Narrative:

On the lzard approach to tpa (landing north) we failed to turn to the published 180 degree turn at the tumpy intersection. Approach control advised us of the oversight and vectored us to a right downwind for landing runway 36L. While on vectors to final from base leg, communications were interrupted. When we questioned the controller as to turn to final, he advised us that we were on the wrong frequency. The final controller turned us to final and the remainder of the approach and landing was uneventful. Comments: the #1 communication is a dual head type and both the approach control and final control frequencys were correctly tuned. However, the xfer switch was positioned to the wrong one. How the switch was flipped back to the prior frequency remains a mystery. As to missing the turn at tumpy, I can only say I should have been paying closer attention. I have been flying into the tpa airport for fifteen years and in all that time, we are traditionally turned to downwind by the controller prior to tumpy. I may have gotten so used to it, I became complacent. That won't happen again! Supplemental information from acn 460635: we were flying the lzard one arrival to tpa and missed the turn to 180 degrees at tumpy. Our controller saw the error and gave us a corrective vector for landing runway 36. We were handed off to the next controller and after a series of vectors were on a 270 degree heading to final when we saw we were going to fly through the approach course. I made a radio call to ask if this was intentional and found that the radio, a dual head communication, was back on the previous frequency. We were directed to the correct frequency and again were corrected back to final. The rest of the approach and landing went without any further irregularity. Relevant factors are: 1) crowded narrative on arrival plate causing us to miss the turn. We both had the plate out and both misread it. 2) failure to monitor communication frequency. The communication head is on the rear lower center console and out of direct line of sight when the crew is heads up. I do not know how the switch was moved without our noticing. Corrective factors: I would suggest a larger format approach plate. Crew awareness and attention to the details of the procedure are also important. As to being on the wrong frequency, crew coordination and situational awareness need to be better when certain cockpit configns are awkward. In this instance, our attention to the situation did correct the situation, showing effective error management, as did our controllers when they helped us. In the future, I intend to be more attentive to the details of arrival procedures and checking frequencys.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CREW HAD TRACK DEV ON THE LZARD ONE AT TPA.

Narrative: ON THE LZARD APCH TO TPA (LNDG N) WE FAILED TO TURN TO THE PUBLISHED 180 DEG TURN AT THE TUMPY INTXN. APCH CTL ADVISED US OF THE OVERSIGHT AND VECTORED US TO A R DOWNWIND FOR LNDG RWY 36L. WHILE ON VECTORS TO FINAL FROM BASE LEG, COMS WERE INTERRUPTED. WHEN WE QUESTIONED THE CTLR AS TO TURN TO FINAL, HE ADVISED US THAT WE WERE ON THE WRONG FREQ. THE FINAL CTLR TURNED US TO FINAL AND THE REMAINDER OF THE APCH AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. COMMENTS: THE #1 COM IS A DUAL HEAD TYPE AND BOTH THE APCH CTL AND FINAL CTL FREQS WERE CORRECTLY TUNED. HOWEVER, THE XFER SWITCH WAS POSITIONED TO THE WRONG ONE. HOW THE SWITCH WAS FLIPPED BACK TO THE PRIOR FREQ REMAINS A MYSTERY. AS TO MISSING THE TURN AT TUMPY, I CAN ONLY SAY I SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING CLOSER ATTENTION. I HAVE BEEN FLYING INTO THE TPA ARPT FOR FIFTEEN YEARS AND IN ALL THAT TIME, WE ARE TRADITIONALLY TURNED TO DOWNWIND BY THE CTLR PRIOR TO TUMPY. I MAY HAVE GOTTEN SO USED TO IT, I BECAME COMPLACENT. THAT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 460635: WE WERE FLYING THE LZARD ONE ARR TO TPA AND MISSED THE TURN TO 180 DEGS AT TUMPY. OUR CTLR SAW THE ERROR AND GAVE US A CORRECTIVE VECTOR FOR LNDG RWY 36. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO THE NEXT CTLR AND AFTER A SERIES OF VECTORS WERE ON A 270 DEG HDG TO FINAL WHEN WE SAW WE WERE GOING TO FLY THROUGH THE APCH COURSE. I MADE A RADIO CALL TO ASK IF THIS WAS INTENTIONAL AND FOUND THAT THE RADIO, A DUAL HEAD COM, WAS BACK ON THE PREVIOUS FREQ. WE WERE DIRECTED TO THE CORRECT FREQ AND AGAIN WERE CORRECTED BACK TO FINAL. THE REST OF THE APCH AND LNDG WENT WITHOUT ANY FURTHER IRREGULARITY. RELEVANT FACTORS ARE: 1) CROWDED NARRATIVE ON ARR PLATE CAUSING US TO MISS THE TURN. WE BOTH HAD THE PLATE OUT AND BOTH MISREAD IT. 2) FAILURE TO MONITOR COM FREQ. THE COM HEAD IS ON THE REAR LOWER CTR CONSOLE AND OUT OF DIRECT LINE OF SIGHT WHEN THE CREW IS HEADS UP. I DO NOT KNOW HOW THE SWITCH WAS MOVED WITHOUT OUR NOTICING. CORRECTIVE FACTORS: I WOULD SUGGEST A LARGER FORMAT APCH PLATE. CREW AWARENESS AND ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS OF THE PROC ARE ALSO IMPORTANT. AS TO BEING ON THE WRONG FREQ, CREW COORD AND SITUATIONAL AWARENESS NEED TO BE BETTER WHEN CERTAIN COCKPIT CONFIGNS ARE AWKWARD. IN THIS INSTANCE, OUR ATTENTION TO THE SIT DID CORRECT THE SIT, SHOWING EFFECTIVE ERROR MANAGEMENT, AS DID OUR CTLRS WHEN THEY HELPED US. IN THE FUTURE, I INTEND TO BE MORE ATTENTIVE TO THE DETAILS OF ARR PROCS AND CHECKING FREQS.

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.