Narrative:

I departed long beach airport (lgb) with 2 passenger for a drop off at catalina (avx). I left at XX30 local time, which was right when the sun was setting. This is a 10-15 min flight, and the airport guide (copy enclosed) indicates that the field is open until XB00. The observation at the airport at XX00 indicates that there was a fog bank moving in, but it was clear to the north. I have flown into catalina many times, and thought that it was worth a look, and if it looked good I would land. I was flying an small aircraft. I called on the CTAF frequency of 122.7 several times, and did not get any reply from the CTAF or any other pilots. I circled over the airport once, and saw that the north end was clear, with a low layer that was broken over the south end of the field. I continued to call out my intentions, all the while being prepared for a go around if the visibility was not adequate for a safe or legal landing. I had 'clicked' the microphone several times to turn on lights, but they did not come on. There was still plenty of light to see and land. I had excellent visibility, and the approach end of 22 was clearly in sight, with the low broken ceiling visible over the south end of the runway. I could see the entire runway. The lights on the airport suddenly came on, and I made an uneventful landing. Mr Y in the CTAF tower called out to me after I parked to come see him in his office. He demanded that I provide him with identification, or he would call the sheriff. I provided him with all the information he asked for. He then stated the following: 1) I landed on private property without permission, and was thus trespassing. He claimed to have not heard any xmissions from me, but then also stated that he attempted to contact me to tell me the visibility at the airport was below 0-0. He said that my radio must have malfunctioned, and that I should have tried the other radio. It was obvious to me that he just did not respond to my radio calls. 2) he stated that I had attempted to land at an airport without lights, and that he watched me the entire time and knew that I intended to land. I indicated that it was early dusk, and that there was plenty of light for a safe landing. 3) by now it had just passed XX00 +1 local. He then informed me that I was banned from the catalina airport for life, and that now that it was past XB00 he would not stay and leave the lights on for me to depart, and told me I would have to spend the night at catalina. I finally persuaded him to allow me to depart. The conditions were VFR when I left, but I got an IFR clearance from ZLA anyway. Mr Y indicated that my radio worked perfectly when I was departing. I do not feel that I did anything wrong, however this man's desire to not have me land must have blinded him to that fact, and tried to discourage me by not answering my radio calls, and not turning on the lights until I was established on final. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he has never had a problem at avalon before. He phoned 2 weeks later and apologized, now has permission to use airport again. Did not feel he did anything wrong, but felt it was in his best interest to placate. California airport guide statement that use of unicom is mandatory does not really emphasize 'approval to land' is required. Reporter 'used' unicom. No follow up on anyone's part.