FREQ CHANGE WRONG STARTS A CHAIN OF EVENTS THROUGH REPLY TO WRONG CALL SIGN; ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.
Synopsis
FREQ CHANGE WRONG STARTS A CHAIN OF EVENTS THROUGH REPLY TO WRONG CALL SIGN; ALTDEV ALT EXCURSION.
Narrative
WE WERE CLRED TO 11000 FT AND HANDED OFF TO DAYTON APCH. WE WERE TO THE NE OF IND HEADED TO DAYTON WITH UNOBSTRUCTED VIEW OF THE DAYTON ARPT AREA. I TUNED IN 134.35 AND RPTED IN; I RECEIVED A CLRNC TO 6000 FT. CAPT ASKED IF WE WERE TO EXPECT A VISUAL TO RWY 24R; I SAID 'NO SHE DIDN'T SAY THAT; WE'RE JUST CLRED TO 6000 FT.' (AN ALT THAT MADE SENSE AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT.) THIS WAS THE FIRST 'LINK.' WE SHOULD HAVE RE-ACKNOWLEDGED CLRNC SINCE CAPT DIDN'T HEAR THE CONVERSATION CLRLY. WE HEARD CHATTER ON THE RADIO. IT SOUNDED AS IF THEY WERE CLRING ACFT FOR RWY 7. THE CAPT EVEN SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE ODDITY OF THIS. (WHY WEREN'T THE 'BELLS' RINGING IN MY HEAD!) AS WE APCHED OUR ALT I ASKED THE CAPT IF HE HAD THE FIELD AND DID HE WANT ME TO RPT IT. (THIS SOMETIMES EXPEDITES THE APCH ON SUCH CLR NIGHTS.) THIS IS WHEN WE REALIZED WE HAD A PROB FOR THERE WAS NO REPLY AFTER 3 ATTEMPTS TO TALK TO APCH. WE COULD STILL HEAR CHATTER BUT NOW WE REALIZED IT WAS FADING. THE CAPT SAID TO CALL THE DAYTON TWR; 119.9. I DID AND ASKED THEM IF APCH WAS ON 134.35. THEY SAID 134.45! A COUPLE CLICKS OF THE COM RECEIVER AND DAYTON APCH CAME IN LOUD AND CLR AND SCREAMING. THEY SAID THEY HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET US FOR 30 OR 40 MI. AN UNEVENTFUL VISUAL APCH TO RWY 24R WAS TO FOLLOW. COMPLACENCY ON MY PART WAS A MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR. JUST BECAUSE IT'S A CALM CLR NIGHT; FLYING INTO THE SAME ARPT WE'VE FLOWN INTO HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF TIMES BEFORE AT XX00 AM DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD RELAX AND BE NONCHALANT IF ANOTHER CREW MEMBER DOESN'T HEAR A CLRNC FROM ATC WITH HIS OWN EARS. I WILL NOT INTERPOLATE WHAT I HEARD. OBVIOUSLY; I HEARD SOMEONE ELSE'S CLRNC.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.