This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I was a student pilot conducting a check ride. I didn’t realize I had fat fingered the radio frequency for the local practice area.
I was making applicable radio calls stating my intentions with one or two other airplanes in the area that were never a factor throughout the duration of the flight.
I conducted clearing turns prior to every maneuver and checked ADS-B to ensure I was deconflicted from other aircraft.
After my maneuvers concluded, I checked the ATIS inbound to ZZZ. Once I had the current ATIS, I made a final call to what I thought was the practice area frequency — XXX.XX.
However, I was transmitting on XXX.X when I noticed another Cessna below and behind me within approximately 500 feet vertical separation tracking towards ZZZ also.
I banked right and began climbing to deconflict myself.
I contacted ZZZ Tower on YYY.Y to request landing clearance when the other pilot asked why I wasn’t on communications and they had been trying to contact me.
That was when I realized my mistake that I had not clicked the radio to the correct frequency.
I will ensure during future flights to double- and triple-check that my frequencies are keyed correctly and conduct a radio check with other airplanes in the practice area.
I made the assumption that my calls were being made and the few other planes in the vicinity were well enough deconflicted that maybe they weren’t making calls.
I understand the importance of making clear and concise radio calls on the correct frequency, to ensure safety and deconfliction from others. I will be more vigilant in the future when keying radios, and not let the task at hand skew my focus and judgment to mis-key and assume my calls were on the right frequency.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2033591
Was a run/taxi mechanic for 30 yrs with a regional airline. Always look down and confirm freq…look down and confirm tx..transmitting.,!! And yeah…if it’s quiet….something may be wrong..check.,!!
We all make mistakes and this one could really have harsh safety implications.
However, I hope your instructor has taught you also that WE MUST ALL HAVE OUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL LOOKING AT ALL TIMES. Your radio communications are just one way to hopefully remain clear of other aircraft. But don’t forget…. there are many airplanes in class G airspace who are legally there with No Radio Communication (NORDO). This can be for many reasons, one of which is that the airplane may not even have an electrical system.
SEE and BE SEEN!
Nobody was hurt. You noted the conflict and corrected befoe it became an issue. An apology on air is all that’s required. We have all done it.
Do not forget right frequency and at the wrong airport!
I monitor 121.5, Guard frequency. I can recommend doing that. If you don’t have two radios, use a handheld, get a handheld, etc. Also, if the radio is “too quiet,” no radio traffice, I check the freq–it might be I put in the wrong freq.
We’ve all been there, done that.
Onwards!
I have to admit that I was on the wrong freq. for an airport I was landing at.
My home airport uses 123.050 and the nearby airport uses 123.000.
I had looked at the comm radio but didn’t notice that I was not on xxx.000..!!
Another time, while checking the awos, I had turned down the volume on the #1 comm radio to not hear the comm chatter… I subsequently forgot to turn up the volume again.
I have since put a white stripe on the volume knob to show where the volume setting is.