Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Multiengine
Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Environment - Non Weather Related
With the COVID-19 threat; the airspace was very empty and we were being vectored to an ILS in ZZZ in VMC. I was the Captain Pilot Monitoring and we discussed the option of a visual approach while being vectored on final because of the extremely low flight density. In anticipation of the handoff to ZZZ Tower; I tuned the #1 radio to XXY.Z and accidentally set that as the active radio frequency prior to receiving a final vector and approach clearance from ATC. The radio chatter was so light that I never realized I had gotten ahead of myself by activating this frequency. We flew east over ZZZ1 and I began to feel it was strange we were not being vectored when ATC called us on XAX.B. I immediately switched back to XAY.BB (approach; and we received a vector and clearance to get back on the approach). We made a steeper than normal turn (about 40 degrees) to get back due to ATC's request we were expeditious. We became stabilized for the rest of the approach.Loss of usual busy ATC talking cues due to COVID-19 event. Fixation on potential visual approach. Errors: Changed frequency to Tower prior to receiving vectors and clearance for approach. Missed ATC instructions which caused us to overshoot our turn to final.Company procedure is sufficient. I personally need to maintain my vigilance; especially when in abnormal airspace situation such as that created by the COVID-19 outbreak.
I was pilot flying and the Captain was pilot monitoring. We were on approach and the Captain changed to Tower frequency too early and we missed our vector. We were given a new heading and landed without issue.Captain changed frequency early.
Air carrier flight crew reported an erroneous frequency change that resulted in a track heading deviation.