Narrative:

I dropped off my instrument instructor at north perry (hwo) airport after a 300+ mi cross country IFR training flight. I departed north perry airport shortly thereafter at about XA30 pm to return the plane to ft lauderdale executive (fxe) airport, the plane's home base where I rent. After obtaining a clearance and transiting northbound through the ft lauderdale-hollywood international (fll) arsa, the fll tower controller terminated arsa service and gave me permission to contact the ft lauderdale executive tower (fxe). My recollection of the radio conversation with fxe tower and myself follows: pilot - 'executive tower, about 7 mi southwest, at 1000, inbound for landing.' fxe tower: (gave altimeter setting, winds, active runway, and said to report 1 mi final.) pilot: 'please say active runway.' fxe tower: '8 is active.' pilot: 'verify runway 8 is active.' (I queried the tower again, because to me the controller's pronunciation of the word 'eight' sounded like 'eh.' I was wearing a headset.) fxe tower: no response. (Since the tower didn't object, I assumed runway 8 was correct, especially since the only other runways are 26, 13, and 31 and these don't sound like 'eh'.) the tower frequency was silent for the next 5 mins or so, the time it took to intercept the base leg for runway 8 and land. Being late on a sat night, it was very slow at the airport. After landing, I stopped past the taxiway hold lines ready to contact ground control. Fxe tower (on the tower frequency): '...be advised that you failed to report 1 mi final. Be advised that you landed without a clearance. Be advised that your navigation lights are inoperative and are required by regulation for night flight.' pilot: 'roger, tower. My navigation lights were working shortly before, I'll cycle the switch again. I just turned off the strobe after pulling off the runway.' (I visually checked to make sure I had the navigation switch and pushed it off and pulled it back on. I also don't normally operate the strobe light on the ground.) 'do you see my navigation lights now?' fxe tower: 'negative.' pilot: 'do you see my landing light.' fxe tower: 'yes, however a landing light is not sufficient for night flight.' pilot: 'roger, I'll turn on the strobe light.' I turned on the strobe light, which was in fine working order. I then contacted ground control and taxied to the ramp. After stopping the engine, I left the master switch on and got out of the airplane. I walked around the airplane and saw the red and green wing tip lights burning brightly. The airplane has a strobe light on the vertical stabilizer instead of a red rotating beacon or white position light. I believe the following were factors in this error: a) the initial questioning for the active runway caused me to forget the instructions to report 1 mi final, since I normally repeat the tower instructions to myself to remember them better. B) other air traffic at XX45 pm on sat night was nonexistent during my approach. The tower frequency was silent during the entire approach and no TA's were issued. This probably caused me to be fairly complacent and enjoy the night-time view of the city, not really expecting to be coordinated with other traffic. C) I have been issued a landing clearance many times on the first call on numerous occasions, and out of habit didn't think it strange not to call the tower again until after landing. From now on, I'll insist on hearing the magic word 'cleared' and call up the tower again if I'm not absolutely certain a clearance has been issued.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC IN A NIGHT OP.

