EMS rotary winged traffic in an unauthorized penetration of airspace, proximity of class D airspace.

Attributes
ACN	268611
Time
Date	199404
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : zzz
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8900 flight time type : 1020
ASRS Report	268611
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

ZZZ's tower began operation (opened) on 03/xx/94. Area hospitals are regular users of our helicopter program in nearby city. I made only one flight through the area a week after it opened and had remembered to use the new tower frequency. On apr/xx/94, out of habit I called on unicom CTAF XXX.X. The tower monitors this frequency, and told me to contact them on ZZZ.Z. I entered the frequency in the #1 communication standby window and switched. However I didn't switch the communication selector switch from #2 communication, the radio tuned to XXX.X. I then contacted the tower again (on XXX.X) and the tower informed me they were monitoring XXX.X for safety reasons (for people like me who forgot about the tower). I thought I had switched to the correct frequency and acknowledged still thinking I was receiving and transmitting on tower. No further communication until I was leaving the air traffic area to the south. Tower again contacted me to inform me they had made traffic advisories to me on tower frequency which I hadn't acknowledged. I glanced at the ics control panel and realized what had happened. I told tower and proceeded to my destination hospital without further incident. Before my flight, I should familiarized myself more completely with the frequencys along my route because I had been there so many times, complacency got me, fortunately without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS ROTARY WINGED TFC IN AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE, PROX OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ZZZ'S TWR BEGAN OP (OPENED) ON 03/XX/94. AREA HOSPITALS ARE REGULAR USERS OF OUR HELI PROGRAM IN NEARBY CITY. I MADE ONLY ONE FLT THROUGH THE AREA A WK AFTER IT OPENED AND HAD REMEMBERED TO USE THE NEW TWR FREQ. ON APR/XX/94, OUT OF HABIT I CALLED ON UNICOM CTAF XXX.X. THE TWR MONITORS THIS FREQ, AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT THEM ON ZZZ.Z. I ENTERED THE FREQ IN THE #1 COM STANDBY WINDOW AND SWITCHED. HOWEVER I DIDN'T SWITCH THE COM SELECTOR SWITCH FROM #2 COM, THE RADIO TUNED TO XXX.X. I THEN CONTACTED THE TWR AGAIN (ON XXX.X) AND THE TWR INFORMED ME THEY WERE MONITORING XXX.X FOR SAFETY REASONS (FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO FORGOT ABOUT THE TWR). I THOUGHT I HAD SWITCHED TO THE CORRECT FREQ AND ACKNOWLEDGED STILL THINKING I WAS RECEIVING AND XMITTING ON TWR. NO FURTHER COM UNTIL I WAS LEAVING THE ATA TO THE S. TWR AGAIN CONTACTED ME TO INFORM ME THEY HAD MADE TFC ADVISORIES TO ME ON TWR FREQ WHICH I HADN'T ACKNOWLEDGED. I GLANCED AT THE ICS CTL PANEL AND REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I TOLD TWR AND PROCEEDED TO MY DEST HOSPITAL WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. BEFORE MY FLT, I SHOULD FAMILIARIZED MYSELF MORE COMPLETELY WITH THE FREQS ALONG MY RTE BECAUSE I HAD BEEN THERE SO MANY TIMES, COMPLACENCY GOT ME, FORTUNATELY WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.