C210 PVT INST RATED; WHILE IMC; MISTAKENLY TUNES IN THE WRONG TWR FREQ WHEN TURNED OVER FROM APCH CTL TO TWR THUS LOSING CONTACT WITH ATC UNTIL REALIZING HIS ERROR AND RETUNING HIS RADIO.
Synopsis
C210 PVT INST RATED; WHILE IMC; MISTAKENLY TUNES IN THE WRONG TWR FREQ WHEN TURNED OVER FROM APCH CTL TO TWR THUS LOSING CONTACT WITH ATC UNTIL REALIZING HIS ERROR AND RETUNING HIS RADIO.
Narrative
ON VECTORS TO THE VOR 12 INTO SJC; I FELL BEHIND THE ACFT; DSNDING LESS RAPIDLY THAN APPROPRIATE. RECEIVED A VALID INSTRUCTION (INTERCEPT THE SJC 303 INCHES) IN UNEXPECTED TERMS AND INCORRECTLY RESET HSI OBS FROM 123 TO 303. REALIZED THAT WAS WRONG AS I RECEIVED INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR. DIALED IN 124.1 INSTEAD OF 124.0. GOT NO RESPONSE AND FELL FARTHER BEHIND THE PROC. BROKE OUT AT ABOUT 700 FT DIRECTLY ABOVE THE FIELD; STILL NOT IN CONTACT. NOTICED INCORRECT FREQ; CONTACTED TWR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CIRCLE BACK TO LAND. AFTER LNDG; DISCUSSED EVENTS WITH TWR BY TELEPHONE AND AGREED I NEEDED TO REVIEW NORDO; MISSED APCH AND RELATED PROCS TO AVOID A RECURRENCE. I SHOULD HAVE INITIATED A MISS AT MISSED APCH ALT AND I SHOULD HAVE RETURNED TO BAY APCH VERY SOON AFTER HEARING NO RESPONSE FROM CTL TWR. REACHING FOR THE RADIO FLIP-FLOP SWITCH WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO NOTICE THE ERRONEOUS FREQ SOONER; AS IT EVENTUALLY DID OVER THE FIELD. A MISSED APCH IS A GOOD IDEA WHEN SO FAR BEHIND THE PLANE; PROC AND INSTRUCTIONS.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.