An air carrier flight crew failed to maintain a continuous watch on frequency while on final approach at a class B primary airport.

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Attributes
ACN	300289
Time
Date	199503
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : pit
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit artcc : zbw
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	300289
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	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I am writing because of a hot-tempered captain. Here is the situation: I am PF. We are on final approach at 500 ft, and have already been cleared to land by tower frequency a. Between xmissions, tower frequency a had a lot of static on it. So, at 500 ft on final, the captain said 'what's the other tower frequency?' without also saying his call sign. He then switched tower frequencys at 500 ft and started talking to tower frequency B, who had no idea what was going on. The static was bothersome, but it did not impede conversation, and the captain's failure to identify himself when requesting tower frequency B was inexcusable. The captain didn't tell frequency a we were leaving the frequency. I (while flying) dialed in frequency a on radio #3 and verified our clearance to land. After landing, frequency a (radio #3) told me to contact ground, and the captain was still arguing with tower frequency B when I turned off the runway. I told him we were switched to ground by tower frequency a and then he switched over to ground on radio #1. I feel I did the best thing possible, since we were only 500 ft AGL when the captain lost his temper.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC FAILED TO MAINTAIN A CONTINUOUS WATCH ON FREQ WHILE ON FINAL APCH AT A CLASS B PRIMARY ARPT.

Narrative: I AM WRITING BECAUSE OF A HOT-TEMPERED CAPT. HERE IS THE SIT: I AM PF. WE ARE ON FINAL APCH AT 500 FT, AND HAVE ALREADY BEEN CLRED TO LAND BY TWR FREQ A. BTWN XMISSIONS, TWR FREQ A HAD A LOT OF STATIC ON IT. SO, AT 500 FT ON FINAL, THE CAPT SAID 'WHAT'S THE OTHER TWR FREQ?' WITHOUT ALSO SAYING HIS CALL SIGN. HE THEN SWITCHED TWR FREQS AT 500 FT AND STARTED TALKING TO TWR FREQ B, WHO HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON. THE STATIC WAS BOTHERSOME, BUT IT DID NOT IMPEDE CONVERSATION, AND THE CAPT'S FAILURE TO IDENT HIMSELF WHEN REQUESTING TWR FREQ B WAS INEXCUSABLE. THE CAPT DIDN'T TELL FREQ A WE WERE LEAVING THE FREQ. I (WHILE FLYING) DIALED IN FREQ A ON RADIO #3 AND VERIFIED OUR CLRNC TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, FREQ A (RADIO #3) TOLD ME TO CONTACT GND, AND THE CAPT WAS STILL ARGUING WITH TWR FREQ B WHEN I TURNED OFF THE RWY. I TOLD HIM WE WERE SWITCHED TO GND BY TWR FREQ A AND THEN HE SWITCHED OVER TO GND ON RADIO #1. I FEEL I DID THE BEST THING POSSIBLE, SINCE WE WERE ONLY 500 FT AGL WHEN THE CAPT LOST HIS TEMPER.

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.