Narrative:

Last clearance received was direct armel VOR. After a few mins we suspected something was amiss when no further instructions were received, so I asked center if he still wanted us direct armel. Sounding confused in his response, he asked us our position. I gave it in reference to armel. After another min went by, he asked us our position again and I responded again, only this time when I gave our position we had just passed armel (our previous clearance limit). After a few more seconds he gave us a frequency change to another ZDC controller. After initial call-up, the controller said he had been calling us for 5 mins and immediately instructed us to call washington approach. Then before I called approach, the cap took control of the radio and began to rudely chastise the center controller stating we had been on this same frequency and blamed the controllers for creating this situation. After the captain's long winded argument, the controller angrily responded that he had the whole event on tape to prove he was not at fault and to once again contact washington approach. Rest of flight uneventful. After the busy day was over, I sat down and began to think through the incident again and recalled that the frequency the 'confused' controller gave us was only one 'click' of the knob off from the other center frequency. The only explanation I can come up with is that communication radio frequency change knob was inadvertently moved, causing us to be on the wrong ZDC frequency. The captain's action of arguing with the controller in a high density environment in a high speed aircraft further compromised safety beyond the initial frequency mishap--the place for resolving these disagreements is on the ground over the phone. Special care must be taken when a knob is suspected of being bumped or turned.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A CPR MDT JET FAILED TO MAINTAIN 2-WAY COMS WITH ARTCC DUE TO WRONG COM FREQ SELECTED.

Narrative: LAST CLRNC RECEIVED WAS DIRECT ARMEL VOR. AFTER A FEW MINS WE SUSPECTED SOMETHING WAS AMISS WHEN NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE RECEIVED, SO I ASKED CTR IF HE STILL WANTED US DIRECT ARMEL. SOUNDING CONFUSED IN HIS RESPONSE, HE ASKED US OUR POS. I GAVE IT IN REF TO ARMEL. AFTER ANOTHER MIN WENT BY, HE ASKED US OUR POS AGAIN AND I RESPONDED AGAIN, ONLY THIS TIME WHEN I GAVE OUR POS WE HAD JUST PASSED ARMEL (OUR PREVIOUS CLRNC LIMIT). AFTER A FEW MORE SECONDS HE GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE TO ANOTHER ZDC CTLR. AFTER INITIAL CALL-UP, THE CTLR SAID HE HAD BEEN CALLING US FOR 5 MINS AND IMMEDIATELY INSTRUCTED US TO CALL WASHINGTON APCH. THEN BEFORE I CALLED APCH, THE CAP TOOK CTL OF THE RADIO AND BEGAN TO RUDELY CHASTISE THE CTR CTLR STATING WE HAD BEEN ON THIS SAME FREQ AND BLAMED THE CTLRS FOR CREATING THIS SIT. AFTER THE CAPT'S LONG WINDED ARGUMENT, THE CTLR ANGRILY RESPONDED THAT HE HAD THE WHOLE EVENT ON TAPE TO PROVE HE WAS NOT AT FAULT AND TO ONCE AGAIN CONTACT WASHINGTON APCH. REST OF FLT UNEVENTFUL. AFTER THE BUSY DAY WAS OVER, I SAT DOWN AND BEGAN TO THINK THROUGH THE INCIDENT AGAIN AND RECALLED THAT THE FREQ THE 'CONFUSED' CTLR GAVE US WAS ONLY ONE 'CLICK' OF THE KNOB OFF FROM THE OTHER CTR FREQ. THE ONLY EXPLANATION I CAN COME UP WITH IS THAT COM RADIO FREQ CHANGE KNOB WAS INADVERTENTLY MOVED, CAUSING US TO BE ON THE WRONG ZDC FREQ. THE CAPT'S ACTION OF ARGUING WITH THE CTLR IN A HIGH DENSITY ENVIRONMENT IN A HIGH SPD ACFT FURTHER COMPROMISED SAFETY BEYOND THE INITIAL FREQ MISHAP--THE PLACE FOR RESOLVING THESE DISAGREEMENTS IS ON THE GND OVER THE PHONE. SPECIAL CARE MUST BE TAKEN WHEN A KNOB IS SUSPECTED OF BEING BUMPED OR TURNED.

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.