Narrative:

On apr/thu/02, I was PIC of an IFR flight from cobb county (ryy), GA, to ohio state university (osu), oh. Upon approach to osu, I was cleared for a visual approach to runway 9R and told to contact the tower. I acknowledged the transmission from columbus approach and pushed the 'FLIP-flop' button on my communication radio to the tower frequency, which had been preprogrammed. I called the tower on a 2 mi final but received no reply. As I awaited the response, I noticed a small cessna holding on the approach end of runway 9R. Another call to the tower went unanswered and I decided to go around because I was now inside of 1 mi to the runway. At the same time, the cessna began its takeoff roll. Realizing that the cessna would now be airborne well in advance of my touchdown, I decided to continue the approach. While on short final, the cessna suddenly slowed and turned off the runway. With the runway now clear, I made an uneventful landing. I immediately turned off the runway, cleared the 'hold short' lines, stopped, and tried the tower again. Again, not receiving a response, I looked over and suddenly became aware that my communication radio was still showing columbus approach as the active frequency. Apparently, in my attempt to change frequencys, I either didn't fully depress the button, or else I doublechked it. My concern for the developing situation on the runway must have distraction me enough that I never confirmed the frequency change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA32 PLT LANDED AT OSU WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: ON APR/THU/02, I WAS PIC OF AN IFR FLT FROM COBB COUNTY (RYY), GA, TO OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY (OSU), OH. UPON APCH TO OSU, I WAS CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 9R AND TOLD TO CONTACT THE TWR. I ACKNOWLEDGED THE XMISSION FROM COLUMBUS APCH AND PUSHED THE 'FLIP-FLOP' BUTTON ON MY COM RADIO TO THE TWR FREQ, WHICH HAD BEEN PREPROGRAMMED. I CALLED THE TWR ON A 2 MI FINAL BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. AS I AWAITED THE RESPONSE, I NOTICED A SMALL CESSNA HOLDING ON THE APCH END OF RWY 9R. ANOTHER CALL TO THE TWR WENT UNANSWERED AND I DECIDED TO GO AROUND BECAUSE I WAS NOW INSIDE OF 1 MI TO THE RWY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE CESSNA BEGAN ITS TKOF ROLL. REALIZING THAT THE CESSNA WOULD NOW BE AIRBORNE WELL IN ADVANCE OF MY TOUCHDOWN, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. WHILE ON SHORT FINAL, THE CESSNA SUDDENLY SLOWED AND TURNED OFF THE RWY. WITH THE RWY NOW CLR, I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED OFF THE RWY, CLRED THE 'HOLD SHORT' LINES, STOPPED, AND TRIED THE TWR AGAIN. AGAIN, NOT RECEIVING A RESPONSE, I LOOKED OVER AND SUDDENLY BECAME AWARE THAT MY COM RADIO WAS STILL SHOWING COLUMBUS APCH AS THE ACTIVE FREQ. APPARENTLY, IN MY ATTEMPT TO CHANGE FREQS, I EITHER DIDN'T FULLY DEPRESS THE BUTTON, OR ELSE I DOUBLECHKED IT. MY CONCERN FOR THE DEVELOPING SIT ON THE RWY MUST HAVE DISTR ME ENOUGH THAT I NEVER CONFIRMED THE FREQ CHANGE.

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.