A B727 flight crew lost TRACON communication at ord.

Attributes
ACN	450510
Time
Date	199909
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : ord.vor
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl single value : 3500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ord.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	ils localizer & glide slope : 27l
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : instrument precision
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	450510
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 8500 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	450414
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Descending through about 3500 ft MSL, the first officer was presetting the ord tower frequency on the #2 head of our VHF #1 radio. He accidentally put the tower frequency on the head that we were using for approach control. Since we lost the frequency for approach control because of this, he immediately called ord tower and informed them that we had lost communication with approach control. He informed the tower that we had the airport in sight and the tower cleared us for a visual approach and landing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 FLC LOST TRACON COM AT ORD.

Narrative: DSNDING THROUGH ABOUT 3500 FT MSL, THE FO WAS PRESETTING THE ORD TWR FREQ ON THE #2 HEAD OF OUR VHF #1 RADIO. HE ACCIDENTALLY PUT THE TWR FREQ ON THE HEAD THAT WE WERE USING FOR APCH CTL. SINCE WE LOST THE FREQ FOR APCH CTL BECAUSE OF THIS, HE IMMEDIATELY CALLED ORD TWR AND INFORMED THEM THAT WE HAD LOST COM WITH APCH CTL. HE INFORMED THE TWR THAT WE HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND THE TWR CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH AND LNDG.

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.