Narrative:

We were inbound to the dfw airport at 11000 ft on the ukw arrival and outside of ukw VOR. We had been given a frequency change from whatever center frequency we had been on to 127.95. I was PF, so the first officer acknowledged, switched over, and checked in on the new frequency. We had a new flight attendant on board, who at this time was in the cockpit asking a bunch of typical, new kid on the block questions, so my attention was divided by my flying, listening to the radio, and listening to the flight attendant. Some time passed. We were now very near to crossing ukw VOR, and I was thinking how unusual it was that we were still at 11000 ft. Usually we would be descending to 7000 ft by now. About that time I heard a call on the company frequency (the #2 radio), and when I answered, they said ATC was needing to talk to us on 127.95. I looked at the #1 radio, and it was on 127.925. We switched over and center descended us, started to give us a vector, then stopped, then shortly came back and gave us a vector off the STAR, and shortly thereafter back on. I don't know if we caused a conflict. I hope not. Center never said anything about it, and there was nothing on the TCASII. As to what caused this, I'd sure like to say the radio must have glitched and jumped off frequency, and while I imagine there is a remote possibility that this could somehow happen, what obviously happened is that when the first officer switched over, he missed the right frequency by 1 click, and when he checked in, neither he nor I took note of the fact that there was no answer. Clearly the flight attendant in the cockpit was an added distraction. Of course, I could always stop allowing the flight attendants to come up, but I believe that they deserve to see a little of what goes on up front, and in fact there is a need for that. Besides, we were not below sterile altitude yet, but clearly I'll have to be more careful about such things in the future and divide my attention more appropriately.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 CREW SELECTS INCORRECT FREQ FOR ARTCC.

Narrative: WE WERE INBOUND TO THE DFW ARPT AT 11000 FT ON THE UKW ARR AND OUTSIDE OF UKW VOR. WE HAD BEEN GIVEN A FREQ CHANGE FROM WHATEVER CTR FREQ WE HAD BEEN ON TO 127.95. I WAS PF, SO THE FO ACKNOWLEDGED, SWITCHED OVER, AND CHKED IN ON THE NEW FREQ. WE HAD A NEW FLT ATTENDANT ON BOARD, WHO AT THIS TIME WAS IN THE COCKPIT ASKING A BUNCH OF TYPICAL, NEW KID ON THE BLOCK QUESTIONS, SO MY ATTN WAS DIVIDED BY MY FLYING, LISTENING TO THE RADIO, AND LISTENING TO THE FLT ATTENDANT. SOME TIME PASSED. WE WERE NOW VERY NEAR TO XING UKW VOR, AND I WAS THINKING HOW UNUSUAL IT WAS THAT WE WERE STILL AT 11000 FT. USUALLY WE WOULD BE DSNDING TO 7000 FT BY NOW. ABOUT THAT TIME I HEARD A CALL ON THE COMPANY FREQ (THE #2 RADIO), AND WHEN I ANSWERED, THEY SAID ATC WAS NEEDING TO TALK TO US ON 127.95. I LOOKED AT THE #1 RADIO, AND IT WAS ON 127.925. WE SWITCHED OVER AND CTR DSNDED US, STARTED TO GIVE US A VECTOR, THEN STOPPED, THEN SHORTLY CAME BACK AND GAVE US A VECTOR OFF THE STAR, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER BACK ON. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAUSED A CONFLICT. I HOPE NOT. CTR NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT, AND THERE WAS NOTHING ON THE TCASII. AS TO WHAT CAUSED THIS, I'D SURE LIKE TO SAY THE RADIO MUST HAVE GLITCHED AND JUMPED OFF FREQ, AND WHILE I IMAGINE THERE IS A REMOTE POSSIBILITY THAT THIS COULD SOMEHOW HAPPEN, WHAT OBVIOUSLY HAPPENED IS THAT WHEN THE FO SWITCHED OVER, HE MISSED THE RIGHT FREQ BY 1 CLICK, AND WHEN HE CHKED IN, NEITHER HE NOR I TOOK NOTE OF THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO ANSWER. CLRLY THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE COCKPIT WAS AN ADDED DISTR. OF COURSE, I COULD ALWAYS STOP ALLOWING THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO COME UP, BUT I BELIEVE THAT THEY DESERVE TO SEE A LITTLE OF WHAT GOES ON UP FRONT, AND IN FACT THERE IS A NEED FOR THAT. BESIDES, WE WERE NOT BELOW STERILE ALT YET, BUT CLRLY I'LL HAVE TO BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT SUCH THINGS IN THE FUTURE AND DIVIDE MY ATTN MORE APPROPRIATELY.

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.