C172 pilot on the wrong radio frequency has an near midair collision with aircraft in the traffic pa...

Attributes
ACN	633331
Time
Date	200410
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : 77s.airport navaid : ord.ils
Altitude	agl bound lower : 200 agl bound upper : 900
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Flight Plan	None
Aircraft 2
Make Model Name	Cessna Aircraft Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : traffic pattern
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 280 flight time type : 6
ASRS Report	633331
Person 2
Function	observation : passenger
Events
Anomaly	conflict : nmac non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took evasive action flight crew : executed go around flight crew : diverted to another airport
Miss Distance	horizontal : 100 vertical : 50
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Arriving at destination airport, I began standard communication procedures reporting 5 mi out for landing, entering 45 degree left downwind. Just as I reduced power at end of runway for descent, my passenger pointed out traffic crossing about 300 ft ahead, same altitude. I increased power and turned right 90 degrees keeping traffic in sight. The other plane turned 180 degrees to the left reversing their course. As we were then going in opposite directions and I noticed another plane ahead about 1 mi away I soon lost sight of the original traffic. I wondered why I did not hear radio traffic and checked that my radio was on by testing squelch. Following the second plane I then flew at 1000 ft AGL. Approximately 2 mi out from airport parallel to runway and again entered a left downwind staying approximately 1 mi behind second airplane and transmitting entry to left downwind, turning base and turning final. At approximately 150 ft above ground on final I saw the same plane (#1 above) turning onto final approximately 50 ft below me and 100 ft ahead. I added full power and aborted my landing, turning left and climbing to prevent plane from climbing into me from below. I then went to cottage grove airport. On the way there, I double checked chart for unicom frequency and checked radio and my passenger pointed out radio was set for 128.80 not 122.80. I tuned the radio to 122.80 and immediately noted normal radio traffic from numerous airports in the area. I landed uneventfully at cottage grove airport. The problem on my part was incorrectly entering radio frequency which prevented me from being aware of plane making non standard approachs. The problem on the other pilot's part was relying totally on radio communication to be aware of traffic in the area and not using standard traffic pattern to allow other traffic to be aware of him or her. Corrective action would be to scan non standard traffic pattern areas, fly standard pattern whenever possible, and always assume another plane is in the pattern at an airport just to keep the mindset to look for other traffic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172 PLT ON THE WRONG RADIO FREQ HAS AN NMAC WITH ACFT IN THE TFC PATTERN AT A NON-TWRED ARPT.

Narrative: ARRIVING AT DEST ARPT, I BEGAN STANDARD COM PROCS RPTING 5 MI OUT FOR LNDG, ENTERING 45 DEG L DOWNWIND. JUST AS I REDUCED PWR AT END OF RWY FOR DSCNT, MY PAX POINTED OUT TFC XING ABOUT 300 FT AHEAD, SAME ALT. I INCREASED PWR AND TURNED R 90 DEGS KEEPING TFC IN SIGHT. THE OTHER PLANE TURNED 180 DEGS TO THE L REVERSING THEIR COURSE. AS WE WERE THEN GOING IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS AND I NOTICED ANOTHER PLANE AHEAD ABOUT 1 MI AWAY I SOON LOST SIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL TFC. I WONDERED WHY I DID NOT HEAR RADIO TFC AND CHKED THAT MY RADIO WAS ON BY TESTING SQUELCH. FOLLOWING THE SECOND PLANE I THEN FLEW AT 1000 FT AGL. APPROX 2 MI OUT FROM ARPT PARALLEL TO RWY AND AGAIN ENTERED A L DOWNWIND STAYING APPROX 1 MI BEHIND SECOND AIRPLANE AND XMITTING ENTRY TO L DOWNWIND, TURNING BASE AND TURNING FINAL. AT APPROX 150 FT ABOVE GND ON FINAL I SAW THE SAME PLANE (#1 ABOVE) TURNING ONTO FINAL APPROX 50 FT BELOW ME AND 100 FT AHEAD. I ADDED FULL PWR AND ABORTED MY LNDG, TURNING L AND CLBING TO PREVENT PLANE FROM CLBING INTO ME FROM BELOW. I THEN WENT TO COTTAGE GROVE ARPT. ON THE WAY THERE, I DOUBLE CHKED CHART FOR UNICOM FREQ AND CHKED RADIO AND MY PAX POINTED OUT RADIO WAS SET FOR 128.80 NOT 122.80. I TUNED THE RADIO TO 122.80 AND IMMEDIATELY NOTED NORMAL RADIO TFC FROM NUMEROUS ARPTS IN THE AREA. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AT COTTAGE GROVE ARPT. THE PROB ON MY PART WAS INCORRECTLY ENTERING RADIO FREQ WHICH PREVENTED ME FROM BEING AWARE OF PLANE MAKING NON STANDARD APCHS. THE PROB ON THE OTHER PLT'S PART WAS RELYING TOTALLY ON RADIO COM TO BE AWARE OF TFC IN THE AREA AND NOT USING STANDARD TFC PATTERN TO ALLOW OTHER TFC TO BE AWARE OF HIM OR HER. CORRECTIVE ACTION WOULD BE TO SCAN NON STANDARD TFC PATTERN AREAS, FLY STANDARD PATTERN WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AND ALWAYS ASSUME ANOTHER PLANE IS IN THE PATTERN AT AN ARPT JUST TO KEEP THE MINDSET TO LOOK FOR OTHER TFC.

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.

C172 pilot on the wrong radio frequency has an near midair collision with aircraft in the traffic pattern at a non-twred airport.