Narrative:

At 20 mi south of drake I called the drake tower on 118.5 and received no answer so I repeated the call with the same results. I switched to 133.1, the airport ATIS recording, and received nothing on this channel. I then switched to the unicom channel 122.95 and called for drake field and received no answer. I called the tower channel again at 10 mi and 5 mi still no answer. On the memphis sectional for drake field the control tower is only operated certain hours. Noting the control tower is only open during certain times I assumed it was not in operation. I changed back to 122.95 unicom and called my intentions to cross midfield at 2000' AGL. I noted the wind sock indicated a crosswind out of the west, which seemed to be favoring runway 34. I made a downwind call and looked for traffic and saw no other aircraft. I turned base and made a call and turned final for 34 and made a call. I again looked for traffic and noted no traffic or activity on the field. I lowered flaps and started my approach. The crosswind was stiff and the plane was bumping up and down in turbulence. I was watching my T/D point and looking for the wind sock. At this time I saw landing lights on the other end of the runway. I immediately went to full power and turned hard to the right and started to climb while raising the flaps. The other aircraft, which I thought had taken off, flew down the runway and climbed to my left. I never sensed a danger that we would collide. I just gave right of way and got out of his way. I made another circuit of the field and landed on runway 16. I never saw any light signals from the tower and I looked for these. After taxiing to a FBO to refuel I received word to contact the tower. I called them on a phone and they wanted to know what I was doing. I confirmed the frequencys for the field and told them I had been calling on the proper frequencys. I then assumed that my radio was out. A mechanic at the FBO checked the radio out and found a circuit breaker popped. He reset the circuit and the radio performed fine on the return trip. I feel the bright sun and tinted windows of the control tower contributed to my not seeing light signals that were displayed there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: AT 20 MI S OF DRAKE I CALLED THE DRAKE TWR ON 118.5 AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER SO I REPEATED THE CALL WITH THE SAME RESULTS. I SWITCHED TO 133.1, THE ARPT ATIS RECORDING, AND RECEIVED NOTHING ON THIS CHANNEL. I THEN SWITCHED TO THE UNICOM CHANNEL 122.95 AND CALLED FOR DRAKE FIELD AND RECEIVED NO ANSWER. I CALLED THE TWR CHANNEL AGAIN AT 10 MI AND 5 MI STILL NO ANSWER. ON THE MEMPHIS SECTIONAL FOR DRAKE FIELD THE CTL TWR IS ONLY OPERATED CERTAIN HRS. NOTING THE CTL TWR IS ONLY OPEN DURING CERTAIN TIMES I ASSUMED IT WAS NOT IN OPERATION. I CHANGED BACK TO 122.95 UNICOM AND CALLED MY INTENTIONS TO CROSS MIDFIELD AT 2000' AGL. I NOTED THE WIND SOCK INDICATED A XWIND OUT OF THE W, WHICH SEEMED TO BE FAVORING RWY 34. I MADE A DOWNWIND CALL AND LOOKED FOR TFC AND SAW NO OTHER ACFT. I TURNED BASE AND MADE A CALL AND TURNED FINAL FOR 34 AND MADE A CALL. I AGAIN LOOKED FOR TFC AND NOTED NO TFC OR ACTIVITY ON THE FIELD. I LOWERED FLAPS AND STARTED MY APCH. THE XWIND WAS STIFF AND THE PLANE WAS BUMPING UP AND DOWN IN TURB. I WAS WATCHING MY T/D POINT AND LOOKING FOR THE WIND SOCK. AT THIS TIME I SAW LNDG LIGHTS ON THE OTHER END OF THE RWY. I IMMEDIATELY WENT TO FULL PWR AND TURNED HARD TO THE RIGHT AND STARTED TO CLB WHILE RAISING THE FLAPS. THE OTHER ACFT, WHICH I THOUGHT HAD TAKEN OFF, FLEW DOWN THE RWY AND CLBED TO MY LEFT. I NEVER SENSED A DANGER THAT WE WOULD COLLIDE. I JUST GAVE RIGHT OF WAY AND GOT OUT OF HIS WAY. I MADE ANOTHER CIRCUIT OF THE FIELD AND LANDED ON RWY 16. I NEVER SAW ANY LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR AND I LOOKED FOR THESE. AFTER TAXIING TO A FBO TO REFUEL I RECEIVED WORD TO CONTACT THE TWR. I CALLED THEM ON A PHONE AND THEY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING. I CONFIRMED THE FREQS FOR THE FIELD AND TOLD THEM I HAD BEEN CALLING ON THE PROPER FREQS. I THEN ASSUMED THAT MY RADIO WAS OUT. A MECH AT THE FBO CHKED THE RADIO OUT AND FOUND A CB POPPED. HE RESET THE CIRCUIT AND THE RADIO PERFORMED FINE ON THE RETURN TRIP. I FEEL THE BRIGHT SUN AND TINTED WINDOWS OF THE CTL TWR CONTRIBUTED TO MY NOT SEEING LIGHT SIGNALS THAT WERE DISPLAYED THERE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.