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C210 private instrument rated, while IMC, mistakenly tunes in the wrong tower frequency when turned over from approach control to tower thus losing contact with ATC until realizing his error and retuning his radio.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 546026 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200205 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sjc.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl single value : 700 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : o90.tracon tower : sjc.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 210 Centurion / Turbo Centurion 210C, 210D |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument non precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 740 flight time type : 525 |
| ASRS Report | 546026 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other spatial deviation |
| Independent Detector | atc equipment other atc equipment : radar other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : became reoriented other |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Weather |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
On vectors to the VOR 12 into sjc, I fell behind the aircraft, descending less rapidly than appropriate. Received a valid instruction (intercept the sjc 303 inches) in unexpected terms and incorrectly reset HSI obs from 123 to 303. Realized that was wrong as I received instruction to contact tower. Dialed in 124.1 instead of 124.0. Got no response and fell farther behind the procedure. Broke out at about 700 ft directly above the field, still not in contact. Noticed incorrect frequency, contacted tower and received clearance to circle back to land. After landing, discussed events with tower by telephone and agreed I needed to review NORDO, missed approach and related procedures to avoid a recurrence. I should have initiated a miss at missed approach altitude and I should have returned to bay approach very soon after hearing no response from control tower. Reaching for the radio FLIP-flop switch would have caused me to notice the erroneous frequency sooner, as it eventually did over the field. A missed approach is a good idea when so far behind the plane, procedure and instructions.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: C210 PVT INST RATED, WHILE IMC, MISTAKENLY TUNES IN THE WRONG TWR FREQ WHEN TURNED OVER FROM APCH CTL TO TWR THUS LOSING CONTACT WITH ATC UNTIL REALIZING HIS ERROR AND RETUNING HIS RADIO.
Narrative: ON VECTORS TO THE VOR 12 INTO SJC, I FELL BEHIND THE ACFT, DSNDING LESS RAPIDLY THAN APPROPRIATE. RECEIVED A VALID INSTRUCTION (INTERCEPT THE SJC 303 INCHES) IN UNEXPECTED TERMS AND INCORRECTLY RESET HSI OBS FROM 123 TO 303. REALIZED THAT WAS WRONG AS I RECEIVED INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR. DIALED IN 124.1 INSTEAD OF 124.0. GOT NO RESPONSE AND FELL FARTHER BEHIND THE PROC. BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 700 FT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE FIELD, STILL NOT IN CONTACT. NOTICED INCORRECT FREQ, CONTACTED TWR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CIRCLE BACK TO LAND. AFTER LNDG, DISCUSSED EVENTS WITH TWR BY TELEPHONE AND AGREED I NEEDED TO REVIEW NORDO, MISSED APCH AND RELATED PROCS TO AVOID A RECURRENCE. I SHOULD HAVE INITIATED A MISS AT MISSED APCH ALT AND I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO BAY APCH VERY SOON AFTER HEARING NO RESPONSE FROM CTL TWR. REACHING FOR THE RADIO FLIP-FLOP SWITCH WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO NOTICE THE ERRONEOUS FREQ SOONER, AS IT EVENTUALLY DID OVER THE FIELD. A MISSED APCH IS A GOOD IDEA WHEN SO FAR BEHIND THE PLANE, PROC AND INSTRUCTIONS.
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.