Narrative:

At approximately XA30 I departed ads on a training flight and set a course to the north to do maneuvers in the practice area. Approximately 10 mi southwest of tki we changed our course to go directly to tki and do 2 touch-and-goes. After getting ASOS from tki; I made an initial call of 'mckinney tower; 6 mi southwest inbound for touch-and-goes with the information.' the call back was; 'enter right base for runway 17.' we were set up for right base runway 17 and continued inbound. Approximately 2 mi out heard a call from tower that was somewhat broken; but interpreted it as 'cleared to land runway 17 make left close traffic.' we continued inbound for final and I noticed one other plane on downwind and final was also clear. I then did a touch-and-go and proceeded to make left close traffic. I began questioning why I heard no other chatter on the radio and then realized I was on the tower frequency for dto. Dto has the same runway confign as tki. I then heard a broken call from denton tower advising me to report my position. I did; and immediately reported to tki tower I was in the downwind for runway 17. I was then cleared for a touch-and-go and then departed the pattern to the southwest. This problem arose due to the fact of the frequency error for tki tower and the callouts reported back to me were as though they were correct for tki. The fact that there was only 1 plane in the pattern on the downwind and nobody on final led me to believe all was normal. The decision to land was based on the broken call I received that I interpreted as cleared to land runway 17. This could have been avoided if the tower frequency was doublechked. Also; if I would have had flight following I could have quite possibly been handed over to tki tower without incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C172 PLT LWOC AT TKI WHEN HE HAD THE WRONG FREQ IN HIS RADIO.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA30 I DEPARTED ADS ON A TRAINING FLT AND SET A COURSE TO THE N TO DO MANEUVERS IN THE PRACTICE AREA. APPROX 10 MI SW OF TKI WE CHANGED OUR COURSE TO GO DIRECTLY TO TKI AND DO 2 TOUCH-AND-GOES. AFTER GETTING ASOS FROM TKI; I MADE AN INITIAL CALL OF 'MCKINNEY TWR; 6 MI SW INBOUND FOR TOUCH-AND-GOES WITH THE INFO.' THE CALL BACK WAS; 'ENTER R BASE FOR RWY 17.' WE WERE SET UP FOR R BASE RWY 17 AND CONTINUED INBOUND. APPROX 2 MI OUT HEARD A CALL FROM TWR THAT WAS SOMEWHAT BROKEN; BUT INTERPED IT AS 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 17 MAKE L CLOSE TFC.' WE CONTINUED INBOUND FOR FINAL AND I NOTICED ONE OTHER PLANE ON DOWNWIND AND FINAL WAS ALSO CLR. I THEN DID A TOUCH-AND-GO AND PROCEEDED TO MAKE L CLOSE TFC. I BEGAN QUESTIONING WHY I HEARD NO OTHER CHATTER ON THE RADIO AND THEN REALIZED I WAS ON THE TWR FREQ FOR DTO. DTO HAS THE SAME RWY CONFIGN AS TKI. I THEN HEARD A BROKEN CALL FROM DENTON TWR ADVISING ME TO RPT MY POS. I DID; AND IMMEDIATELY RPTED TO TKI TWR I WAS IN THE DOWNWIND FOR RWY 17. I WAS THEN CLRED FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO AND THEN DEPARTED THE PATTERN TO THE SW. THIS PROB AROSE DUE TO THE FACT OF THE FREQ ERROR FOR TKI TWR AND THE CALLOUTS RPTED BACK TO ME WERE AS THOUGH THEY WERE CORRECT FOR TKI. THE FACT THAT THERE WAS ONLY 1 PLANE IN THE PATTERN ON THE DOWNWIND AND NOBODY ON FINAL LED ME TO BELIEVE ALL WAS NORMAL. THE DECISION TO LAND WAS BASED ON THE BROKEN CALL I RECEIVED THAT I INTERPED AS CLRED TO LAND RWY 17. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF THE TWR FREQ WAS DOUBLECHKED. ALSO; IF I WOULD HAVE HAD FLT FOLLOWING I COULD HAVE QUITE POSSIBLY BEEN HANDED OVER TO TKI TWR WITHOUT INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.