Narrative:

On descent into atl on the rmg 2 arrival from bna as flight xyz, with me acting as PF, we were vectored south off the radial for 'spacing into atlanta.' I dialed in the rmg VOR, but failed to reference the STAR plate and dialed in 115.6 MHZ (la grange, lgc) vice 115.4 MHZ (rome, rmg) and the captain, referencing my VOR, dialed in the same. While descending through FL240 for 17000 ft, we were told to proceed 'direct rome.' within a few mins we were told 'fly heading 090 degrees.' the center controller may have meant for us to join the arrival, but he did not say so. Sometime later, the controller asked us if we were in a turn, to which we replied, 'no, we are on assigned heading 090 degrees.' he then said, 'turn right 270 degrees.' sometime in here we were turned over to approach control and were given a, 'turn right to 090 degrees,' and before we had completed the turn, 'continue right to 160 degrees to join the arrival.' about the time we steadied on 160 degrees, the captain said 'are we really this far from rome?' and we simultaneously looked at the STAR and realized we were referencing the wrong VOR. Luckily, as we quickly changed the frequency, we found ourselves 10 mi northwest of rome and on the inbound radial. The controller said nothing about our excursions and we still don't know whether they thought we were lost or that the previous controllers had mistakenly left us on vectors. The subsequent approach and landing were without incident. There were a number of things that could have given us clues that something was wrong. Being descended 65 mi early is not unheard of (cincinnati, new york, atlanta, etc), but it isn't always normal. It is not unusual, even in the best WX, to be vectored, slowed, held, etc, but the east and west vectors should have flagged us. Many of the controllers' questions as to what we were doing should have told us something was amiss. The most obvious lesson learned has to do with always looking up navigation frequencys and xchking each other by independently referencing pubs. The most pwrful lesson I learned, however, is that when we begin thinking and talking in the cockpit about how 'messed up they are' on the ground, we should probably begin looking closely at ourselves and making sure we aren't the ones who have 'lost the bubble.' supplemental information from acn 448580: the entire situation developed from a single error in tuning the VOR frequency. The copilot tuned 115.6 instead of 115.4 when cleared direct rome by ATC. I looked down and saw 115.6 and from memory concurred that that was rome and set the same frequency on the #1 VOR. I normally check and set all frequencys independently and have no idea why I made this mistake in this case. The following situation arose from this single occurrence. Supplemental information from acn 448915: during descent into atlanta we were cleared direct rome VOR and told to expect holding. I switched off ATC radio to obtain local ATIS information and complete landing data. When I was back on ATC radio I heard ATC issue us a vector and there was some confusion as to whether we were in holding or not. When the other 2 pilots checked the navaids they discovered the wrong VOR was dialed in. I believe this problem could have been avoided by having all 3 pilots check the NAVAID frequency and at least 1 identify the morse code.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B727 FO AND CAPT DIALED IN THE WRONG FREQ, FAILED TO CHK THE MORSE CODE, AND BECAME CONFUSED WHEN ATC DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY WERE DOING.

