Narrative:

Landed after completing an INS approach for gck. I was the flying first officer for the landing. The control zone was IFR. Controling agency is ZKC. While taxiing in we heard an small aircraft announce on CTAF that he was 8 mi south and was inbound for landing. I advised him the field was IFR and he would need an IFR clearance from ZKC. He acknowledged that, and then I heard him talking to someone about entering the control zone. I could only hear his side of the conversation, which is not unusual on the ground. I had 1 radio on company, 1 on CTAF and the third was either on ict FSS or the center. I did not hear him read back anything that sounded like an ATC clearance. However, we had to shut down at the terminal. A few mins later, while we were taxiing for departure on runway 35, he was announcing his position just south of the airfield and was going to land on runway 17. About the time he was getting ready to land, ict FSS called with our ATC clearance. After the small aircraft cleared the runway, we departed IFR to dodge city, ks. After making contact with the center, I asked if they had cleared an aircraft into gck SVFR. They said no, so this was a case of a GA pilot either not knowing what a control zone was, and what the hazards are, or else not really caring about the control zone. A few mins earlier, he could well have been crossing the LOM scud-running, while we were descending on the localizer. I must admit the control zone, control area, airspace and the whole bit is hard to understand for many pilots. As as second job, I teach for 1 of the wkend national ground school prep courses. The control airspace concept is one of the most difficult sections for INS rating candidates, private ones.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO OF COMMUTER LTT ARRIVING GCK HEARS SMA PLT APCHING CTL ZONE WITHOUT AN IFR CLRNC IN IMC. SMA PLT APPARENTLY LANDS ILLEGALLY.

Narrative: LANDED AFTER COMPLETING AN INS APCH FOR GCK. I WAS THE FLYING F/O FOR THE LNDG. THE CTL ZONE WAS IFR. CTLING AGENCY IS ZKC. WHILE TAXIING IN WE HEARD AN SMA ANNOUNCE ON CTAF THAT HE WAS 8 MI S AND WAS INBND FOR LNDG. I ADVISED HIM THE FIELD WAS IFR AND HE WOULD NEED AN IFR CLRNC FROM ZKC. HE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT, AND THEN I HEARD HIM TALKING TO SOMEONE ABOUT ENTERING THE CTL ZONE. I COULD ONLY HEAR HIS SIDE OF THE CONVERSATION, WHICH IS NOT UNUSUAL ON THE GND. I HAD 1 RADIO ON COMPANY, 1 ON CTAF AND THE THIRD WAS EITHER ON ICT FSS OR THE CENTER. I DID NOT HEAR HIM READ BACK ANYTHING THAT SOUNDED LIKE AN ATC CLRNC. HOWEVER, WE HAD TO SHUT DOWN AT THE TERMINAL. A FEW MINS LATER, WHILE WE WERE TAXIING FOR DEP ON RWY 35, HE WAS ANNOUNCING HIS POS JUST S OF THE AIRFIELD AND WAS GOING TO LAND ON RWY 17. ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS GETTING READY TO LAND, ICT FSS CALLED WITH OUR ATC CLRNC. AFTER THE SMA CLRED THE RWY, WE DEPARTED IFR TO DODGE CITY, KS. AFTER MAKING CONTACT WITH THE CENTER, I ASKED IF THEY HAD CLRED AN ACFT INTO GCK SVFR. THEY SAID NO, SO THIS WAS A CASE OF A GA PLT EITHER NOT KNOWING WHAT A CTL ZONE WAS, AND WHAT THE HAZARDS ARE, OR ELSE NOT REALLY CARING ABOUT THE CTL ZONE. A FEW MINS EARLIER, HE COULD WELL HAVE BEEN XING THE LOM SCUD-RUNNING, WHILE WE WERE DSNDING ON THE LOC. I MUST ADMIT THE CTL ZONE, CTL AREA, AIRSPACE AND THE WHOLE BIT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND FOR MANY PLTS. AS AS SECOND JOB, I TEACH FOR 1 OF THE WKEND NATIONAL GND SCHOOL PREP COURSES. THE CTL AIRSPACE CONCEPT IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT SECTIONS FOR INS RATING CANDIDATES, PVT ONES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.