Narrative:

I was plting my aeronca chief from iza to lpc, in what ended up being a round-trip flight. As I approached the airport, I reported 8 mi out, over the river bed on the right upwind, crosswind, downwind, base and final for runway 25, on my handheld icom A22 which is connected to a portable intercom and headsets. I heard no response, but lpc is very lightly used, so this was not unexpected. As I was approximately 10 ft AGL over the numbers, a biplane flew directly over me, and proceeded to land long and turn off midfield. I initiated a go around, flew the pattern again and landed. I questioned the other pilot, and he had never seen me, with his limited visibility downward, and I was unable to see him due to my high wing confign. Apparently we flew the pattern in tandem, neither seeing the other. We did a radio check on both radios, and found that his was correct and tuned to 122.7, CTAF for lpc. Mine was operational, and tuned to 122.9, which I had apparently mistakenly programmed. Analysis: when I first purchased the icom, I sat down with a sectional and programmed the most commonly used frequencys into it with alpha numeric idents. This was proved to be enormously helpful in reducing in-flight workload. However, due to the mistaken labeling, I placed a high degree of confidence that 'lpc' on the radio was in fact the correct frequency for lompoc CTAF. I feel very fortunate that my mistake did not result in a tragic accident. How to avoid: 1) doublechk all entries in the icom for correctness, and remember to update the radio at the same time I get an updated sectional. 2) xchk the actual tuned frequency against the sectional before entering the pattern. 3) increased vigilance in visual scan in the pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NMAC BTWN AN AERONCA CHIEF 11AC 10 FT ABOVE THE RWY FOR LNDG AND AN AMATEUR BUILT BIPLANE PASSING OVER THE TOP OF THE AERONCA AND LNDG. NEITHER PLT OBSERVED THE OTHER BEFORE SINCE IT WAS A NON TWR ARPT AND EACH ACFT WING BLOCKED THE VIEW OF THE OTHER. IN ADDITION, THE AERONCA WAS XMITTING ON THE WRONG UNICOM FREQ.

Narrative: I WAS PLTING MY AERONCA CHIEF FROM IZA TO LPC, IN WHAT ENDED UP BEING A ROUND-TRIP FLT. AS I APCHED THE ARPT, I RPTED 8 MI OUT, OVER THE RIVER BED ON THE R UPWIND, XWIND, DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL FOR RWY 25, ON MY HANDHELD ICOM A22 WHICH IS CONNECTED TO A PORTABLE INTERCOM AND HEADSETS. I HEARD NO RESPONSE, BUT LPC IS VERY LIGHTLY USED, SO THIS WAS NOT UNEXPECTED. AS I WAS APPROX 10 FT AGL OVER THE NUMBERS, A BIPLANE FLEW DIRECTLY OVER ME, AND PROCEEDED TO LAND LONG AND TURN OFF MIDFIELD. I INITIATED A GAR, FLEW THE PATTERN AGAIN AND LANDED. I QUESTIONED THE OTHER PLT, AND HE HAD NEVER SEEN ME, WITH HIS LIMITED VISIBILITY DOWNWARD, AND I WAS UNABLE TO SEE HIM DUE TO MY HIGH WING CONFIGN. APPARENTLY WE FLEW THE PATTERN IN TANDEM, NEITHER SEEING THE OTHER. WE DID A RADIO CHK ON BOTH RADIOS, AND FOUND THAT HIS WAS CORRECT AND TUNED TO 122.7, CTAF FOR LPC. MINE WAS OPERATIONAL, AND TUNED TO 122.9, WHICH I HAD APPARENTLY MISTAKENLY PROGRAMMED. ANALYSIS: WHEN I FIRST PURCHASED THE ICOM, I SAT DOWN WITH A SECTIONAL AND PROGRAMMED THE MOST COMMONLY USED FREQS INTO IT WITH ALPHA NUMERIC IDENTS. THIS WAS PROVED TO BE ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL IN REDUCING INFLT WORKLOAD. HOWEVER, DUE TO THE MISTAKEN LABELING, I PLACED A HIGH DEG OF CONFIDENCE THAT 'LPC' ON THE RADIO WAS IN FACT THE CORRECT FREQ FOR LOMPOC CTAF. I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE THAT MY MISTAKE DID NOT RESULT IN A TRAGIC ACCIDENT. HOW TO AVOID: 1) DOUBLECHK ALL ENTRIES IN THE ICOM FOR CORRECTNESS, AND REMEMBER TO UPDATE THE RADIO AT THE SAME TIME I GET AN UPDATED SECTIONAL. 2) XCHK THE ACTUAL TUNED FREQ AGAINST THE SECTIONAL BEFORE ENTERING THE PATTERN. 3) INCREASED VIGILANCE IN VISUAL SCAN IN THE PATTERN.

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.