GA small aircraft made touch and go lndgs at mlb at night after the tower had closed. Tower had advi...

Attributes
ACN	160672
Time
Date	199010
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mlb
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zab
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 230 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	160672
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	other spatial deviation
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

I rented an small aircraft aircraft friday, oct. I started my flight by calling tower and asking if I could stay in the pattern to do some stop and go's for night currency. The tower said 'sorry no touch and go's', so I said that I'll be departing to the north. During my run-up the tower called and said that the tower is closing in one min and that st petersburg FSS will give advisory service. So melbourne airport is not uncontrolled. When I took off I did my night currency stop and go's and then I picked up my friends and we flew around for a while. After my flight I was greeted by a FAA inspector, telling me that even though the airport was uncontrolled, I couldn't do stop and go's. Why? All of the jet traffic was in, locked up, and shut down, with no one else in the area. I looked in my current airport facility directory and it said nothing about no touch and go's at night. There was no advisory circular posted anywhere to warn pilots about this. I thought that when the tower closes, then uncontrolled airport rules take over, which means, unless published in the AFD or anywhere else, you are allowed to do touch and go's. What happens if a pilot flys in after and does some touch and go's for currency. Are they going to write him up also...why? He wouldn't know, because it is not published anywhere! Also sebastian airport does not allow touch and go's, but it is published in the AFD to warn the pilots. I think, if there is a time limit on when to do touch and go's at melbourne regulation airport, it should be published somewhere so pilots will know! Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. The FAA has not made a follow up. The reporter took his training at mlb but says the questioned restriction is not posted anyplace at this time but that he had been told by the local FBO that they intend to post an advisory of some type soon.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA MADE TOUCH AND GO LNDGS AT MLB AT NIGHT AFTER THE TWR HAD CLOSED. TWR HAD ADVISED THE REPORTER THAT TOUCH AND GOS WAS NOT AUTH BEFORE CLOSING BUT REPORTET THOUGHT THAT RESTRICTION ONLY APPLIED WHEN TWR WAS IN OPERATION. PART TIME ATCT.

Narrative: I RENTED AN SMA ACFT FRIDAY, OCT. I STARTED MY FLT BY CALLING TWR AND ASKING IF I COULD STAY IN THE PATTERN TO DO SOME STOP AND GO'S FOR NIGHT CURRENCY. THE TWR SAID 'SORRY NO TOUCH AND GO'S', SO I SAID THAT I'LL BE DEPARTING TO THE N. DURING MY RUN-UP THE TWR CALLED AND SAID THAT THE TWR IS CLOSING IN ONE MIN AND THAT ST PETERSBURG FSS WILL GIVE ADVISORY SVC. SO MELBOURNE ARPT IS NOT UNCTLED. WHEN I TOOK OFF I DID MY NIGHT CURRENCY STOP AND GO'S AND THEN I PICKED UP MY FRIENDS AND WE FLEW AROUND FOR A WHILE. AFTER MY FLT I WAS GREETED BY A FAA INSPECTOR, TELLING ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THE ARPT WAS UNCTLED, I COULDN'T DO STOP AND GO'S. WHY? ALL OF THE JET TFC WAS IN, LOCKED UP, AND SHUT DOWN, WITH NO ONE ELSE IN THE AREA. I LOOKED IN MY CURRENT ARPT FAC DIRECTORY AND IT SAID NOTHING ABOUT NO TOUCH AND GO'S AT NIGHT. THERE WAS NO ADVISORY CIRCULAR POSTED ANYWHERE TO WARN PLTS ABOUT THIS. I THOUGHT THAT WHEN THE TWR CLOSES, THEN UNCTLED ARPT RULES TAKE OVER, WHICH MEANS, UNLESS PUBLISHED IN THE AFD OR ANYWHERE ELSE, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO DO TOUCH AND GO'S. WHAT HAPPENS IF A PLT FLYS IN AFTER AND DOES SOME TOUCH AND GO'S FOR CURRENCY. ARE THEY GOING TO WRITE HIM UP ALSO...WHY? HE WOULDN'T KNOW, BECAUSE IT IS NOT PUBLISHED ANYWHERE! ALSO SEBASTIAN ARPT DOES NOT ALLOW TOUCH AND GO'S, BUT IT IS PUBLISHED IN THE AFD TO WARN THE PLTS. I THINK, IF THERE IS A TIME LIMIT ON WHEN TO DO TOUCH AND GO'S AT MELBOURNE REG ARPT, IT SHOULD BE PUBLISHED SOMEWHERE SO PLTS WILL KNOW! CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THE FAA HAS NOT MADE A FOLLOW UP. THE RPTR TOOK HIS TRNING AT MLB BUT SAYS THE QUESTIONED RESTRICTION IS NOT POSTED ANYPLACE AT THIS TIME BUT THAT HE HAD BEEN TOLD BY THE LCL FBO THAT THEY INTEND TO POST AN ADVISORY OF SOME TYPE SOON.

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.

GA small aircraft made touch and go lndgs at mlb at night after the tower had closed. Tower had advised the reporter that touch and gos was not authority/authorized before closing but reportet thought that restriction only applied when tower was in operation. Part time ATCT.