Narrative: ON DSCNT INTO ATL ON THE RMG 2 ARR FROM BNA AS FLT XYZ, WITH ME ACTING AS PF, WE WERE VECTORED S OFF THE RADIAL FOR 'SPACING INTO ATLANTA.' I DIALED IN THE RMG VOR, BUT FAILED TO REF THE STAR PLATE AND DIALED IN 115.6 MHZ (LA GRANGE, LGC) VICE 115.4 MHZ (ROME, RMG) AND THE CAPT, REFING MY VOR, DIALED IN THE SAME. WHILE DSNDING THROUGH FL240 FOR 17000 FT, WE WERE TOLD TO PROCEED 'DIRECT ROME.' WITHIN A FEW MINS WE WERE TOLD 'FLY HDG 090 DEGS.' THE CTR CTLR MAY HAVE MEANT FOR US TO JOIN THE ARR, BUT HE DID NOT SAY SO. SOMETIME LATER, THE CTLR ASKED US IF WE WERE IN A TURN, TO WHICH WE REPLIED, 'NO, WE ARE ON ASSIGNED HDG 090 DEGS.' HE THEN SAID, 'TURN R 270 DEGS.' SOMETIME IN HERE WE WERE TURNED OVER TO APCH CTL AND WERE GIVEN A, 'TURN R TO 090 DEGS,' AND BEFORE WE HAD COMPLETED THE TURN, 'CONTINUE R TO 160 DEGS TO JOIN THE ARR.' ABOUT THE TIME WE STEADIED ON 160 DEGS, THE CAPT SAID 'ARE WE REALLY THIS FAR FROM ROME?' AND WE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKED AT THE STAR AND REALIZED WE WERE REFING THE WRONG VOR. LUCKILY, AS WE QUICKLY CHANGED THE FREQ, WE FOUND OURSELVES 10 MI NW OF ROME AND ON THE INBOUND RADIAL. THE CTLR SAID NOTHING ABOUT OUR EXCURSIONS AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHETHER THEY THOUGHT WE WERE LOST OR THAT THE PREVIOUS CTLRS HAD MISTAKENLY LEFT US ON VECTORS. THE SUBSEQUENT APCH AND LNDG WERE WITHOUT INCIDENT. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT COULD HAVE GIVEN US CLUES THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. BEING DSNDED 65 MI EARLY IS NOT UNHEARD OF (CINCINNATI, NEW YORK, ATLANTA, ETC), BUT IT ISN'T ALWAYS NORMAL. IT IS NOT UNUSUAL, EVEN IN THE BEST WX, TO BE VECTORED, SLOWED, HELD, ETC, BUT THE E AND W VECTORS SHOULD HAVE FLAGGED US. MANY OF THE CTLRS' QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT WE WERE DOING SHOULD HAVE TOLD US SOMETHING WAS AMISS. THE MOST OBVIOUS LESSON LEARNED HAS TO DO WITH ALWAYS LOOKING UP NAV FREQS AND XCHKING EACH OTHER BY INDEPENDENTLY REFING PUBS. THE MOST PWRFUL LESSON I LEARNED, HOWEVER, IS THAT WHEN WE BEGIN THINKING AND TALKING IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT HOW 'MESSED UP THEY ARE' ON THE GND, WE SHOULD PROBABLY BEGIN LOOKING CLOSELY AT OURSELVES AND MAKING SURE WE AREN'T THE ONES WHO HAVE 'LOST THE BUBBLE.' SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448580: THE ENTIRE SIT DEVELOPED FROM A SINGLE ERROR IN TUNING THE VOR FREQ. THE COPLT TUNED 115.6 INSTEAD OF 115.4 WHEN CLRED DIRECT ROME BY ATC. I LOOKED DOWN AND SAW 115.6 AND FROM MEMORY CONCURRED THAT THAT WAS ROME AND SET THE SAME FREQ ON THE #1 VOR. I NORMALLY CHK AND SET ALL FREQS INDEPENDENTLY AND HAVE NO IDEA WHY I MADE THIS MISTAKE IN THIS CASE. THE FOLLOWING SIT AROSE FROM THIS SINGLE OCCURRENCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 448915: DURING DSCNT INTO ATLANTA WE WERE CLRED DIRECT ROME VOR AND TOLD TO EXPECT HOLDING. I SWITCHED OFF ATC RADIO TO OBTAIN LCL ATIS INFO AND COMPLETE LNDG DATA. WHEN I WAS BACK ON ATC RADIO I HEARD ATC ISSUE US A VECTOR AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO WHETHER WE WERE IN HOLDING OR NOT. WHEN THE OTHER 2 PLTS CHKED THE NAVAIDS THEY DISCOVERED THE WRONG VOR WAS DIALED IN. I BELIEVE THIS PROB COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED BY HAVING ALL 3 PLTS CHK THE NAVAID FREQ AND AT LEAST 1 IDENT THE MORSE CODE.

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.