Aircraft wrong frequency?

[NS9710]

I was scanning the air traffic for my local area, I stumbled on a conversation on a frequency (I can’t recall the specific one at this time), an aircraft called out to another aircraft and told them “Hey, they’re getting worried about you, they’re looking for you on 127.470MHz”.

In todays current environment considering the way that security is since the day of infamy almost 13 years to this date it brings some questions to mind.

How often can/does the frequency change like this?

Is it a situation that can be someone not paying attention and just bumped a dial that turned the frequency?

When does this become a situation where airports or ATC gets into a situation where they start to become concerned about the aircraft not responding?

Doesn’t an aircraft have to check in with ATC or some controller somewhere responsible for their operating area every so often?

 

[hill]

A lot times another airliner will will call the wayward aircraft that missed the hand-off on guard 121.500 to try to get them back onto the right center frequency.

I guess you mean 09/11/2001 which was 23 years ago and not 13 years ago.

 

[Saint]

They are talking about 127.4750 CLEVELAND (ZOB) AIR ROUTE TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE AM, When I listen to the military aircraft doing their refueling exercises, they leave the last digit out and say 142.470. They do it with the other frequencies also.

Saint

 

[NS9710]

My mental calendar is way off, my bad, but yes

A lot times another airliner will will call the wayward aircraft that missed the hand-off on guard 121.500 to try to get them back onto the right center frequency.

I guess you mean 09/11/2001 which was 23 years ago and not 13 years ago.

 

[rk911]

If I 'm flying locally or cross country under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and I do not enter any airspace that would require contacting ATC first either to transit or to land then I can fly anywhere I please. This is not unusual. If I am flying Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) fhen I am in contact with and controlled by ATC.

Unless I have filed a flight plan with ATC (VFR) ATC will not look for me unless I fail to close that flight plan. And even that would require me to be significantly late in closing the flight plan. And the common misconception is that EVERY airplane in the sky must file a flight plan. Flight plans for IFR flights is mandatory, optional for VFR flights.

Most, not all, General Aviation aircraft are equipped with multiple radios enabling the pilot to monitor traffic. When I would fly cross country I would monitor the emergency freq (121.5) and the ATC frequency of the nearest airport,usually a Class C or D. I suppose one could accidentally 'bump' the freq. selector. As I continue I would change the frequency of the nearest airport.

 

[merlin]

Hm, well 127.470MHz is not a standard air to air frequency, nor does ATC monitor air to air channels.
Standard frequencies for fixed wing is 122.75 MHz. General aviation helecopters is 123.025 MHz.
Gliders and hot air balloons share 123.3 and 123.5 MHz. Hasn't changed since I started flying. (circa '78) Became FAR about 2012.
Pilots entering any airspace are asigned specific frequencies for that airspace. Class D is awful simple. Copy ATIS info, call tower on tower frequency more than 10 miles. tell them you want runway [nn], straight in, base, downwind, with information (ATIS) full stop.
Tower usually responds [aircraft ID] straight in (or other) approved, cleared to land, contact ground on 1xx.xx when clear of the active.
There are other airport types from private to full ILS only, each with their own procedures and frequencies.
IE: into a private, non controlled but with pilot activated lights, usually 122.8. Key mic 5 times turns on lights, "this is Cessna 22940 turning base for runway 29". Watch for traffic, nobody home, you are OK to land.
Other Unicoms: 122.700, 122.725, 122.800, 122.975, 123.000, 123.050, or 123.075 MHz.

 

[NS9710]

I believe these was commercial flights. What caught my ear was the “They’re looking for you” line, but I didn’t think of replaying the transmission to hear the full details, (I was scanning other things, too so I doubt that I had the whole convo, anyway

If I 'm flying locally or cross country under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) and I do not enter any airspace that would require contacting ATC first either to transit or to land then I can fly anywhere I please. This is not unusual. If I am flying Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) fhen I am in contact with and controlled by ATC.

Unless I have filed a flight plan with ATC (VFR) ATC will not look for me unless I fail to close that flight plan. And even that would require me to be significantly late in closing the flight plan. And the common misconception is that EVERY airplane in the sky must file a flight plan. Flight plans for IFR flights is mandatory, optional for VFR flights.

Most, not all, General Aviation aircraft are equipped with multiple radios enabling the pilot to monitor traffic. When I would fly cross country I would monitor the emergency freq (121.5) and the ATC frequency of the nearest airport,usually a Class C or D. I suppose one could accidentally 'bump' the freq. selector. As I continue I would change the frequency of the nearest airport.

 

[Saint]

Hm, well 127.470MHz is not a standard air to air frequency, nor does ATC monitor air to air channels.
Standard frequencies for fixed wing is 122.75 MHz. General aviation helecopters is 123.025 MHz.
Gliders and hot air balloons share 123.3 and 123.5 MHz. Hasn't changed since I started flying. (circa '78) Became FAR about 2012.
Pilots entering any airspace are asigned specific frequencies for that airspace. Class D is awful simple. Copy ATIS info, call tower on tower frequency more than 10 miles. tell them you want runway [nn], straight in, base, downwind, with information (ATIS) full stop.
Tower usually responds [aircraft ID] straight in (or other) approved, cleared to land, contact ground on 1xx.xx when clear of the active.
There are other airport types from private to full ILS only, each with their own procedures and frequencies.
IE: into a private, non controlled but with pilot activated lights, usually 122.8. Key mic 5 times turns on lights, "this is Cessna 22940 turning base for runway 29". Watch for traffic, nobody home, you are OK to land.
Other Unicoms: 122.700, 122.725, 122.800, 122.975, 123.000, 123.050, or 123.075 MHz.

As I stated in my post the military when doing the air frequencies do this all the time, they leave the last digit out and say 142.470, this is not new.
Saint

 

[wtp]

i got to hear a local problem yesterday.
a jet was using his company channel to talk to our city's tower.
the big problem is that they don't listen to it.
he was announcing his landing and i guess when he did not get a reply he changed over.
i guess 121.0 (tower) looks too close to 131.0 (company).
missed it by = much.

 

[hill]

Or when a pilot gives the in flight comments over the radio, rather the PA. Always gets a few comments from other pilots on frequency.

 

[jaymatt1978]

They also leave off the last digit of they frequency which is always usually a "0" o r a "5" so 121.37 is really 121.3750

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Sometimes I hear aircraft leave off the first digit of the freq, so if the handoff is to 124.35, plane will read back "twenty four thirty five"

 

[alcahuete]

As was mentioned, the frequency is spoken on the air as 127.47. There is no zero at the end. The frequency is actually 127.475.

As to how frequently it happens...all the time, every single day. PIlots aren't paying attention, or just miss a call, put the wrong frequency accidentally into the radios, return to the previous frequency accidentally, read back the incorrect frequency and ATC doesn't catch it, etc. There are many reasons.

When does ATC become concerned? Immediately. When the aircraft doesn't check in as expected, the current controller will go back to the previous controller to see if the aircraft came back. After another minute or two, the supervisor will be alerted so the facility can go looking for the aircraft, review the audio tapes, etc. The company will be contacted, and they will send the aircraft an ACARS message. Sometimes private aircraft will list a sat phone number, or the phone number for the registered owner can be called, etc. There are a bunch of means of finding the aircraft.

If they're gone long enough, the military is scrambled to go up and see what's going on with the aircraft.

 

[blantonl]

If I am flying Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) fhen I am in contact with and controlled by ATC.

When are you flying IFR as a Sport Pilot? 🤨

 

[rk911]

When are you flying IFR as a Sport Pilot? 🤨

Obviously, I'm not. A poorly worded sentence.