Narrative:

Instrument training flight for instrument proficiency check. On a vector for ILS runway 28, circle to land runway 25, handed off to roc approach. Established communication and responded to some TA's. After a few mins, I got concerned because of lack of radio traffic. The airplane had pretty fancy radios, including one that stored up to 4 frequencys. Apparently, while setting up radios for the ILS approach, the controller frequency got knocked off. Upon restoring it, the student promptly announced to the controller that we had been off the frequency for a while. This resulted in a lecture from the controller about trying to call us for the last 15 mi to warn us about traffic, don't ever leave frequency without permission. Unfortunately, my transmission capability would not work, so the student, who was pretty slow in talking, was having to do all the talking. The controller was getting more unhappy and by the time we were handed off to the tower, she was speaking slowly, loudly and enunciating her instructions very carefully. We were wrong in not catching the fact that the frequency was set wrong. My error was not having some means to transmit directly and not have to prompt student on first IFR practice flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING AN INST TRAINING FLT IN A BEECH 36, THE COM FREQ WAS ACCIDENTALLY KNOCKED OFF SETTING AT THE BEGINNING OF AN ILS APCH CAUSING A BREAK IN 2-WAY COM WITH APCH CTL.

Narrative: INST TRAINING FLT FOR INST PROFICIENCY CHK. ON A VECTOR FOR ILS RWY 28, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 25, HANDED OFF TO ROC APCH. ESTABLISHED COM AND RESPONDED TO SOME TA'S. AFTER A FEW MINS, I GOT CONCERNED BECAUSE OF LACK OF RADIO TFC. THE AIRPLANE HAD PRETTY FANCY RADIOS, INCLUDING ONE THAT STORED UP TO 4 FREQS. APPARENTLY, WHILE SETTING UP RADIOS FOR THE ILS APCH, THE CTLR FREQ GOT KNOCKED OFF. UPON RESTORING IT, THE STUDENT PROMPTLY ANNOUNCED TO THE CTLR THAT WE HAD BEEN OFF THE FREQ FOR A WHILE. THIS RESULTED IN A LECTURE FROM THE CTLR ABOUT TRYING TO CALL US FOR THE LAST 15 MI TO WARN US ABOUT TFC, DON'T EVER LEAVE FREQ WITHOUT PERMISSION. UNFORTUNATELY, MY XMISSION CAPABILITY WOULD NOT WORK, SO THE STUDENT, WHO WAS PRETTY SLOW IN TALKING, WAS HAVING TO DO ALL THE TALKING. THE CTLR WAS GETTING MORE UNHAPPY AND BY THE TIME WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE TWR, SHE WAS SPEAKING SLOWLY, LOUDLY AND ENUNCIATING HER INSTRUCTIONS VERY CAREFULLY. WE WERE WRONG IN NOT CATCHING THE FACT THAT THE FREQ WAS SET WRONG. MY ERROR WAS NOT HAVING SOME MEANS TO XMIT DIRECTLY AND NOT HAVE TO PROMPT STUDENT ON FIRST IFR PRACTICE FLT.

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.