An air carrier widebody transport crew switched to departure control while on the runway.

Attributes
ACN	227241
Time
Date	199211
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sea
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : holding
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 10500 flight time type : 320
ASRS Report	227241
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Our aircraft cleared into position and hold on runway 16L sea. I completed duties of turning on transponder and anticollision lights. So read final items of pretkof checklist and I responded. The #1 communication radio has a dual head frequency selector with active and standby frequencys chosen by a very small switch. Active was intended to be tower and standby departure control. After tower cleared us on runway, the switch inadvertently was flipped to departure control where there was no activity on the channel. After some time of silence, I asked over the radio the cause of the delay. The controller told me I was on the wrong frequency and I immediately switched back. About this time, the tower gave us a red flashing light signal. With communications reestablished, we made our uneventful takeoff. Always question unusual happenings such as a long silence on tower or ground frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR WDB CREW SWITCHED TO DEP CTL WHILE ON THE RWY.

Narrative: OUR ACFT CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD ON RWY 16L SEA. I COMPLETED DUTIES OF TURNING ON TRANSPONDER AND ANTICOLLISION LIGHTS. SO READ FINAL ITEMS OF PRETKOF CHKLIST AND I RESPONDED. THE #1 COM RADIO HAS A DUAL HEAD FREQ SELECTOR WITH ACTIVE AND STANDBY FREQS CHOSEN BY A VERY SMALL SWITCH. ACTIVE WAS INTENDED TO BE TWR AND STANDBY DEP CTL. AFTER TWR CLRED US ON RWY, THE SWITCH INADVERTENTLY WAS FLIPPED TO DEP CTL WHERE THERE WAS NO ACTIVITY ON THE CHANNEL. AFTER SOME TIME OF SILENCE, I ASKED OVER THE RADIO THE CAUSE OF THE DELAY. THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ AND I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED BACK. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE TWR GAVE US A RED FLASHING LIGHT SIGNAL. WITH COMS REESTABLISHED, WE MADE OUR UNEVENTFUL TKOF. ALWAYS QUESTION UNUSUAL HAPPENINGS SUCH AS A LONG SILENCE ON TWR OR GND FREQ.

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.