See and avoid still the first line of defence expert says.
PILOTS fear it is only a matter of time before crossed wires over radio frequencies near Horn Island airport cause a mid-air collision.
They say the problem could be averted if authorities clearly advised pilots that radio frequencies within 20km of Horn Island airport, as published in the latest En-route Supplement Australia booklet, are wrong.
Horn Island airport has one of the busiest unsupervised runways in the state.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association vice-president Brian Hannan said it was a "see and be seen" airport.
"The eyeball is still the prime way of avoiding collision," he said. "I would be keeping a damn good eye out of the window, what I hear on radio is indicative but I would not stake my life on it."
One pilot said the latest Aeronautical Information Publication Supplement, dated August 27, advised the frequency was wrong but he argued it should be corrected in the daily notes to pilots.
Under CASA regulations, pilots are required to avail themselves of all the operational and published information relevant to their flights.
Another pilot, who also asked not to be named, said the supplement was not enough as many pilots unfamiliar with the area were unlikely to read the supplement and would rely on the original publication.
"It is a very dangerous situation as you could have an itinerant pilot charging in on the frequencies and have a collision with an incoming commercial airliner," the pilot said.
"They could be making all the right calls, but nobody can hear them.
"Not many people walk away from collisions."
An Airservices Australia spokesman said a Notice to Airmen drawing attention to the correction was issued on July 21 and the later supplement should be enough to make pilots aware of the mistake.
"Airservices Australia categorically rejects any suggestion that information was being hidden," he said.
But an additional notice to pilots was issued this week after Airservices became aware of concerns that pilots were operating on incorrect frequencies.
Cairns /Weekend Post, P 017 Roger Dickson Sat 10 OCT 2009.