Narrative:

On arrival into slc cleared by center along spane arrival. We had a ZLC controller on fam ride in cockpit jump seat and discussed the fact that we were given descent from 35000 ft to 31000 ft later than usual. Prior to any descent we had called cabin to check on passenger wheelchair needs in slc and flight attendant said they'd have to call us back. At 31000 ft, handed off to slc approach. Checked in, then flight attendant called captain, talked on interphone, briefly. I continued listening watch on #1 communication which had been slc approach. Captain rejoined me on #1 after interphone. We talked about need to descend if we would make the usual clearance to cross spane at 16000 ft for north landing. There were no xmissions on #1 radio. SELCAL chime sounded, captain answered on #2 radio, said something about switching then moved frequency selector on #1 communication and called slc approach. We were immediately given turn, airspeed reduction and descent to 25000 ft. I asked what happened and captain said that when going to interphone he had apparently moved frequency selector and we had been off ATC approach frequency while they tried to reach us for descent. We were given further descent vectors by approach and an uneventful visual approach to runway 34R was made. Timing of unnecessary communications set up chain of events. Must exercise care when making many selections on audio panel in short time. We were off ATC approach frequency for about 2 mins at a crucial time of sequencing for ATC. Question ATC immediately when 'out of envelope' sits begin to develop. Watch frequency windows and select knobs very closely during panel selection to catch inadvertent errors. Supplemental information from acn 410810: we were near our top of descent point for the arrival and we tried to get a word in on the center frequency, 133.9, but he was quite busy, and we thought he would give us a lower altitude soon. We were distracted by the flight attendant regarding in-range customer information.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B767 FOUND THAT THEY WERE OFF FREQ FOR 2 MINS DURING THE TIME THEY WOULD RECEIVE DSCNT CLRNC ON START OF STAR ARR. AFTER BEING ALERTED BY COMPANY RADIO, THE CAPT RETUNED THE RADIO TO THE PROPER FREQ AND RECEIVED VECTORS TO CIRCLE IN GETTING DOWN SUFFICIENTLY FOR THE ALT DESIRED AT THE NEXT STAR FIX.

Narrative: ON ARR INTO SLC CLRED BY CTR ALONG SPANE ARR. WE HAD A ZLC CTLR ON FAM RIDE IN COCKPIT JUMP SEAT AND DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT WE WERE GIVEN DSCNT FROM 35000 FT TO 31000 FT LATER THAN USUAL. PRIOR TO ANY DSCNT WE HAD CALLED CABIN TO CHK ON PAX WHEELCHAIR NEEDS IN SLC AND FLT ATTENDANT SAID THEY'D HAVE TO CALL US BACK. AT 31000 FT, HANDED OFF TO SLC APCH. CHKED IN, THEN FLT ATTENDANT CALLED CAPT, TALKED ON INTERPHONE, BRIEFLY. I CONTINUED LISTENING WATCH ON #1 COM WHICH HAD BEEN SLC APCH. CAPT REJOINED ME ON #1 AFTER INTERPHONE. WE TALKED ABOUT NEED TO DSND IF WE WOULD MAKE THE USUAL CLRNC TO CROSS SPANE AT 16000 FT FOR N LNDG. THERE WERE NO XMISSIONS ON #1 RADIO. SELCAL CHIME SOUNDED, CAPT ANSWERED ON #2 RADIO, SAID SOMETHING ABOUT SWITCHING THEN MOVED FREQ SELECTOR ON #1 COM AND CALLED SLC APCH. WE WERE IMMEDIATELY GIVEN TURN, AIRSPD REDUCTION AND DSCNT TO 25000 FT. I ASKED WHAT HAPPENED AND CAPT SAID THAT WHEN GOING TO INTERPHONE HE HAD APPARENTLY MOVED FREQ SELECTOR AND WE HAD BEEN OFF ATC APCH FREQ WHILE THEY TRIED TO REACH US FOR DSCNT. WE WERE GIVEN FURTHER DSCNT VECTORS BY APCH AND AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH TO RWY 34R WAS MADE. TIMING OF UNNECESSARY COMS SET UP CHAIN OF EVENTS. MUST EXERCISE CARE WHEN MAKING MANY SELECTIONS ON AUDIO PANEL IN SHORT TIME. WE WERE OFF ATC APCH FREQ FOR ABOUT 2 MINS AT A CRUCIAL TIME OF SEQUENCING FOR ATC. QUESTION ATC IMMEDIATELY WHEN 'OUT OF ENVELOPE' SITS BEGIN TO DEVELOP. WATCH FREQ WINDOWS AND SELECT KNOBS VERY CLOSELY DURING PANEL SELECTION TO CATCH INADVERTENT ERRORS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 410810: WE WERE NEAR OUR TOP OF DSCNT POINT FOR THE ARR AND WE TRIED TO GET A WORD IN ON THE CTR FREQ, 133.9, BUT HE WAS QUITE BUSY, AND WE THOUGHT HE WOULD GIVE US A LOWER ALT SOON. WE WERE DISTRACTED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT REGARDING IN-RANGE CUSTOMER INFO.

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.