Narrative:

Between AB30 am and AB45 am nov/sat/96, I called louisville FSS and filed an IFR flight plan from jvy to sdf for the purpose of relocating for cargo flying air carrier. After engine start-up, I called sdf clearance (rco on 118.35) for my IFR clnrc. After establishing communications, they did not have anything on file for my aircraft (a 1996 cessna grand caravan). After several mins of conversation with clearance, I evaluated the situation and decided that I could make the 15 min flight under VFR conditions. During climb out, I experienced heavy rain and the visibility was quickly deteriorating. Therefore, I informed louisville approach that I was having trouble maintaining VFR. After being vectored to the east for the ILS runway 29, I tuned 129.95 into the #2 communications radio for parking instructions from cargo service. This is standard procedure for contingency aircraft for ramp assignments on the various ramps. Since the caravan is a '1 crew member aircraft,' I must transmit on communication #2 while listening diligently to sdf approach on communication #1. Instead of selecting the 'phone button' for communication #1 on the audio panel, I mistakenly depressed the button for communication #2. This resulted in sdf calling my aircraft on numerous occasions without my knowledge. Because of the heavy rain and cold temperatures, I quickly began accumulating moderate rime ice. After I received my parking instructions, I returned to communication #1 to politely inform ATC that I was 'picking up' rime ice. During this time, I was unaware that I had tuned out sdf ATC. After receiving my final vectors for the ILS runway 29 into sdf, I landed without the knowledge of any wrongdoing. After touchdown and rollout, I was informed to 'give the supervisor a call' after parking. I was given the telephone number on the tower frequency and did so once the aircraft was parked. After calling the number provided, I spoke to supervisor (I assume that is who he was, he never provided any identify during the call). He told me whenever we depart jvy, we should be ready to come directly to sdf. This individual knows that we come over here on a nightly basis because of the demand of contingency aircraft to haul excess freight. He then began to discuss the situation at hand about not answering ATC when called (it was during this time that I figured out what I did with the audio panel). He then proceeded to tell me when I did return to the frequency, I began to give the controller 'crap' about picking up ice. I was always under the impression that if we, as pilots, encounter flight conditions such as this, we should inform whatever ATC facility we are talking to about these conditions. An informal PIREP. Without diminishing my level of professionalism, I did not address that derogatory comment. Also, the supervisor began talking about the IFR flight plan that I filed with louisville FSS. This man went so far as to tell me that 'he didn't really think that I filed a flight plan in the first place.' I filed this flight plan between AB30 and AB45 nov/sat/96 on my cellular phone between borden, in, and sellersburg, in. I should have told the supervisor to extract the tapes from the FSS but I did not want to lose my composure. I have never been violated in the 11 yrs that I have been a pilot. After the phone conversation ended, I do not think that I will be violated but I thought about the situation and quickly decided to fill out the NASA form. Also accompanying me on the flight was a trainee pilot. He will be flying this aircraft after completing flight safety training and passing his check ride. He can attest to the flight that night, but was not part of the telephone conversation between myself and the ATC supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX PLT IN PROX OF CLOUDS ON A VFR NIGHT OP. GETS IFR CLRNC AND SELECTS WRONG CTL BUTTON ON VHF WHEN USING IT FOR DUAL COM. SUFFERS LOSS OF COM FREQ.

