FLC ALTDEV ALT UNDERSHOT IN DSCNT ALT XING RESTR NOT MET. PIC FAILED TO IDENT THE VOR AFTER TUNING IN WRONG FREQ.

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ENRTE FROM BOSTON TO NEWARK; WE WERE GIVEN A CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT TO SPARTA; CROSS 25 MI N AT 7000 FT. I DIALED IN 112.9; INSTEAD OF 115.7; BY MISTAKE. THE FO HAD LEFT THE COCKPIT TO GO TO THE LAVATORY; SO I DIDN'T HAVE A BACK-UP. I STARTED MY DSCNT 65 DME N OF SOLBERG VOR (112.9); THINKING IT WAS 65 DME N OF SAX. I CALLED CTR AND TOLD THEM I WAS BEGINNING MY DSCNT. A MIN OR 2 LATER; THEY ASKED IF I WAS DSNDING TO CROSS 25 MI N AT 7000 FT; AND I ANSWERED AFFIRMATIVE. A SHORT INTERVAL LATER; CTR SAID I WAS 'REALLY GOING TO MISS IT;' OR SOMETHING SIMILAR. AT THAT POINT; I WAS AROUND 50 DME; 10000 FT; AND I REALIZED I HAD THE WRONG FREQ IN THE #1 VOR. I BLURTED 'OH YEAH' TO CTR; AND TUNED IN THE CORRECT FREQ 115.7. WE WERE ALREADY AT 25 DME; SO I WAS 3000 FT HIGH. JUST THEN; THE FO RETURNED. CTR GAVE US A NEW YORK APCH FREQ AND WE DSNDED UNEVENTFULLY. THIS GROSS ERROR COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED HAD I SIMPLY LOOKED AT THE CHART FOR THE CORRECT FREQ. I'M GOING TO MAKE A STRONG EFFORT TO AURALLY IDENT EACH VOR WHEN I TUNE IT IN -- SOMETHING THEY TELL STUDENT PLTS.