Narrative:

This incident occurred on 7/sun/90 on a flight home from an antique aircraft fly-in held at wynkoop airport, mt vernon, oh. The aircraft involved was a 19x4 open 2 cockpit biplane. The aircraft was equipped with a mode C transponder and a combination navigation/communication radio housed in 1 unit. During the following flight the transponder was tuned to 1200 and set on altitude reporting. The planning route was from mt vernon, oh to zanesville VOR, bellaire VOR, indian head VOR, st thomas VOR, lancaster VOR, pottstown VOR, robbinsville VOR where the flight would terminate at the home base. Trenton-robbinsville airport. The WX was reported VFR along the route. After takeoff at XY45 am I climbed to 5500' with scattered clouds below. Approaching bellaire VOR there was a large thunderstorm ahead and to the north. I decided to deviate sward to the morgantown VOR. Approaching morgantown the cloud layer thickened and I dropped below the clouds. At this time I had 4-5 mi visibility and a scattered to broken ceiling of 1200'. About 5 mi west of the morgantown airport I spotted the airport and called on the tower frequency 120.00. The tower frequency on the sectional chart had an asterisk indicating the tower operation was not continuous, and when I did not raise the tower, I switched to unicom 122.95 and asked for advisories and the active runway. I was told that the active runway was 18. On downwind I reported my position to unicom. After landing I taxied to the parking area in front of the tower. At the time I first tried to contact the tower, the rotating beacon was on, but with increasing thunderstorm activity I decided I had to land. I had 4-5 mi visibility and a 1000' broken ceiling. I was in contact with unicom and the visibility and ceiling provided more than adequate safety for a visibility approach and landing. When I shut down at approximately YZ55 am, one of the tower operators on duty greeted me and told me I had landed at a controled airport in IMC conditions west/O contacting the tower. He took down the necessary information and said he would have to make a report to the GADO. He added a severe storm was expected in 20 mins and that I should get the aircraft in a hangar. My position is that I had no choice other than to land because of the unexpected early thunderstorm activity. When I failed to raise the tower, I felt that contact with unicom and 4 mi visibility and a 1000' broken ceiling provided proper safety to land. The possible cause of my being unable to raise the tower was I might have slightly off-tuned the tower frequency. My radio is of the older type with detents. The frequencys are indicated on a rotary dial and difficult to read.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT EXPERIENCED AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF A CTL ZONE AND ATA, LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED ON 7/SUN/90 ON A FLT HOME FROM AN ANTIQUE ACFT FLY-IN HELD AT WYNKOOP ARPT, MT VERNON, OH. THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS A 19X4 OPEN 2 COCKPIT BIPLANE. THE ACFT WAS EQUIPPED WITH A MODE C XPONDER AND A COMBINATION NAV/COM RADIO HOUSED IN 1 UNIT. DURING THE FOLLOWING FLT THE XPONDER WAS TUNED TO 1200 AND SET ON ALT RPTING. THE PLANNING RTE WAS FROM MT VERNON, OH TO ZANESVILLE VOR, BELLAIRE VOR, INDIAN HEAD VOR, ST THOMAS VOR, LANCASTER VOR, POTTSTOWN VOR, ROBBINSVILLE VOR WHERE THE FLT WOULD TERMINATE AT THE HOME BASE. TRENTON-ROBBINSVILLE ARPT. THE WX WAS RPTED VFR ALONG THE RTE. AFTER TKOF AT XY45 AM I CLBED TO 5500' WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS BELOW. APCHING BELLAIRE VOR THERE WAS A LARGE TSTM AHEAD AND TO THE N. I DECIDED TO DEVIATE SWARD TO THE MORGANTOWN VOR. APCHING MORGANTOWN THE CLOUD LAYER THICKENED AND I DROPPED BELOW THE CLOUDS. AT THIS TIME I HAD 4-5 MI VISIBILITY AND A SCATTERED TO BROKEN CEILING OF 1200'. ABOUT 5 MI W OF THE MORGANTOWN ARPT I SPOTTED THE ARPT AND CALLED ON THE TWR FREQ 120.00. THE TWR FREQ ON THE SECTIONAL CHART HAD AN ASTERISK INDICATING THE TWR OPERATION WAS NOT CONTINUOUS, AND WHEN I DID NOT RAISE THE TWR, I SWITCHED TO UNICOM 122.95 AND ASKED FOR ADVISORIES AND THE ACTIVE RWY. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ACTIVE RWY WAS 18. ON DOWNWIND I RPTED MY POS TO UNICOM. AFTER LNDG I TAXIED TO THE PARKING AREA IN FRONT OF THE TWR. AT THE TIME I FIRST TRIED TO CONTACT THE TWR, THE ROTATING BEACON WAS ON, BUT WITH INCREASING TSTM ACTIVITY I DECIDED I HAD TO LAND. I HAD 4-5 MI VISIBILITY AND A 1000' BROKEN CEILING. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH UNICOM AND THE VISIBILITY AND CEILING PROVIDED MORE THAN ADEQUATE SAFETY FOR A VIS APCH AND LNDG. WHEN I SHUT DOWN AT APPROX YZ55 AM, ONE OF THE TWR OPERATORS ON DUTY GREETED ME AND TOLD ME I HAD LANDED AT A CTLED ARPT IN IMC CONDITIONS W/O CONTACTING THE TWR. HE TOOK DOWN THE NECESSARY INFO AND SAID HE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE A RPT TO THE GADO. HE ADDED A SEVERE STORM WAS EXPECTED IN 20 MINS AND THAT I SHOULD GET THE ACFT IN A HANGAR. MY POS IS THAT I HAD NO CHOICE OTHER THAN TO LAND BECAUSE OF THE UNEXPECTED EARLY TSTM ACTIVITY. WHEN I FAILED TO RAISE THE TWR, I FELT THAT CONTACT WITH UNICOM AND 4 MI VISIBILITY AND A 1000' BROKEN CEILING PROVIDED PROPER SAFETY TO LAND. THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF MY BEING UNABLE TO RAISE THE TWR WAS I MIGHT HAVE SLIGHTLY OFF-TUNED THE TWR FREQ. MY RADIO IS OF THE OLDER TYPE WITH DETENTS. THE FREQS ARE INDICATED ON A ROTARY DIAL AND DIFFICULT TO READ.

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.