Narrative:

We departed from ptk VFR on our way to tip with freight. We picked up our IFR en route from lansing approach. We were cleared harwl direct to tip at 8000 ft MSL. We flew this route until we were handed off to champaign approach control. They asked us if we had a tpr? Not being familiar with this term we said no. They indicated that there was a tfr over the tip airport and asked our reason for wanting to land. We indicated that we were 14 crash fire rescue equipment 135 on demand and dropping off cargo. They said they would coordinate with the advisory. They cleared us to the airport via 1c1 direct. We complied with this routing and then were cleared for the visual before canceling IFR. We landed on runway 18 without any problems and after making all the appropriate radio calls on 123.00 MHZ. We taxied to the ramp and were called once by the air boss and we replied several times and were never able to establish contact. Upon reaching the ramp we were met by 2 FAA officials. They indicated that we entered a tfr and landed without authority/authorized. We explained ourselves and went through the steps and indicated that ATC cleared us into the tfr and for the visual approach. Apparently we missed or were never given the fact that the air boss was on 123.30 MHZ and not 123.00 MHZ that was on the nos approach plates. The FAA officials were confident in our explanation of what happened and said there would be no action taken and they would look into how the tfr and NOTAMS were published and briefed. The captain informed me that during the briefing with lansing FSS he was told that there was a tfr and given a DME and radial off the rantoul, il VOR. The briefer indicated that we would be allowed in, if cleared by ATC. The briefer made no mention of the different frequency. This incident could have been avoided in 2 ways. First, give the flight crews a more detailed tfr description. If tfr covers an airport tell the pilots the airport name. Also, inform the pilots of the nature of the tfr and advise them if there are any non-standard or no-published frequencys in use. This would help the pilots look out for any hazards at the airport. It would have been nice to know that there was skydiving going on. It would have been useful to also know that there was a non-standard frequency in use before we left. Second, if the air boss had been monitoring the published frequency he could have informed us to change to the unpublished one and coordinate our flight into the airport. Instead of us inconveniencing the show performers.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ADVISES FSS PROVIDED INCOMPLETE BRIEFING REGARDING TFR AT DEST ARPT.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED FROM PTK VFR ON OUR WAY TO TIP WITH FREIGHT. WE PICKED UP OUR IFR ENRTE FROM LANSING APCH. WE WERE CLRED HARWL DIRECT TO TIP AT 8000 FT MSL. WE FLEW THIS RTE UNTIL WE WERE HANDED OFF TO CHAMPAIGN APCH CTL. THEY ASKED US IF WE HAD A TPR? NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THIS TERM WE SAID NO. THEY INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A TFR OVER THE TIP ARPT AND ASKED OUR REASON FOR WANTING TO LAND. WE INDICATED THAT WE WERE 14 CFR 135 ON DEMAND AND DROPPING OFF CARGO. THEY SAID THEY WOULD COORDINATE WITH THE ADVISORY. THEY CLRED US TO THE ARPT VIA 1C1 DIRECT. WE COMPLIED WITH THIS ROUTING AND THEN WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL BEFORE CANCELING IFR. WE LANDED ON RWY 18 WITHOUT ANY PROBS AND AFTER MAKING ALL THE APPROPRIATE RADIO CALLS ON 123.00 MHZ. WE TAXIED TO THE RAMP AND WERE CALLED ONCE BY THE AIR BOSS AND WE REPLIED SEVERAL TIMES AND WERE NEVER ABLE TO ESTABLISH CONTACT. UPON REACHING THE RAMP WE WERE MET BY 2 FAA OFFICIALS. THEY INDICATED THAT WE ENTERED A TFR AND LANDED WITHOUT AUTH. WE EXPLAINED OURSELVES AND WENT THROUGH THE STEPS AND INDICATED THAT ATC CLRED US INTO THE TFR AND FOR THE VISUAL APCH. APPARENTLY WE MISSED OR WERE NEVER GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE AIR BOSS WAS ON 123.30 MHZ AND NOT 123.00 MHZ THAT WAS ON THE NOS APCH PLATES. THE FAA OFFICIALS WERE CONFIDENT IN OUR EXPLANATION OF WHAT HAPPENED AND SAID THERE WOULD BE NO ACTION TAKEN AND THEY WOULD LOOK INTO HOW THE TFR AND NOTAMS WERE PUBLISHED AND BRIEFED. THE CAPT INFORMED ME THAT DURING THE BRIEFING WITH LANSING FSS HE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A TFR AND GIVEN A DME AND RADIAL OFF THE RANTOUL, IL VOR. THE BRIEFER INDICATED THAT WE WOULD BE ALLOWED IN, IF CLRED BY ATC. THE BRIEFER MADE NO MENTION OF THE DIFFERENT FREQ. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IN 2 WAYS. FIRST, GIVE THE FLT CREWS A MORE DETAILED TFR DESCRIPTION. IF TFR COVERS AN ARPT TELL THE PLTS THE ARPT NAME. ALSO, INFORM THE PLTS OF THE NATURE OF THE TFR AND ADVISE THEM IF THERE ARE ANY NON-STANDARD OR NO-PUBLISHED FREQS IN USE. THIS WOULD HELP THE PLTS LOOK OUT FOR ANY HAZARDS AT THE ARPT. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THAT THERE WAS SKYDIVING GOING ON. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN USEFUL TO ALSO KNOW THAT THERE WAS A NON-STANDARD FREQ IN USE BEFORE WE LEFT. SECOND, IF THE AIR BOSS HAD BEEN MONITORING THE PUBLISHED FREQ HE COULD HAVE INFORMED US TO CHANGE TO THE UNPUBLISHED ONE AND COORDINATE OUR FLT INTO THE ARPT. INSTEAD OF US INCONVENIENCING THE SHOW PERFORMERS.

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.