Narrative:

We were level at cruise en route to spb VOR and were in contact with control on 135.6 and were told by control to contact control on 125.4. I read back 125.4 and changed frequencys and checked in at 9600 meters. Tampere acknowledged our check-in. After a period of time, were told to call tampere on another frequency and we did. Shortly after this, a flight called us and said st petersburg wanted to talk to us on 135.4. I called st petersburg on the other radio and they wanted to know why we hadn't called them at st petersburg. I attempted to explain that we were given 125.4 by the previous russian controller and that we had checked in on that frequency. St petersburg said 'I think you know you should call us on 135.4.' I attempted to explain that we did call on the frequency we were given, but I am not sure how much he understood. He then said 'I think we probably file a report.' notes: this was my first trip to moscow and I had a list of the frequencys in order of use and referred to it during the flight. They all matched except the last frequency on the way out, which was neither 135.4 nor 125.4. While I did notice that, I had no reason to think that we were on the wrong frequency since tampere was the next sector and the controller on 125.4 did not say anything to indicate that we were on the wrong frequency, and, in fact, subsequently gave us a normal handoff to the next sector. In many areas it is not unusual for a controller to hand you off to the next sector while you are still in his airspace and I assumed that was what was going on here. The first indication that I had that anything was amiss was when I called st petersburg on 135.4. The radios were of mediocre quality and the frequency on which we were given the change to 125.4 was particularly weak and hollow, but the first officer and I are both sure we heard 125.4 and that is what I read back to the controller. It is possible that we both misunderstood him and that he did not catch the error on readback. In the future I will obviously know that st petersburg does not hand off early, but overall, I will question the controller if the agency I am talking to does not match the fir I am in.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR CROSSES INTL AIRSPACE BOUNDARY WITHOUT CONTACT WITH APPROPRIATE CTLR.

Narrative: WE WERE LEVEL AT CRUISE ENRTE TO SPB VOR AND WERE IN CONTACT WITH CTL ON 135.6 AND WERE TOLD BY CTL TO CONTACT CTL ON 125.4. I READ BACK 125.4 AND CHANGED FREQS AND CHKED IN AT 9600 METERS. TAMPERE ACKNOWLEDGED OUR CHK-IN. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, WERE TOLD TO CALL TAMPERE ON ANOTHER FREQ AND WE DID. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, A FLT CALLED US AND SAID ST PETERSBURG WANTED TO TALK TO US ON 135.4. I CALLED ST PETERSBURG ON THE OTHER RADIO AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHY WE HADN'T CALLED THEM AT ST PETERSBURG. I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THAT WE WERE GIVEN 125.4 BY THE PREVIOUS RUSSIAN CTLR AND THAT WE HAD CHKED IN ON THAT FREQ. ST PETERSBURG SAID 'I THINK YOU KNOW YOU SHOULD CALL US ON 135.4.' I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THAT WE DID CALL ON THE FREQ WE WERE GIVEN, BUT I AM NOT SURE HOW MUCH HE UNDERSTOOD. HE THEN SAID 'I THINK WE PROBABLY FILE A RPT.' NOTES: THIS WAS MY FIRST TRIP TO MOSCOW AND I HAD A LIST OF THE FREQS IN ORDER OF USE AND REFERRED TO IT DURING THE FLT. THEY ALL MATCHED EXCEPT THE LAST FREQ ON THE WAY OUT, WHICH WAS NEITHER 135.4 NOR 125.4. WHILE I DID NOTICE THAT, I HAD NO REASON TO THINK THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ SINCE TAMPERE WAS THE NEXT SECTOR AND THE CTLR ON 125.4 DID NOT SAY ANYTHING TO INDICATE THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ, AND, IN FACT, SUBSEQUENTLY GAVE US A NORMAL HDOF TO THE NEXT SECTOR. IN MANY AREAS IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR A CTLR TO HAND YOU OFF TO THE NEXT SECTOR WHILE YOU ARE STILL IN HIS AIRSPACE AND I ASSUMED THAT WAS WHAT WAS GOING ON HERE. THE FIRST INDICATION THAT I HAD THAT ANYTHING WAS AMISS WAS WHEN I CALLED ST PETERSBURG ON 135.4. THE RADIOS WERE OF MEDIOCRE QUALITY AND THE FREQ ON WHICH WE WERE GIVEN THE CHANGE TO 125.4 WAS PARTICULARLY WEAK AND HOLLOW, BUT THE FO AND I ARE BOTH SURE WE HEARD 125.4 AND THAT IS WHAT I READ BACK TO THE CTLR. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WE BOTH MISUNDERSTOOD HIM AND THAT HE DID NOT CATCH THE ERROR ON READBACK. IN THE FUTURE I WILL OBVIOUSLY KNOW THAT ST PETERSBURG DOES NOT HAND OFF EARLY, BUT OVERALL, I WILL QUESTION THE CTLR IF THE AGENCY I AM TALKING TO DOES NOT MATCH THE FIR I AM IN.

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.