Narrative:

In 2/91, I flew from smithers, back course to wenatchee, wa. 4.5 hours in route. Partway into the flight, I noticed the amp gauge showing a discharge, so I shut off radios and navigation lights, but forgot the gas gauges were electric. About 3 hours into the flight, the gas gauges went to empty. This caused me a slight moment of panic, being over very rough terrain. Then I noticed that the battery had been completely drained and remembered the gauges were electric. Flying VFR, I could not find the airport I was supposed to land at for customs. The first place I found was wenatchee, wa, at 4.5 hours into the flight, with the gas gauges inoperative. My fuel I knew to be low, so I did a precautionary landing where I knew there would be no customs. Customs was very upset and told me they would deal with my violation later, but I had to go to spokane as soon as the battery was charged to go through customs. On approach to felts field, I listened to ATIS and found the winds to be calm. I thought I found the tower frequency, but could raise no one. I heard no aircraft talking, either. Upon my last trip into felts, and the first one in 19 yrs, the tower was closed in the evening when I left. I read when the tower was open in the book, but never really understood zulu times then or now, so that meant nothing to me. I just figured I was on the right frequency. There was no traffic and now wind, so I broadcast my intentions in the blind, entered a left base to final and landed. I landed with all my navigation lights, landing lights and beacon on, so as to be seen as best as possible by any other traffic. I saw no other aircraft in the pattern or landing on the opp runway. I taxied just a short distance off the runway and parked and got out. I heard and saw no other aircraft making a go around or landing. The customs man met us and asked me to get my aircraft registration out of the aircraft. While doing that, a man approached me in a very coarse way to ask if I was having radio trouble. I said no, but ha had some earlier in the day. He then told me I had landed at a tower controled field with no radio, and I was in trouble.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA ENTERED GAG ATA AND LANDED WITHOUT CALLING THE TWR.

Narrative: IN 2/91, I FLEW FROM SMITHERS, BC TO WENATCHEE, WA. 4.5 HRS IN RTE. PARTWAY INTO THE FLT, I NOTICED THE AMP GAUGE SHOWING A DISCHARGE, SO I SHUT OFF RADIOS AND NAV LIGHTS, BUT FORGOT THE GAS GAUGES WERE ELECTRIC. ABOUT 3 HRS INTO THE FLT, THE GAS GAUGES WENT TO EMPTY. THIS CAUSED ME A SLIGHT MOMENT OF PANIC, BEING OVER VERY ROUGH TERRAIN. THEN I NOTICED THAT THE BATTERY HAD BEEN COMPLETELY DRAINED AND REMEMBERED THE GAUGES WERE ELECTRIC. FLYING VFR, I COULD NOT FIND THE ARPT I WAS SUPPOSED TO LAND AT FOR CUSTOMS. THE FIRST PLACE I FOUND WAS WENATCHEE, WA, AT 4.5 HRS INTO THE FLT, WITH THE GAS GAUGES INOP. MY FUEL I KNEW TO BE LOW, SO I DID A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG WHERE I KNEW THERE WOULD BE NO CUSTOMS. CUSTOMS WAS VERY UPSET AND TOLD ME THEY WOULD DEAL WITH MY VIOLATION LATER, BUT I HAD TO GO TO SPOKANE AS SOON AS THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED TO GO THROUGH CUSTOMS. ON APCH TO FELTS FIELD, I LISTENED TO ATIS AND FOUND THE WINDS TO BE CALM. I THOUGHT I FOUND THE TWR FREQ, BUT COULD RAISE NO ONE. I HEARD NO ACFT TALKING, EITHER. UPON MY LAST TRIP INTO FELTS, AND THE FIRST ONE IN 19 YRS, THE TWR WAS CLOSED IN THE EVENING WHEN I LEFT. I READ WHEN THE TWR WAS OPEN IN THE BOOK, BUT NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD ZULU TIMES THEN OR NOW, SO THAT MEANT NOTHING TO ME. I JUST FIGURED I WAS ON THE RIGHT FREQ. THERE WAS NO TFC AND NOW WIND, SO I BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS IN THE BLIND, ENTERED A LEFT BASE TO FINAL AND LANDED. I LANDED WITH ALL MY NAV LIGHTS, LNDG LIGHTS AND BEACON ON, SO AS TO BE SEEN AS BEST AS POSSIBLE BY ANY OTHER TFC. I SAW NO OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN OR LNDG ON THE OPP RWY. I TAXIED JUST A SHORT DISTANCE OFF THE RWY AND PARKED AND GOT OUT. I HEARD AND SAW NO OTHER ACFT MAKING A GAR OR LNDG. THE CUSTOMS MAN MET US AND ASKED ME TO GET MY ACFT REGISTRATION OUT OF THE ACFT. WHILE DOING THAT, A MAN APCHED ME IN A VERY COARSE WAY TO ASK IF I WAS HAVING RADIO TROUBLE. I SAID NO, BUT HA HAD SOME EARLIER IN THE DAY. HE THEN TOLD ME I HAD LANDED AT A TWR CTLED FIELD WITH NO RADIO, AND I WAS IN TROUBLE.

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.