Narrative:

Flying the fortl three arrival to miami (opf opalocka) I was cleared to dscnd to 11000 ft after passing fortl intersection. (The enroute cruising altitude had been FL290.) as I was approaching kubic intersection, I commented to the right seat passenger/owner that I was surprised that center had not issued a lower altitude, or a crossing altitude for kubic. (Chart shows 'expect clrnce to cross at 8000 ft - turbojets.) I theorized it must be due to westerly operations at the time. I crossed kubic at 11000 ft, turned 090 degrees per the arrival and was thinking, 'I should be getting a vector soon,' when I scanned past the audio panel and saw the red light that indicates the transmitter had been switched from the selected transmitter to the opposite transmitter via the control wheel switch! Number 2 communication was tuned to a commercial radio frequency and did have some on going communications, so the radio had not been totally silent, (althogh radio traffic had been rather light, due to it being sunday). I immediately switched the transmitter back to number 1 communication. Needless to say, center chewed on me and issued descent to 7000 ft and expedite and then a frequency change to approach. It was an honest mistake and an inadvertent one! I do not believe traffic separation was lost. Approach said, 'don't worry about it!' I am now trying the procedure to change the frequency on the number 2 communication to the same one as the active number 1 communication as frequency changes occur. This will accomplish two things. First, if the transmit swap button gets pushed again by mistake, it will still be on the correct frequency. Secondly, it will serve as a backup reminder in the event you mis-dial the new assigned frequency and need to return to the previous. Side bar: fortl three arrival states 'available for turboprop and propeller aircraft only,' but the crossing altitudes and vertical navigation state 'turbojet'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A KING AIR 200 PLT LOSES COM FREQ WITH ZMA ON THE FORTL 3 STAR WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY TRIGGERS A COM RADIO SELECTOR CHANGE AT FORTL INTERSECTION, FL. AS AN ASIDE, PLT RPTS THAT THE STAR IS INCONSISTENT IN THE INFO PROVIDED TO PROP ACFT VERSUS TURBO JET ACFT.

Narrative: FLYING THE FORTL THREE ARR TO MIAMI (OPF OPALOCKA) I WAS CLRED TO DSCND TO 11000 FT AFTER PASSING FORTL INTERSECTION. (THE ENROUTE CRUISING ALT HAD BEEN FL290.) AS I WAS APCHING KUBIC INTERSECTION, I COMMENTED TO THE R SEAT PAX/OWNER THAT I WAS SURPRISED THAT CTR HAD NOT ISSUED A LOWER ALT, OR A CROSSING ALT FOR KUBIC. (CHART SHOWS 'EXPECT CLRNCE TO CROSS AT 8000 FT - TURBOJETS.) I THEORIZED IT MUST BE DUE TO WESTERLY OPS AT THE TIME. I CROSSED KUBIC AT 11000 FT, TURNED 090 DEGS PER THE ARR AND WAS THINKING, 'I SHOULD BE GETTING A VECTOR SOON,' WHEN I SCANNED PAST THE AUDIO PANEL AND SAW THE RED LIGHT THAT INDICATES THE TRANSMITTER HAD BEEN SWITCHED FROM THE SELECTED TRANSMITTER TO THE OPPOSITE TRANSMITTER VIA THE CTL WHEEL SWITCH! NUMBER 2 COM WAS TUNED TO A COMMERCIAL RADIO FREQ AND DID HAVE SOME ON GOING COMS, SO THE RADIO HAD NOT BEEN TOTALLY SILENT, (ALTHOGH RADIO TFC HAD BEEN RATHER LIGHT, DUE TO IT BEING SUNDAY). I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED THE TRANSMITTER BACK TO NUMBER 1 COM. NEEDLESS TO SAY, CTR CHEWED ON ME AND ISSUED DSCNT TO 7000 FT AND EXPEDITE AND THEN A FREQ CHANGE TO APCH. IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE AND AN INADVERTENT ONE! I DO NOT BELIEVE TFC SEPARATION WAS LOST. APCH SAID, 'DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT!' I AM NOW TRYING THE PROC TO CHANGE THE FREQ ON THE NUMBER 2 COM TO THE SAME ONE AS THE ACTIVE NUMBER 1 COM AS FREQ CHANGES OCCUR. THIS WILL ACCOMPLISH TWO THINGS. FIRST, IF THE TRANSMIT SWAP BUTTON GETS PUSHED AGAIN BY MISTAKE, IT WILL STILL BE ON THE CORRECT FREQ. SECONDLY, IT WILL SERVE AS A BACKUP REMINDER IN THE EVENT YOU MIS-DIAL THE NEW ASSIGNED FREQ AND NEED TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS. SIDE BAR: FORTL THREE ARR STATES 'AVAILABLE FOR TURBOPROP AND PROP ACFT ONLY,' BUT THE CROSSING ALTS AND VERT NAV STATE 'TURBOJET'.

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.