Narrative: BTWN AB30 AM AND AB45 AM NOV/SAT/96, I CALLED LOUISVILLE FSS AND FILED AN IFR FLT PLAN FROM JVY TO SDF FOR THE PURPOSE OF RELOCATING FOR CARGO FLYING ACR. AFTER ENG START-UP, I CALLED SDF CLRNC (RCO ON 118.35) FOR MY IFR CLNRC. AFTER ESTABLISHING COMS, THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING ON FILE FOR MY ACFT (A 1996 CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN). AFTER SEVERAL MINS OF CONVERSATION WITH CLRNC, I EVALUATED THE SIT AND DECIDED THAT I COULD MAKE THE 15 MIN FLT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS. DURING CLBOUT, I EXPERIENCED HVY RAIN AND THE VISIBILITY WAS QUICKLY DETERIORATING. THEREFORE, I INFORMED LOUISVILLE APCH THAT I WAS HAVING TROUBLE MAINTAINING VFR. AFTER BEING VECTORED TO THE E FOR THE ILS RWY 29, I TUNED 129.95 INTO THE #2 COMS RADIO FOR PARKING INSTRUCTIONS FROM CARGO SVC. THIS IS STANDARD PROC FOR CONTINGENCY ACFT FOR RAMP ASSIGNMENTS ON THE VARIOUS RAMPS. SINCE THE CARAVAN IS A '1 CREW MEMBER ACFT,' I MUST XMIT ON COM #2 WHILE LISTENING DILIGENTLY TO SDF APCH ON COM #1. INSTEAD OF SELECTING THE 'PHONE BUTTON' FOR COM #1 ON THE AUDIO PANEL, I MISTAKENLY DEPRESSED THE BUTTON FOR COM #2. THIS RESULTED IN SDF CALLING MY ACFT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. BECAUSE OF THE HVY RAIN AND COLD TEMPS, I QUICKLY BEGAN ACCUMULATING MODERATE RIME ICE. AFTER I RECEIVED MY PARKING INSTRUCTIONS, I RETURNED TO COM #1 TO POLITELY INFORM ATC THAT I WAS 'PICKING UP' RIME ICE. DURING THIS TIME, I WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD TUNED OUT SDF ATC. AFTER RECEIVING MY FINAL VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 29 INTO SDF, I LANDED WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE OF ANY WRONGDOING. AFTER TOUCHDOWN AND ROLLOUT, I WAS INFORMED TO 'GIVE THE SUPVR A CALL' AFTER PARKING. I WAS GIVEN THE TELEPHONE NUMBER ON THE TWR FREQ AND DID SO ONCE THE ACFT WAS PARKED. AFTER CALLING THE NUMBER PROVIDED, I SPOKE TO SUPVR (I ASSUME THAT IS WHO HE WAS, HE NEVER PROVIDED ANY IDENT DURING THE CALL). HE TOLD ME WHENEVER WE DEPART JVY, WE SHOULD BE READY TO COME DIRECTLY TO SDF. THIS INDIVIDUAL KNOWS THAT WE COME OVER HERE ON A NIGHTLY BASIS BECAUSE OF THE DEMAND OF CONTINGENCY ACFT TO HAUL EXCESS FREIGHT. HE THEN BEGAN TO DISCUSS THE SIT AT HAND ABOUT NOT ANSWERING ATC WHEN CALLED (IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THAT I FIGURED OUT WHAT I DID WITH THE AUDIO PANEL). HE THEN PROCEEDED TO TELL ME WHEN I DID RETURN TO THE FREQ, I BEGAN TO GIVE THE CTLR 'CRAP' ABOUT PICKING UP ICE. I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IF WE, AS PLTS, ENCOUNTER FLT CONDITIONS SUCH AS THIS, WE SHOULD INFORM WHATEVER ATC FACILITY WE ARE TALKING TO ABOUT THESE CONDITIONS. AN INFORMAL PIREP. WITHOUT DIMINISHING MY LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, I DID NOT ADDRESS THAT DEROGATORY COMMENT. ALSO, THE SUPVR BEGAN TALKING ABOUT THE IFR FLT PLAN THAT I FILED WITH LOUISVILLE FSS. THIS MAN WENT SO FAR AS TO TELL ME THAT 'HE DIDN'T REALLY THINK THAT I FILED A FLT PLAN IN THE FIRST PLACE.' I FILED THIS FLT PLAN BTWN AB30 AND AB45 NOV/SAT/96 ON MY CELLULAR PHONE BTWN BORDEN, IN, AND SELLERSBURG, IN. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THE SUPVR TO EXTRACT THE TAPES FROM THE FSS BUT I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE MY COMPOSURE. I HAVE NEVER BEEN VIOLATED IN THE 11 YRS THAT I HAVE BEEN A PLT. AFTER THE PHONE CONVERSATION ENDED, I DO NOT THINK THAT I WILL BE VIOLATED BUT I THOUGHT ABOUT THE SIT AND QUICKLY DECIDED TO FILL OUT THE NASA FORM. ALSO ACCOMPANYING ME ON THE FLT WAS A TRAINEE PLT. HE WILL BE FLYING THIS ACFT AFTER COMPLETING FLT SAFETY TRAINING AND PASSING HIS CHK RIDE. HE CAN ATTEST TO THE FLT THAT NIGHT, BUT WAS NOT PART OF THE TELEPHONE CONVERSATION BTWN MYSELF AND THE ATC SUPVR.

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.