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDED AT PRIVATE ARPT WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Narrative: I DEPARTED LONG BEACH ARPT (LGB) WITH 2 PAX FOR A DROP OFF AT CATALINA (AVX). I LEFT AT XX30 LCL TIME, WHICH WAS RIGHT WHEN THE SUN WAS SETTING. THIS IS A 10-15 MIN FLT, AND THE ARPT GUIDE (COPY ENCLOSED) INDICATES THAT THE FIELD IS OPEN UNTIL XB00. THE OBSERVATION AT THE ARPT AT XX00 INDICATES THAT THERE WAS A FOG BANK MOVING IN, BUT IT WAS CLEAR TO THE N. I HAVE FLOWN INTO CATALINA MANY TIMES, AND THOUGHT THAT IT WAS WORTH A LOOK, AND IF IT LOOKED GOOD I WOULD LAND. I WAS FLYING AN SMA. I CALLED ON THE CTAF FREQ OF 122.7 SEVERAL TIMES, AND DID NOT GET ANY REPLY FROM THE CTAF OR ANY OTHER PLTS. I CIRCLED OVER THE ARPT ONCE, AND SAW THAT THE N END WAS CLEAR, WITH A LOW LAYER THAT WAS BROKEN OVER THE S END OF THE FIELD. I CONTINUED TO CALL OUT MY INTENTIONS, ALL THE WHILE BEING PREPARED FOR A GO AROUND IF THE VISIBILITY WAS NOT ADEQUATE FOR A SAFE OR LEGAL LNDG. I HAD 'CLICKED' THE MICROPHONE SEVERAL TIMES TO TURN ON LIGHTS, BUT THEY DID NOT COME ON. THERE WAS STILL PLENTY OF LIGHT TO SEE AND LAND. I HAD EXCELLENT VISIBILITY, AND THE APCH END OF 22 WAS CLEARLY IN SIGHT, WITH THE LOW BROKEN CEILING VISIBLE OVER THE S END OF THE RWY. I COULD SEE THE ENTIRE RWY. THE LIGHTS ON THE ARPT SUDDENLY CAME ON, AND I MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG. MR Y IN THE CTAF TWR CALLED OUT TO ME AFTER I PARKED TO COME SEE HIM IN HIS OFFICE. HE DEMANDED THAT I PROVIDE HIM WITH ID, OR HE WOULD CALL THE SHERIFF. I PROVIDED HIM WITH ALL THE INFO HE ASKED FOR. HE THEN STATED THE FOLLOWING: 1) I LANDED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT PERMISSION, AND WAS THUS TRESPASSING. HE CLAIMED TO HAVE NOT HEARD ANY XMISSIONS FROM ME, BUT THEN ALSO STATED THAT HE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ME TO TELL ME THE VISIBILITY AT THE ARPT WAS BELOW 0-0. HE SAID THAT MY RADIO MUST HAVE MALFUNCTIONED, AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE TRIED THE OTHER RADIO. IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME THAT HE JUST DID NOT RESPOND TO MY RADIO CALLS. 2) HE STATED THAT I HAD ATTEMPTED TO LAND AT AN ARPT WITHOUT LIGHTS, AND THAT HE WATCHED ME THE ENTIRE TIME AND KNEW THAT I INTENDED TO LAND. I INDICATED THAT IT WAS EARLY DUSK, AND THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF LIGHT FOR A SAFE LNDG. 3) BY NOW IT HAD JUST PASSED XX00 +1 LOCAL. HE THEN INFORMED ME THAT I WAS BANNED FROM THE CATALINA ARPT FOR LIFE, AND THAT NOW THAT IT WAS PAST XB00 HE WOULD NOT STAY AND LEAVE THE LIGHTS ON FOR ME TO DEPART, AND TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO SPEND THE NIGHT AT CATALINA. I FINALLY PERSUADED HIM TO ALLOW ME TO DEPART. THE CONDITIONS WERE VFR WHEN I LEFT, BUT I GOT AN IFR CLRNC FROM ZLA ANYWAY. MR Y INDICATED THAT MY RADIO WORKED PERFECTLY WHEN I WAS DEPARTING. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I DID ANYTHING WRONG, HOWEVER THIS MAN'S DESIRE TO NOT HAVE ME LAND MUST HAVE BLINDED HIM TO THAT FACT, AND TRIED TO DISCOURAGE ME BY NOT ANSWERING MY RADIO CALLS, AND NOT TURNING ON THE LIGHTS UNTIL I WAS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES HE HAS NEVER HAD A PROBLEM AT AVALON BEFORE. HE PHONED 2 WEEKS LATER AND APOLOGIZED, NOW HAS PERMISSION TO USE ARPT AGAIN. DID NOT FEEL HE DID ANYTHING WRONG, BUT FELT IT WAS IN HIS BEST INTEREST TO PLACATE. CALIFORNIA ARPT GUIDE STATEMENT THAT USE OF UNICOM IS MANDATORY DOES NOT REALLY EMPHASIZE 'APPROVAL TO LAND' IS REQUIRED. REPORTER 'USED' UNICOM. NO FOLLOW UP ON ANYONE'S PART.

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.