Narrative:

Original flight plan was IFR from dht to sgr at FL250. ZHU cleared me for descent to 13000 ft MSL. After descending below FL180, I contacted center, canceled IFR and requested VFR advisory services which they (center) granted. Near tnv VOR, center canceled advisories, instructed me to squawk 1200 and to contact hou approach. I contacted hou approach on 123.8 and was given a squawk code. Approach later advised radar contact and granted clearance into hou class B. I then tuned communication #1 to sgr's tower frequency for monitoring purposes while maintaining communications with approach on communication #2. Apparently, however, I also made communication #1 the active radio, thereby cutting off communications with approach. After a few mins sgr tower contacted me and advised me to contact approach. At that time, I noticed that I had inadvertently made communication #1 the active radio. I immediately switched to communication #2 and contacted approach. The approach controller was very testy (I can understand why), told me I had penetrated a parachute area and not to change frequencys in the future without his permission. I apologized to him and stayed on his frequency until advised to contact sgr tower. The rest of the flight was concluded normally. I had a bad headache during the last 30 mins of this flight, which I supposed kept me from thinking clearly, and I apparently changed radios without thinking. I should have noticed that something was awry due to the lack of radio traffic on a busy day in the approach area. In the future, I will be very careful to doublechk my communication set-ups and to pay more attention to the level of radio traffic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PIPER MALIBU MIRAGE ACFT. RPTR PLT CANCELED IFR FLT PLAN AND WAS RECEIVING VFR ADVISORIES WHEN ENTERING CLASS B AIRSPACE AND INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED RADIO FREQ OFF FROM APCH CTLR. TWR CTLR INTERVENED AND TOLD RPTR TO RETURN TO APCH CTLR.

Narrative: ORIGINAL FLT PLAN WAS IFR FROM DHT TO SGR AT FL250. ZHU CLRED ME FOR DSCNT TO 13000 FT MSL. AFTER DSNDING BELOW FL180, I CONTACTED CTR, CANCELED IFR AND REQUESTED VFR ADVISORY SVCS WHICH THEY (CTR) GRANTED. NEAR TNV VOR, CTR CANCELED ADVISORIES, INSTRUCTED ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND TO CONTACT HOU APCH. I CONTACTED HOU APCH ON 123.8 AND WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE. APCH LATER ADVISED RADAR CONTACT AND GRANTED CLRNC INTO HOU CLASS B. I THEN TUNED COM #1 TO SGR'S TWR FREQ FOR MONITORING PURPOSES WHILE MAINTAINING COMS WITH APCH ON COM #2. APPARENTLY, HOWEVER, I ALSO MADE COM #1 THE ACTIVE RADIO, THEREBY CUTTING OFF COMS WITH APCH. AFTER A FEW MINS SGR TWR CONTACTED ME AND ADVISED ME TO CONTACT APCH. AT THAT TIME, I NOTICED THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY MADE COM #1 THE ACTIVE RADIO. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED TO COM #2 AND CONTACTED APCH. THE APCH CTLR WAS VERY TESTY (I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY), TOLD ME I HAD PENETRATED A PARACHUTE AREA AND NOT TO CHANGE FREQS IN THE FUTURE WITHOUT HIS PERMISSION. I APOLOGIZED TO HIM AND STAYED ON HIS FREQ UNTIL ADVISED TO CONTACT SGR TWR. THE REST OF THE FLT WAS CONCLUDED NORMALLY. I HAD A BAD HEADACHE DURING THE LAST 30 MINS OF THIS FLT, WHICH I SUPPOSED KEPT ME FROM THINKING CLRLY, AND I APPARENTLY CHANGED RADIOS WITHOUT THINKING. I SHOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT SOMETHING WAS AWRY DUE TO THE LACK OF RADIO TFC ON A BUSY DAY IN THE APCH AREA. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL BE VERY CAREFUL TO DOUBLECHK MY COM SET-UPS AND TO PAY MORE ATTN TO THE LEVEL OF RADIO TFC.

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.