Narrative:

Departed fty. Was told to contact departure control (no frequency given). PNF attempted contact, but reception was weak and unreadable. PF continued runway heading and eventually leveled at 6000 ft. After several attempts to contact departure control, the PNF returned to fty tower to verify the frequency. The frequency given was not the same as the one originally attempted. We then obtained good communication with atl departure. The controller idented us and questioned our clearance altitude and frequency. We read back the altitude (6000 ft) and frequency (123.85) that we had copied down. He stated that we should have been given 3000 ft and 121.0. We and the controller were puzzled as to why we had the wrong information. He issued us a further clearance. While en route and after arriving, we analyzed step-by-step what we had done to see if we had inadvertently done wrong. We discovered that we had looked at and used the altitude and frequency of a previous flight's clearance that was written on the same page of the note pad. There was about 30 mins between copying the clearance and engine start, so enough time had passed that I did not recognize that what we were using was not what I remembered and the PNF posted the altitude and frequency on the instruments, but the PF actually obtained the clearance, so there was a break in normal routine. Needless to say, there was an immediate change in procedures instituted, ie, remove and destroy old completed clrncs, or, if kept for some reasons, put them out of harms way. Also, the person that copies the clearance should post the clearance altitudes, rtes, and frequencys on the appropriate instrument.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CREW USED PREVIOUS DEP'S CLRNC INSTEAD OF THE CORRECT ONE CAUSING COM AND CLRNC PROBS AT FTY, GA.

Narrative: DEPARTED FTY. WAS TOLD TO CONTACT DEP CTL (NO FREQ GIVEN). PNF ATTEMPTED CONTACT, BUT RECEPTION WAS WEAK AND UNREADABLE. PF CONTINUED RWY HDG AND EVENTUALLY LEVELED AT 6000 FT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT DEP CTL, THE PNF RETURNED TO FTY TWR TO VERIFY THE FREQ. THE FREQ GIVEN WAS NOT THE SAME AS THE ONE ORIGINALLY ATTEMPTED. WE THEN OBTAINED GOOD COM WITH ATL DEP. THE CTLR IDENTED US AND QUESTIONED OUR CLRNC ALT AND FREQ. WE READ BACK THE ALT (6000 FT) AND FREQ (123.85) THAT WE HAD COPIED DOWN. HE STATED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN 3000 FT AND 121.0. WE AND THE CTLR WERE PUZZLED AS TO WHY WE HAD THE WRONG INFO. HE ISSUED US A FURTHER CLRNC. WHILE ENRTE AND AFTER ARRIVING, WE ANALYZED STEP-BY-STEP WHAT WE HAD DONE TO SEE IF WE HAD INADVERTENTLY DONE WRONG. WE DISCOVERED THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT AND USED THE ALT AND FREQ OF A PREVIOUS FLT'S CLRNC THAT WAS WRITTEN ON THE SAME PAGE OF THE NOTE PAD. THERE WAS ABOUT 30 MINS BTWN COPYING THE CLRNC AND ENG START, SO ENOUGH TIME HAD PASSED THAT I DID NOT RECOGNIZE THAT WHAT WE WERE USING WAS NOT WHAT I REMEMBERED AND THE PNF POSTED THE ALT AND FREQ ON THE INSTS, BUT THE PF ACTUALLY OBTAINED THE CLRNC, SO THERE WAS A BREAK IN NORMAL ROUTINE. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE CHANGE IN PROCS INSTITUTED, IE, REMOVE AND DESTROY OLD COMPLETED CLRNCS, OR, IF KEPT FOR SOME REASONS, PUT THEM OUT OF HARMS WAY. ALSO, THE PERSON THAT COPIES THE CLRNC SHOULD POST THE CLRNC ALTS, RTES, AND FREQS ON THE APPROPRIATE INST.

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.