120.75. I HAD TROUBLE UNDERSTANDING THE FREQ AND ASKED THE CTLR TO SAY AGAIN. AGAIN GARBLED. THE RWY WITHIN ABOUT 3 MI, I WAS GETTING NERVOUS, THINKING THAT I HAD UNDERSTOOD THE FREQ I BEGAN TO DIAL IT IN, BUT IN MY 'PANIC' ON THE COM WHICH HAD THE APCH FREQ, DELETING IT. THE TWR FREQ WHICH I BELIEVED TO HAVE UNDERSTOOD WAS WRONG (I WAS POSITIVE ON 12?.?5, BUT WAS IT 127 OR 120, AND .75 OR .05 ???). NOW I HAD NEITHER TWR NOR APCH. BEING VERY DISCIPLINED AT SWAPPING BTWN THE 2 RADIOS, I RARELY WRITE APCH FREQS DOWN. I ALWAYS HAVE THEM DIALED IN, READY TO SWITCH BACK AND FORTH, SHOULD A MISSED APCH BECOME NECESSARY. EVEN ON THIS VFR DAY, I DID THE SAME THING. SHOULD 1 RADIO FAIL, MY GRAPHIC NUMBER MEMORY HAS NEVER FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THE CORRECT NUMBER WHEN I SEE IT AGAIN, E.G. ON THE APCH PLATE. (I HAVE AT LEAST 100 TELEPHONE NUMBERS MEMORIZED). PROBLEM: SO WHAT WAS I TO DO WHICH WOULD SAVE MY ASS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND AT THE SAME TIME CAUSE THE LEAST CONFUSION AND COMPLICATIONS TO THE CTLR? FOR SQUAWKING 7700 FOR 1 MIN AND THEN 7600 I WAS TOO CLOSE TO THE THRESHOLD. I COULD DO A MISSED APCH, BUT THEN WHAT, HAVING NEITHER FREQ? I FIGURED, FOR A MISSED APCH I COULD CERTAINLY FIND 1 FREQ FROM THE PLATES TO CONTACT ANY CTLR. BUT, I COULD DO THAT NOW, AS WELL, AND KEEP THE MISSED APCH AS A LAST OPTION. I SWITCHED TO 126.90, STILL DIALED IN MY OTHER RADIO AND HEARD ORD TWR GIVE TKOF CLRNCS. THEY WERE QUITE BUSY, BUT I MANAGED 3 TIMES TO GET IN BTWN, UNTIL WHEN I WAS MORE THAN HALFWAY DOWN THE RWY, GOING 90 KTS, FLAPS STILL RETRACTED, AND READY FOR THE MISSED APCH AT ANY SECOND, I FINALLY HEARD THAT CTLR SAY 'YOU ARE CLRED TO LAND.' CUT PWR, FLAPS 20 DEGS, BALLOONING, I BROUGHT THE ACFT TO THE GND, NAVY STYLE, AND BROUGHT IT TO A STOP LESS THAN 500 FT OF A GREATER THAN 10000 FT RWY. DURING THE WHOLE TIME, FROM LOSING CONTACT UNTIL GETTING THE CLRNC, I WAS SCANNING THE TAXIWAYS, RWYS, INSTS, AND THE TWR, HOPING FOR A LIGHT GUN SIGNAL, AS IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT WE HAD LOST COM, EVEN WITHOUT 7700/7600!

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.