Narrative:

Pilot had discontinued flying since 1984 and restarted in aug/92 with 7 hours of dual time and additional preparation. New charts and aim were obtained, but an information sheet on the knee board was inadvertently not updated with the new tower frequency for stinson airport. Pilot was in the south practice area at dusk and decided on the way back to san antonio to do some practice lndgs at stinson. Pilot made initial call on frequency 119.5 with no response, and received no response on a second call. Pilot then called unicom and reached an FBO. This confirmed that the radio was operating and pilot went back to 119.5 rationalizing the part time operation of the tower must have closed 7 pm local time. Pilot then proceeded to airport making position calls on 119.5 and set up for a landing on runway 14. Pilot saw another aircraft while on final and realized that something was wrong or else the other aircraft would have been in communication. Pilot then completed the touch-and-go landing and cautiously left the traffic pattern for return to sat since he was not sure of the exact problem and felt it was best to get clear of the area. Upon arrival at sat, pilot ascertained the stinson tower frequency was actually 118.2 instead of 119.5 and called the stinson tower to acknowledge the event and relay the circumstances. The erroneous information sheet has been destroyed and it is realized the problem was totally pilot error. It might be prudent, however, if towers with changed frequencys were to temporarily monitor the old frequency if an non- communicating aircraft enters the area. It should also be reiterated to all pilots that a call to nearest FSS or nearest arsa can always be made to clarify an unsure situation or to confirm a frequency that is not responding.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT USING WRONG TWR FREQ ENTERS ATA, MAKES TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG, DEPARTS.

Narrative: PLT HAD DISCONTINUED FLYING SINCE 1984 AND RESTARTED IN AUG/92 WITH 7 HRS OF DUAL TIME AND ADDITIONAL PREPARATION. NEW CHARTS AND AIM WERE OBTAINED, BUT AN INFO SHEET ON THE KNEE BOARD WAS INADVERTENTLY NOT UPDATED WITH THE NEW TWR FREQ FOR STINSON ARPT. PLT WAS IN THE S PRACTICE AREA AT DUSK AND DECIDED ON THE WAY BACK TO SAN ANTONIO TO DO SOME PRACTICE LNDGS AT STINSON. PLT MADE INITIAL CALL ON FREQ 119.5 WITH NO RESPONSE, AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE ON A SECOND CALL. PLT THEN CALLED UNICOM AND REACHED AN FBO. THIS CONFIRMED THAT THE RADIO WAS OPERATING AND PLT WENT BACK TO 119.5 RATIONALIZING THE PART TIME OP OF THE TWR MUST HAVE CLOSED 7 PM LCL TIME. PLT THEN PROCEEDED TO ARPT MAKING POS CALLS ON 119.5 AND SET UP FOR A LNDG ON RWY 14. PLT SAW ANOTHER ACFT WHILE ON FINAL AND REALIZED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG OR ELSE THE OTHER ACFT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN COM. PLT THEN COMPLETED THE TOUCH-AND-GO LNDG AND CAUTIOUSLY LEFT THE TFC PATTERN FOR RETURN TO SAT SINCE HE WAS NOT SURE OF THE EXACT PROBLEM AND FELT IT WAS BEST TO GET CLR OF THE AREA. UPON ARR AT SAT, PLT ASCERTAINED THE STINSON TWR FREQ WAS ACTUALLY 118.2 INSTEAD OF 119.5 AND CALLED THE STINSON TWR TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EVENT AND RELAY THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ERRONEOUS INFO SHEET HAS BEEN DESTROYED AND IT IS REALIZED THE PROBLEM WAS TOTALLY PLT ERROR. IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT, HOWEVER, IF TWRS WITH CHANGED FREQS WERE TO TEMPORARILY MONITOR THE OLD FREQ IF AN NON- COMMUNICATING ACFT ENTERS THE AREA. IT SHOULD ALSO BE REITERATED TO ALL PLTS THAT A CALL TO NEAREST FSS OR NEAREST ARSA CAN ALWAYS BE MADE TO CLARIFY AN UNSURE SITUATION OR TO CONFIRM A FREQ THAT IS NOT RESPONDING.

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.