Atx small aircraft on charter operation landed without contacting tower. Call had been made on unico...

Attributes
ACN	105778
Time
Date	198903
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sbp
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbp
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	105778
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	observation : observer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was assigned to pick up a news cameraman at santa maria airport (ca) and to proceed offshore in the vicinity of morro bay for a film session. Another company pilot met the aircraft at santa maria, helped the cameraman aboard and gave me the coordinates and the sbp tower frequency as 122.8 unicom, where I was supposed to drop the man after the flight. I accepted the frequency as valid and on a standard VFR entry to sbp attempted to contact the unicom on 122.8. No answer, however I received a green light and landed adjacent to the tower. I dropped my passenger and asked my mechanic to get out and check with the tower people on the proper frequency. As he went to the tower I checked the la sectional and found the correct frequency to be 124.0. My mechanic returned and verified this to be true. I contacted the tower on the proper frequency and received takeoff and departure instructions which I complied with as issued. The tower personnel were most helpful and professional (and at no time was safety a factor in this instance).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMA ON CHARTER OPERATION LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR. CALL HAD BEEN MADE ON UNICOM FREQ AND TWR SIGNAL LIGHT CONTROL WAS OBSERVED.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO PICK UP A NEWS CAMERAMAN AT SANTA MARIA ARPT (CA) AND TO PROCEED OFFSHORE IN THE VICINITY OF MORRO BAY FOR A FILM SESSION. ANOTHER COMPANY PLT MET THE ACFT AT SANTA MARIA, HELPED THE CAMERAMAN ABOARD AND GAVE ME THE COORDINATES AND THE SBP TWR FREQ AS 122.8 UNICOM, WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO DROP THE MAN AFTER THE FLT. I ACCEPTED THE FREQ AS VALID AND ON A STANDARD VFR ENTRY TO SBP ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE UNICOM ON 122.8. NO ANSWER, HOWEVER I RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT AND LANDED ADJACENT TO THE TWR. I DROPPED MY PAX AND ASKED MY MECH TO GET OUT AND CHK WITH THE TWR PEOPLE ON THE PROPER FREQ. AS HE WENT TO THE TWR I CHKED THE LA SECTIONAL AND FOUND THE CORRECT FREQ TO BE 124.0. MY MECH RETURNED AND VERIFIED THIS TO BE TRUE. I CONTACTED THE TWR ON THE PROPER FREQ AND RECEIVED TKOF AND DEP INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I COMPLIED WITH AS ISSUED. THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE MOST HELPFUL AND PROFESSIONAL (AND AT NO TIME WAS SAFETY A FACTOR IN THIS INSTANCE).

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.

Atx small aircraft on charter operation landed without contacting tower. Call had been made on unicom frequency and tower signal light control was observed.