Narrative:

Small aircraft X arrived over the waukegan airport at XX50 on a direct flight from cedar rapids, ia, at 7500 with flight control. The field was mostly obscured by low level clouds moving in from lake michigan. X called waukegan tower several times on unicom 123.0 with no response. In circling on descent from 7500' to tpa, X observed a landing aircraft and elected to follow it in so as not to lose contact with the field. Upon landing the tower came on the radio on unicom 123.0 frequency and berated me for not contacting the tower. They called me an xx type aircraft and said I had been on the field last week and knew the correct frequency. They were advised while taxiing to the parking area that X had just arrived from the west coast. After unloading the luggage, etc, I called the tower on the phone and they demanded my license. I said I would come up to the tower and discuss the situation with them. I walked to the tower and pressed the 122 entry button three times and received no response for access to the building. The unicom 123.0 frequency was in my airport book and I had no reason to believe it wasn't being used currently. At this time I am at a loss as to what prompted this type of abuse on a visitor from california. At the time of landing, only one plane was using the landing runway. The fog was almost a solid overcast when we left the airport at XY00. Had we been somewhat later, we would not have found the field as the circling was below limits. Then we would really have had a problem. Upon landing, we had 16 gal of fuel, 3 hours plus.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF SMA LANDED AT TWR CONTROLLED ARPT WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR. USED ONLY UNICOM FREQ AND MADE NO CONTACT.

Narrative: SMA X ARRIVED OVER THE WAUKEGAN ARPT AT XX50 ON A DIRECT FLT FROM CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, AT 7500 WITH FLT CTL. THE FIELD WAS MOSTLY OBSCURED BY LOW LEVEL CLOUDS MOVING IN FROM LAKE MICHIGAN. X CALLED WAUKEGAN TWR SEVERAL TIMES ON UNICOM 123.0 WITH NO RESPONSE. IN CIRCLING ON DSCNT FROM 7500' TO TPA, X OBSERVED A LNDG ACFT AND ELECTED TO FOLLOW IT IN SO AS NOT TO LOSE CONTACT WITH THE FIELD. UPON LNDG THE TWR CAME ON THE RADIO ON UNICOM 123.0 FREQ AND BERATED ME FOR NOT CONTACTING THE TWR. THEY CALLED ME AN XX TYPE ACFT AND SAID I HAD BEEN ON THE FIELD LAST WEEK AND KNEW THE CORRECT FREQ. THEY WERE ADVISED WHILE TAXIING TO THE PARKING AREA THAT X HAD JUST ARRIVED FROM THE WEST COAST. AFTER UNLOADING THE LUGGAGE, ETC, I CALLED THE TWR ON THE PHONE AND THEY DEMANDED MY LICENSE. I SAID I WOULD COME UP TO THE TWR AND DISCUSS THE SITUATION WITH THEM. I WALKED TO THE TWR AND PRESSED THE 122 ENTRY BUTTON THREE TIMES AND RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FOR ACCESS TO THE BUILDING. THE UNICOM 123.0 FREQ WAS IN MY ARPT BOOK AND I HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE IT WASN'T BEING USED CURRENTLY. AT THIS TIME I AM AT A LOSS AS TO WHAT PROMPTED THIS TYPE OF ABUSE ON A VISITOR FROM CALIFORNIA. AT THE TIME OF LNDG, ONLY ONE PLANE WAS USING THE LNDG RWY. THE FOG WAS ALMOST A SOLID OVERCAST WHEN WE LEFT THE ARPT AT XY00. HAD WE BEEN SOMEWHAT LATER, WE WOULD NOT HAVE FOUND THE FIELD AS THE CIRCLING WAS BELOW LIMITS. THEN WE WOULD REALLY HAVE HAD A PROBLEM. UPON LNDG, WE HAD 16 GAL OF FUEL, 3 HRS PLUS.

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.