Narrative:

Flight XXX ord to ewr. We were on approach vectors with ny approach at 5000 ft when the frequency selector on communication #1 radio was bumped changing it from 128.55 to 127.55. The mistake was detected after about 2 mins. The flight continued uneventfully into newark. No TCASII advisories or traffic conflicts were noted. The approach controller had no comments to us upon rechking in with him afterwards. The flight was ord to ewr in F100. We were at 5000 ft on approach vectors into newark. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the flight crew of this F100 was about 25 NM west of ewr when the captain, who was operating the radar, bumped the frequency selector for the VHF communication radio causing it to change frequencys. After about 2 mins, when the crew realized that there was an unusual silence, the captain rechked the frequency readout and corrected the situation. The captain said that there were thunderstorms in the area, but that the aircraft was in the clear at this time. He does not think that the radio controls are too exposed to this type of event and that this was the first time that this has happened to him.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RADIO COM PROB -- THE CAPT OF THIS ACR BUMPED THE FREQ KNOB OF THE COM RADIO AND INADVERTENTLY CHANGED FREQ. THE FLC RECOGNIZED THE ERROR AND CORRECTED IT A SHORT TIME LATER.

Narrative: FLT XXX ORD TO EWR. WE WERE ON APCH VECTORS WITH NY APCH AT 5000 FT WHEN THE FREQ SELECTOR ON COM #1 RADIO WAS BUMPED CHANGING IT FROM 128.55 TO 127.55. THE MISTAKE WAS DETECTED AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS. THE FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY INTO NEWARK. NO TCASII ADVISORIES OR TFC CONFLICTS WERE NOTED. THE APCH CTLR HAD NO COMMENTS TO US UPON RECHKING IN WITH HIM AFTERWARDS. THE FLT WAS ORD TO EWR IN F100. WE WERE AT 5000 FT ON APCH VECTORS INTO NEWARK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE FLC OF THIS F100 WAS ABOUT 25 NM W OF EWR WHEN THE CAPT, WHO WAS OPERATING THE RADAR, BUMPED THE FREQ SELECTOR FOR THE VHF COM RADIO CAUSING IT TO CHANGE FREQS. AFTER ABOUT 2 MINS, WHEN THE CREW REALIZED THAT THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL SILENCE, THE CAPT RECHKED THE FREQ READOUT AND CORRECTED THE SIT. THE CAPT SAID THAT THERE WERE TSTMS IN THE AREA, BUT THAT THE ACFT WAS IN THE CLR AT THIS TIME. HE DOES NOT THINK THAT THE RADIO CTLS ARE TOO EXPOSED TO THIS TYPE OF EVENT AND THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO HIM.

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.