Narrative:

It was known to me via a notice at the airport, that the statesville unicom frequency was posted to change from 123.05 to 123.07. No date was posted for the change, other than 'we will advise.' I queried a statesville line worker at the airport on the previous saturday, as to when the change was to take effect. He replied that he did not know. Prior to making the trip to orlando, I checked my NOTAMS, issue date of oct/fri/03, and did not see any notice of the change. I received a standard briefing over the internet for the first leg out on this trip on monday, and there were no NOTAMS of any kind for statesville. On my departure from orlando, which was a return to statesville, I received a standard briefing with FSS via telephone, including NOTAMS, and no notice was made of the frequency change. I did neglect to ask the briefer about the frequency change, which in retrospect I should have done. Incident occurred during final approach at statesville, nc. At a distance of 11 mi southwest of the airport, I reported svh in sight to ZTL, and cancelled instruments. Center advised no other traffic known or observed. I switched to the advisory frequency of 123.05 and called my position over the CTAF. Shortly after reporting, I heard a king air report 'departing runway 28, statesville, northbound.' I called intentions over the CTAF to enter left base for runway 28, and began descent. I observed the king air on takeoff from runway 28 as I descended and positioned myself for a 45 degree entry onto the left base for runway 28. I heard no other traffic calls. I made position reports on entry on the left base, 2 mi out, and on turning final. Approaching the threshold, I looked down the runway and was surprised to see another airplane near or just over the threshold for runway 10. I immediately broke off my approach, and went around to the right. On landing, I discussed the incident with the pilot of the other aircraft, a pilatus PC12. Both of us are based at statesville. He informed me that the frequency change had gone into effect on monday. He also stated that he had not seen my aircraft until I started the climb out for go around. He further stated that he had also heard the king air depart, while he was monitoring 123.07. The pilatus pilot said that he had been concerned about the lack of notice of the pending frequency change, 'an accident waiting to happen' and had inquired at the airport if the information could be added to the AWOS. He was advised that it could not. I do not believe that any regulations were violated, since both aircraft were VFR in uncontrolled airspace. I was aware of the pending change, but felt that I had the bases covered by checking the NOTAMS and getting standard briefings with NOTAM information the day of my initial departure from svh, and also on the day of my return. The king air transmission, which was apparently made on both frequencys, gave me a false sense of complacency, as I basically felt I had established contact with local traffic. Ultimately, 'see and avoid' worked in avoiding a potential accident. It would be helpful if this frequency change information could be included on the AWOS broadcast, although that may not technically be possible. It would also be helpful if the controling center agencies could offer simple advisories for a few weeks after the initial change.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APCH TO AN OCCUPIED RWY BY A C182 PVT PLT ON THE WRONG CTAF FREQ AT THE NON TWR ARPT AT SVH, NC.

Narrative: IT WAS KNOWN TO ME VIA A NOTICE AT THE ARPT, THAT THE STATESVILLE UNICOM FREQ WAS POSTED TO CHANGE FROM 123.05 TO 123.07. NO DATE WAS POSTED FOR THE CHANGE, OTHER THAN 'WE WILL ADVISE.' I QUERIED A STATESVILLE LINE WORKER AT THE ARPT ON THE PREVIOUS SATURDAY, AS TO WHEN THE CHANGE WAS TO TAKE EFFECT. HE REPLIED THAT HE DID NOT KNOW. PRIOR TO MAKING THE TRIP TO ORLANDO, I CHKED MY NOTAMS, ISSUE DATE OF OCT/FRI/03, AND DID NOT SEE ANY NOTICE OF THE CHANGE. I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING OVER THE INTERNET FOR THE FIRST LEG OUT ON THIS TRIP ON MONDAY, AND THERE WERE NO NOTAMS OF ANY KIND FOR STATESVILLE. ON MY DEP FROM ORLANDO, WHICH WAS A RETURN TO STATESVILLE, I RECEIVED A STANDARD BRIEFING WITH FSS VIA TELEPHONE, INCLUDING NOTAMS, AND NO NOTICE WAS MADE OF THE FREQ CHANGE. I DID NEGLECT TO ASK THE BRIEFER ABOUT THE FREQ CHANGE, WHICH IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE DONE. INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING FINAL APCH AT STATESVILLE, NC. AT A DISTANCE OF 11 MI SW OF THE ARPT, I RPTED SVH IN SIGHT TO ZTL, AND CANCELLED INSTS. CTR ADVISED NO OTHER TFC KNOWN OR OBSERVED. I SWITCHED TO THE ADVISORY FREQ OF 123.05 AND CALLED MY POS OVER THE CTAF. SHORTLY AFTER RPTING, I HEARD A KING AIR RPT 'DEPARTING RWY 28, STATESVILLE, NBOUND.' I CALLED INTENTIONS OVER THE CTAF TO ENTER L BASE FOR RWY 28, AND BEGAN DSCNT. I OBSERVED THE KING AIR ON TKOF FROM RWY 28 AS I DSNDED AND POSITIONED MYSELF FOR A 45 DEG ENTRY ONTO THE L BASE FOR RWY 28. I HEARD NO OTHER TFC CALLS. I MADE POS RPTS ON ENTRY ON THE L BASE, 2 MI OUT, AND ON TURNING FINAL. APCHING THE THRESHOLD, I LOOKED DOWN THE RWY AND WAS SURPRISED TO SEE ANOTHER AIRPLANE NEAR OR JUST OVER THE THRESHOLD FOR RWY 10. I IMMEDIATELY BROKE OFF MY APCH, AND WENT AROUND TO THE R. ON LNDG, I DISCUSSED THE INCIDENT WITH THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT, A PILATUS PC12. BOTH OF US ARE BASED AT STATESVILLE. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE FREQ CHANGE HAD GONE INTO EFFECT ON MONDAY. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD NOT SEEN MY ACFT UNTIL I STARTED THE CLBOUT FOR GAR. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE HAD ALSO HEARD THE KING AIR DEPART, WHILE HE WAS MONITORING 123.07. THE PILATUS PLT SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF NOTICE OF THE PENDING FREQ CHANGE, 'AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN' AND HAD INQUIRED AT THE ARPT IF THE INFO COULD BE ADDED TO THE AWOS. HE WAS ADVISED THAT IT COULD NOT. I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY REGS WERE VIOLATED, SINCE BOTH ACFT WERE VFR IN UNCTLED AIRSPACE. I WAS AWARE OF THE PENDING CHANGE, BUT FELT THAT I HAD THE BASES COVERED BY CHKING THE NOTAMS AND GETTING STANDARD BRIEFINGS WITH NOTAM INFO THE DAY OF MY INITIAL DEP FROM SVH, AND ALSO ON THE DAY OF MY RETURN. THE KING AIR XMISSION, WHICH WAS APPARENTLY MADE ON BOTH FREQS, GAVE ME A FALSE SENSE OF COMPLACENCY, AS I BASICALLY FELT I HAD ESTABLISHED CONTACT WITH LCL TFC. ULTIMATELY, 'SEE AND AVOID' WORKED IN AVOIDING A POTENTIAL ACCIDENT. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THIS FREQ CHANGE INFO COULD BE INCLUDED ON THE AWOS BROADCAST, ALTHOUGH THAT MAY NOT TECHNICALLY BE POSSIBLE. IT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL IF THE CTLING CTR AGENCIES COULD OFFER SIMPLE ADVISORIES FOR A FEW WKS AFTER THE INITIAL 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.