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Pilot of small aircraft with destination airport in sight cancels IFR and then proceeds to land, service and then take off under mistaken impression that airport was non tower and with wrong CTAF frequency tuned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 160770 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199010 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : saf |
| State Reference | NM |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : abq tower : saf artcc : zoa |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft |
| Flight Phase | climbout : takeoff landing other |
| Flight Plan | IFR Combined VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 700 |
| ASRS Report | 160770 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance incursion : runway non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Flying into low sun, descending from 12000', mistakenly had wrong advisory frequency in #2 radio. With the airport in sight I cancelled IFR, believing saf to be an uncontrolled field. I idented traffic and pattern and followed another aircraft in downwind, remarking to passenger, 'how come nobody talks to us?' made an uneventful landing and taxi. Refueled and departed in 35 mins. Departure was same way on same frequency. I then contacted abq approach for IFR clearance, which them gave us, and then told us to call saf tower. I was totally embarrassed. The only excuse was the rapid descent into sun and not time to rechk frequency in the airport facility directory, which was in my lap.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF SMA WITH DESTINATION ARPT IN SIGHT CANCELS IFR AND THEN PROCEEDS TO LAND, SERVICE AND THEN TAKE OFF UNDER MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT ARPT WAS NON TWR AND WITH WRONG CTAF FREQ TUNED.
Narrative: FLYING INTO LOW SUN, DSNDING FROM 12000', MISTAKENLY HAD WRONG ADVISORY FREQ IN #2 RADIO. WITH THE ARPT IN SIGHT I CANCELLED IFR, BELIEVING SAF TO BE AN UNCONTROLLED FIELD. I IDENTED TFC AND PATTERN AND FOLLOWED ANOTHER ACFT IN DOWNWIND, REMARKING TO PAX, 'HOW COME NOBODY TALKS TO US?' MADE AN UNEVENTFUL LNDG AND TAXI. REFUELED AND DEPARTED IN 35 MINS. DEP WAS SAME WAY ON SAME FREQ. I THEN CONTACTED ABQ APCH FOR IFR CLRNC, WHICH THEM GAVE US, AND THEN TOLD US TO CALL SAF TWR. I WAS TOTALLY EMBARRASSED. THE ONLY EXCUSE WAS THE RAPID DSNT INTO SUN AND NOT TIME TO RECHK FREQ IN THE ARPT FAC DIRECTORY, WHICH WAS IN MY LAP.
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.