Air carrier small transport unauthorized penetration of mkc air traffic area.

Attributes
ACN	175525
Time
Date	199104
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mkc
State Reference	MO
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2300 msl bound upper : 2300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ojc tower : mkc tower : pwa
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	175525
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Returning from a flight to ojc where maintenance was performed, coming back to home airport mkc. Picked up mkc ATIS, dialed in mkc tower on the radio that I had been talking to ojc on, and hit 'FLIP-flop' button to xfer mkc tower frequency to active radio. Called tower and confirmed the ATIS, and requested right downwind approach to runway 19. Tower told me to report 2 mi out. I did so, and they called me 'not in sight', report right downwind. I did so and they called me still 'not in sight.' at this point, having both recognition lights on, a landing light, and a strobe light, I thought it curious that they couldn't see me. I then heard another aircraft on the frequency call 'executive tower.' (ojc). I looked down at the radio and saw that the 'FLIP-flop' didn't 'take' when I hit the button, and I was still talking to ojc the whole time. By now of course I was on downwind for runway 19 at mkc. I rapidly switched to the to the mkc tower frequency, and told them I was on right downwind for runway 19. They cleared me to land. By this time I was so upset that I completely missed the 'landing gear down' on my checklist, and the tower had to call me to remind me. I landed west/O further incident, other than having been extremely humbled by the whole process. Contributing factors were: my failure to check to see that I was on the correct frequency; my failure to use proper terminology ('downtown tower' instead of just 'tower'); thinking about other things rather than monitoring radio traffic more closely (if I had been listening, I would have heard someone say 'executive tower' on the radio much sooner than I did); contributing factors were: ojc tower operator failure to catch it when I gave her the wrong ATIS, and failure to question me when I requested a runway that didn't exist at ojc (it has runways 17-35; mkc has 01-19). Over the yrs I have tried to be as diligent as possible in making sure my xmissions are understood, eg, reporting my altitudes both ways, as in aircraft identification level at one-one thousand, eleven thousand feet, to make sure there is no misunderstanding. Henceforth, I won't ever call a tower west/O prefacing it with the proper name of the facility, eg, 'downtown tower.' that way, when I mess up the radio setup, someone will have a better chance of bailing me out.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR SMT UNAUTH PENETRATION OF MKC ATA.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM A FLT TO OJC WHERE MAINT WAS PERFORMED, COMING BACK TO HOME ARPT MKC. PICKED UP MKC ATIS, DIALED IN MKC TWR ON THE RADIO THAT I HAD BEEN TALKING TO OJC ON, AND HIT 'FLIP-FLOP' BUTTON TO XFER MKC TWR FREQ TO ACTIVE RADIO. CALLED TWR AND CONFIRMED THE ATIS, AND REQUESTED R DOWNWIND APCH TO RWY 19. TWR TOLD ME TO RPT 2 MI OUT. I DID SO, AND THEY CALLED ME 'NOT IN SIGHT', RPT R DOWNWIND. I DID SO AND THEY CALLED ME STILL 'NOT IN SIGHT.' AT THIS POINT, HAVING BOTH RECOGNITION LIGHTS ON, A LNDG LIGHT, AND A STROBE LIGHT, I THOUGHT IT CURIOUS THAT THEY COULDN'T SEE ME. I THEN HEARD ANOTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ CALL 'EXECUTIVE TWR.' (OJC). I LOOKED DOWN AT THE RADIO AND SAW THAT THE 'FLIP-FLOP' DIDN'T 'TAKE' WHEN I HIT THE BUTTON, AND I WAS STILL TALKING TO OJC THE WHOLE TIME. BY NOW OF COURSE I WAS ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19 AT MKC. I RAPIDLY SWITCHED TO THE TO THE MKC TWR FREQ, AND TOLD THEM I WAS ON R DOWNWIND FOR RWY 19. THEY CLRED ME TO LAND. BY THIS TIME I WAS SO UPSET THAT I COMPLETELY MISSED THE 'LNDG GEAR DOWN' ON MY CHKLIST, AND THE TWR HAD TO CALL ME TO REMIND ME. I LANDED W/O FURTHER INCIDENT, OTHER THAN HAVING BEEN EXTREMELY HUMBLED BY THE WHOLE PROCESS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: MY FAILURE TO CHK TO SEE THAT I WAS ON THE CORRECT FREQ; MY FAILURE TO USE PROPER TERMINOLOGY ('DOWNTOWN TWR' INSTEAD OF JUST 'TWR'); THINKING ABOUT OTHER THINGS RATHER THAN MONITORING RADIO TFC MORE CLOSELY (IF I HAD BEEN LISTENING, I WOULD HAVE HEARD SOMEONE SAY 'EXECUTIVE TWR' ON THE RADIO MUCH SOONER THAN I DID); CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: OJC TWR OPERATOR FAILURE TO CATCH IT WHEN I GAVE HER THE WRONG ATIS, AND FAILURE TO QUESTION ME WHEN I REQUESTED A RWY THAT DIDN'T EXIST AT OJC (IT HAS RWYS 17-35; MKC HAS 01-19). OVER THE YRS I HAVE TRIED TO BE AS DILIGENT AS POSSIBLE IN MAKING SURE MY XMISSIONS ARE UNDERSTOOD, EG, RPTING MY ALTS BOTH WAYS, AS IN ACFT ID LEVEL AT ONE-ONE THOUSAND, ELEVEN THOUSAND FEET, TO MAKE SURE THERE IS NO MISUNDERSTANDING. HENCEFORTH, I WON'T EVER CALL A TWR W/O PREFACING IT WITH THE PROPER NAME OF THE FAC, EG, 'DOWNTOWN TWR.' THAT WAY, WHEN I MESS UP THE RADIO SETUP, SOMEONE WILL HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF BAILING ME OUT.

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.