Narrative:

Aircraft departed runway 36L on a west departure tag. They checked in on the east departure frequency; which I was working. I immediately switched aircraft to the west departure frequency. This happens on a daily basis; aircraft departing and checking in on the wrong departure frequency. Sometimes it feels like the pilots are just guessing -- I suppose they have a 50/50 chance of being right. A few months ago; I was contacted by a retired pilot from NASA ASRS. He was asking for some suggestions. With the help of some of my fellow controllers who are also pilots; I left a message about what we thought should be done. Two things; first; eliminate the clutter on the mem 7 departure page by removing the majority of fixes. Only include several fixes along both sides of the dividing line between east and west departure. Second; there is one important note to the mem 7 departure; and by eliminating some of the clutter; the note should be able to be relocated closer to the area that it actually applies to. We often have simultaneous departures at mem. This frequency problem seems like an easy fix; but if nothing is done; one of these days a controller is going to turn the wrong aircraft into the one he/she thinks he/she is talking to. One controller has already committed an operational error with this mistaken frequency as a causal factor.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this pilot error is as common among air carrier pilots as it is with GA pilots. This reporter has submitted several similar reports about this same event occurring. He witnesses it almost daily and believes that many times a pilot will pick a frequency knowing they have a 50% chance of being correct. After consulting with several pilots and controllers familiar with the mem departure; the reporter suggests removing unnecessary navaids from the charts in order to better expose the demarcation lines and the frequencies. Additionally the 'exception' for aircraft 7000 ft and below should be placed nearer to the place on the chart that it applies to. The most important change however should be removing clutter; thus allowing instructions to stand out. The reporter knows that RNAV departure procedures are being discussed and hopes that changes in frequency notification will take place with that. As a final backup the local controllers could be required to state the assigned frequency at departure time in order to prevent confusion or misunderstanding about what frequency to contact TRACON on after takeoff.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CONTROLLER REPORTS THAT PILOTS DEPARTING ON THE MEM 7 DEP FREQUENTLY CONTACT TRACON ON AN INCORRECT FREQ.

Narrative: ACFT DEPARTED RWY 36L ON A WEST DEPARTURE TAG. THEY CHECKED IN ON THE EAST DEPARTURE FREQUENCY; WHICH I WAS WORKING. I IMMEDIATELY SWITCHED ACFT TO THE WEST DEPARTURE FREQUENCY. THIS HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS; AIRCRAFT DEPARTING AND CHECKING IN ON THE WRONG DEPARTURE FREQUENCY. SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE THE PILOTS ARE JUST GUESSING -- I SUPPOSE THEY HAVE A 50/50 CHANCE OF BEING RIGHT. A FEW MONTHS AGO; I WAS CONTACTED BY A RETIRED PILOT FROM NASA ASRS. HE WAS ASKING FOR SOME SUGGESTIONS. WITH THE HELP OF SOME OF MY FELLOW CONTROLLERS WHO ARE ALSO PILOTS; I LEFT A MESSAGE ABOUT WHAT WE THOUGHT SHOULD BE DONE. TWO THINGS; FIRST; ELIMINATE THE CLUTTER ON THE MEM 7 DEPARTURE PAGE BY REMOVING THE MAJORITY OF FIXES. ONLY INCLUDE SEVERAL FIXES ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN EAST AND WEST DEPARTURE. SECOND; THERE IS ONE IMPORTANT NOTE TO THE MEM 7 DEPARTURE; AND BY ELIMINATING SOME OF THE CLUTTER; THE NOTE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE RELOCATED CLOSER TO THE AREA THAT IT ACTUALLY APPLIES TO. WE OFTEN HAVE SIMULTANEOUS DEPARTURES AT MEM. THIS FREQUENCY PROBLEM SEEMS LIKE AN EASY FIX; BUT IF NOTHING IS DONE; ONE OF THESE DAYS A CONTROLLER IS GOING TO TURN THE WRONG AIRCRAFT INTO THE ONE HE/SHE THINKS HE/SHE IS TALKING TO. ONE CONTROLLER HAS ALREADY COMMITTED AN OPERATIONAL ERROR WITH THIS MISTAKEN FREQUENCY AS A CAUSAL FACTOR.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THIS PILOT ERROR IS AS COMMON AMONG ACR PILOTS AS IT IS WITH GA PILOTS. THIS REPORTER HAS SUBMITTED SEVERAL SIMILAR REPORTS ABOUT THIS SAME EVENT OCCURRING. HE WITNESSES IT ALMOST DAILY AND BELIEVES THAT MANY TIMES A PILOT WILL PICK A FREQUENCY KNOWING THEY HAVE A 50% CHANCE OF BEING CORRECT. AFTER CONSULTING WITH SEVERAL PILOTS AND CONTROLLERS FAMILIAR WITH THE MEM DEPARTURE; THE REPORTER SUGGESTS REMOVING UNNECESSARY NAVAIDS FROM THE CHARTS IN ORDER TO BETTER EXPOSE THE DEMARCATION LINES AND THE FREQUENCIES. ADDITIONALLY THE 'EXCEPTION' FOR ACFT 7000 FT AND BELOW SHOULD BE PLACED NEARER TO THE PLACE ON THE CHART THAT IT APPLIES TO. THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGE HOWEVER SHOULD BE REMOVING CLUTTER; THUS ALLOWING INSTRUCTIONS TO STAND OUT. THE REPORTER KNOWS THAT RNAV DEPARTURE PROCEDURES ARE BEING DISCUSSED AND HOPES THAT CHANGES IN FREQUENCY NOTIFICATION WILL TAKE PLACE WITH THAT. AS A FINAL BACKUP THE LOCAL CONTROLLERS COULD BE REQUIRED TO STATE THE ASSIGNED FREQUENCY AT DEPARTURE TIME IN ORDER TO PREVENT CONFUSION OR MISUNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT FREQUENCY TO CONTACT TRACON ON AFTER TKOF.

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.