Narrative:

I was instructing a student pilot on a night cross country from springfield, il, to carbondale, il. The student had planned the flight in every detail and I was impressed with the way he handled it. Everything was going according to plan. We had been getting 'flight following' but had just earlier been told to 'squawk VFR' so flight following was terminated. We began to near carbondale, the student idented all of the chkpoints and started to call the tower at carbondale. After several calls and no answer, I assumed (my second mistake), that the tower was closed and we'd be using the CTAF frequency which was the same as the tower. It was a beautiful, clear night and there was absolutely no traffic as we neared the airport. We made our calls as normal with approach and landing going without a flaw. After we shut down one of the persons from line service came out and asked us if we had radio problems as he couldn't hear us talking to the tower. I told him I thought the tower was closed since they didn't answer our calls. He said he was monitoring the tower frequency and didn't hear anything. He asked us what frequency we were using. When I told him, he said that was the wrong frequency and gave us the proper frequency. He said we were using an old frequency that had been changed some time ago. With much 'egg' on my face and very embarrassed, I checked the chart the student was using. Sure enough, it was out of date. Xchking with a current airport facility directory I found that the frequency we were using had been changed. This taught me a good lesson. Even though your student seems to have everything in order, you'd better thoroughly check through their flight plan to ensure the proper information is being used (my first mistake).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC OR TWR CONTACT.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTING A STUDENT PLT ON A NIGHT XCOUNTRY FROM SPRINGFIELD, IL, TO CARBONDALE, IL. THE STUDENT HAD PLANNED THE FLT IN EVERY DETAIL AND I WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY HE HANDLED IT. EVERYTHING WAS GOING ACCORDING TO PLAN. WE HAD BEEN GETTING 'FLT FOLLOWING' BUT HAD JUST EARLIER BEEN TOLD TO 'SQUAWK VFR' SO FLT FOLLOWING WAS TERMINATED. WE BEGAN TO NEAR CARBONDALE, THE STUDENT IDENTED ALL OF THE CHKPOINTS AND STARTED TO CALL THE TWR AT CARBONDALE. AFTER SEVERAL CALLS AND NO ANSWER, I ASSUMED (MY SECOND MISTAKE), THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED AND WE'D BE USING THE CTAF FREQ WHICH WAS THE SAME AS THE TWR. IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, CLR NIGHT AND THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO TFC AS WE NEARED THE ARPT. WE MADE OUR CALLS AS NORMAL WITH APCH AND LNDG GOING WITHOUT A FLAW. AFTER WE SHUT DOWN ONE OF THE PERSONS FROM LINE SVC CAME OUT AND ASKED US IF WE HAD RADIO PROBS AS HE COULDN'T HEAR US TALKING TO THE TWR. I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT THE TWR WAS CLOSED SINCE THEY DIDN'T ANSWER OUR CALLS. HE SAID HE WAS MONITORING THE TWR FREQ AND DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING. HE ASKED US WHAT FREQ WE WERE USING. WHEN I TOLD HIM, HE SAID THAT WAS THE WRONG FREQ AND GAVE US THE PROPER FREQ. HE SAID WE WERE USING AN OLD FREQ THAT HAD BEEN CHANGED SOME TIME AGO. WITH MUCH 'EGG' ON MY FACE AND VERY EMBARRASSED, I CHKED THE CHART THE STUDENT WAS USING. SURE ENOUGH, IT WAS OUT OF DATE. XCHKING WITH A CURRENT ARPT FACILITY DIRECTORY I FOUND THAT THE FREQ WE WERE USING HAD BEEN CHANGED. THIS TAUGHT ME A GOOD LESSON. EVEN THOUGH YOUR STUDENT SEEMS TO HAVE EVERYTHING IN ORDER, YOU'D BETTER THOROUGHLY CHK THROUGH THEIR FLT PLAN TO ENSURE THE PROPER INFO IS BEING USED (MY FIRST MISTAKE).

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.