GA small transport misdialed tower frequency thought radio failure and entered air traffic area with...

Attributes
ACN	93713
Time
Date	198809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : fpr
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : fpr
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : circling
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 4
ASRS Report	93713
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Events
Anomaly	conflict : airborne less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Miss Distance	unspecified : 500
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Transitioning from miami center to unicom (on VFR flight plan with radar advisories) then to tower, transposed frequencys. Thought that our radio was inoperative. Entered downwind for runway 14 ft pierce. Descended from 1500' into traffic flow. On short final received green light from tower, however, saw an small aircraft above me break off approach. If I had been more familiar with radios, area, etc., would have been no problem. Several factors contributed to problem: 2ND time in this particular aircraft, new tower at ft pierce, miami center did not hand me off to ft pierce tower, as I saw the airport at 20 mi, I called airport in sight. Next call was to unicom, then to what I thought was tower frequency. Should have circled airport at a higher altitude. Then descended into traffic flow. Procedures should be reviewed for radio failure into control tower airports, especially ones that are points of entry. Callback conversation with reporter revealed following information. Incident reviewed with tower after reporter cleared customs and explained to them he had transposed tower frequency and thought he had a radio failure. Did fly downwind with gear down and lights on and green light on final was for him. Estimated closest to small aircraft was 500', but thinks small aircraft was in contact with tower and was given a go around rather than taking evasive action. Felt he probably would have flown over airport complete circle rather than just downwind. Reason he called unicom was to alert customs and this was part of why he missed tower frequency.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMT MISDIALED TWR FREQ THOUGHT RADIO FAILURE AND ENTERED ATA WITHOUT CLRNC. POTENTIAL WITH GA SMA ON FINAL.

Narrative: TRANSITIONING FROM MIAMI CENTER TO UNICOM (ON VFR FLT PLAN WITH RADAR ADVISORIES) THEN TO TWR, TRANSPOSED FREQS. THOUGHT THAT OUR RADIO WAS INOP. ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 14 FT PIERCE. DSNDED FROM 1500' INTO TFC FLOW. ON SHORT FINAL RECEIVED GREEN LIGHT FROM TWR, HOWEVER, SAW AN SMA ABOVE ME BREAK OFF APCH. IF I HAD BEEN MORE FAMILIAR WITH RADIOS, AREA, ETC., WOULD HAVE BEEN NO PROB. SEVERAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO PROB: 2ND TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT, NEW TWR AT FT PIERCE, MIAMI CENTER DID NOT HAND ME OFF TO FT PIERCE TWR, AS I SAW THE ARPT AT 20 MI, I CALLED ARPT IN SIGHT. NEXT CALL WAS TO UNICOM, THEN TO WHAT I THOUGHT WAS TWR FREQ. SHOULD HAVE CIRCLED ARPT AT A HIGHER ALT. THEN DSNDED INTO TFC FLOW. PROCS SHOULD BE REVIEWED FOR RADIO FAILURE INTO CTL TWR ARPTS, ESPECIALLY ONES THAT ARE POINTS OF ENTRY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED FOLLOWING INFO. INCIDENT REVIEWED WITH TWR AFTER RPTR CLRED CUSTOMS AND EXPLAINED TO THEM HE HAD TRANSPOSED TWR FREQ AND THOUGHT HE HAD A RADIO FAILURE. DID FLY DOWNWIND WITH GEAR DOWN AND LIGHTS ON AND GREEN LIGHT ON FINAL WAS FOR HIM. ESTIMATED CLOSEST TO SMA WAS 500', BUT THINKS SMA WAS IN CONTACT WITH TWR AND WAS GIVEN A GO AROUND RATHER THAN TAKING EVASIVE ACTION. FELT HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FLOWN OVER ARPT COMPLETE CIRCLE RATHER THAN JUST DOWNWIND. REASON HE CALLED UNICOM WAS TO ALERT CUSTOMS AND THIS WAS PART OF WHY HE MISSED TWR FREQ.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.

GA small transport misdialed tower frequency thought radio failure and entered air traffic area without clearance. Potential with GA small aircraft on final.