Narrative: I DROPPED OFF MY INST INSTRUCTOR AT N PERRY (HWO) ARPT AFTER A 300+ MI XCOUNTRY IFR TRAINING FLT. I DEPARTED N PERRY ARPT SHORTLY THEREAFTER AT ABOUT XA30 PM TO RETURN THE PLANE TO FT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE (FXE) ARPT, THE PLANE'S HOME BASE WHERE I RENT. AFTER OBTAINING A CLRNC AND TRANSITING NBOUND THROUGH THE FT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTL (FLL) ARSA, THE FLL TWR CTLR TERMINATED ARSA SVC AND GAVE ME PERMISSION TO CONTACT THE FT LAUDERDALE EXECUTIVE TWR (FXE). MY RECOLLECTION OF THE RADIO CONVERSATION WITH FXE TWR AND MYSELF FOLLOWS: PLT - 'EXECUTIVE TWR, ABOUT 7 MI SW, AT 1000, INBOUND FOR LNDG.' FXE TWR: (GAVE ALTIMETER SETTING, WINDS, ACTIVE RWY, AND SAID TO RPT 1 MI FINAL.) PLT: 'PLEASE SAY ACTIVE RWY.' FXE TWR: '8 IS ACTIVE.' PLT: 'VERIFY RWY 8 IS ACTIVE.' (I QUERIED THE TWR AGAIN, BECAUSE TO ME THE CTLR'S PRONUNCIATION OF THE WORD 'EIGHT' SOUNDED LIKE 'EH.' I WAS WEARING A HEADSET.) FXE TWR: NO RESPONSE. (SINCE THE TWR DIDN'T OBJECT, I ASSUMED RWY 8 WAS CORRECT, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE ONLY OTHER RWYS ARE 26, 13, AND 31 AND THESE DON'T SOUND LIKE 'EH'.) THE TWR FREQ WAS SILENT FOR THE NEXT 5 MINS OR SO, THE TIME IT TOOK TO INTERCEPT THE BASE LEG FOR RWY 8 AND LAND. BEING LATE ON A SAT NIGHT, IT WAS VERY SLOW AT THE ARPT. AFTER LNDG, I STOPPED PAST THE TAXIWAY HOLD LINES READY TO CONTACT GND CTL. FXE TWR (ON THE TWR FREQ): '...BE ADVISED THAT YOU FAILED TO RPT 1 MI FINAL. BE ADVISED THAT YOU LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC. BE ADVISED THAT YOUR NAV LIGHTS ARE INOP AND ARE REQUIRED BY REG FOR NIGHT FLT.' PLT: 'ROGER, TWR. MY NAV LIGHTS WERE WORKING SHORTLY BEFORE, I'LL CYCLE THE SWITCH AGAIN. I JUST TURNED OFF THE STROBE AFTER PULLING OFF THE RWY.' (I VISUALLY CHKED TO MAKE SURE I HAD THE NAV SWITCH AND PUSHED IT OFF AND PULLED IT BACK ON. I ALSO DON'T NORMALLY OPERATE THE STROBE LIGHT ON THE GND.) 'DO YOU SEE MY NAV LIGHTS NOW?' FXE TWR: 'NEGATIVE.' PLT: 'DO YOU SEE MY LNDG LIGHT.' FXE TWR: 'YES, HOWEVER A LNDG LIGHT IS NOT SUFFICIENT FOR NIGHT FLT.' PLT: 'ROGER, I'LL TURN ON THE STROBE LIGHT.' I TURNED ON THE STROBE LIGHT, WHICH WAS IN FINE WORKING ORDER. I THEN CONTACTED GND CTL AND TAXIED TO THE RAMP. AFTER STOPPING THE ENG, I LEFT THE MASTER SWITCH ON AND GOT OUT OF THE AIRPLANE. I WALKED AROUND THE AIRPLANE AND SAW THE RED AND GREEN WING TIP LIGHTS BURNING BRIGHTLY. THE AIRPLANE HAS A STROBE LIGHT ON THE VERT STABILIZER INSTEAD OF A RED ROTATING BEACON OR WHITE POS LIGHT. I BELIEVE THE FOLLOWING WERE FACTORS IN THIS ERROR: A) THE INITIAL QUESTIONING FOR THE ACTIVE RWY CAUSED ME TO FORGET THE INSTRUCTIONS TO RPT 1 MI FINAL, SINCE I NORMALLY REPEAT THE TWR INSTRUCTIONS TO MYSELF TO REMEMBER THEM BETTER. B) OTHER AIR TFC AT XX45 PM ON SAT NIGHT WAS NONEXISTENT DURING MY APCH. THE TWR FREQ WAS SILENT DURING THE ENTIRE APCH AND NO TA'S WERE ISSUED. THIS PROBABLY CAUSED ME TO BE FAIRLY COMPLACENT AND ENJOY THE NIGHT-TIME VIEW OF THE CITY, NOT REALLY EXPECTING TO BE COORDINATED WITH OTHER TFC. C) I HAVE BEEN ISSUED A LNDG CLRNC MANY TIMES ON THE FIRST CALL ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, AND OUT OF HABIT DIDN'T THINK IT STRANGE NOT TO CALL THE TWR AGAIN UNTIL AFTER LNDG. FROM NOW ON, I'LL INSIST ON HEARING THE MAGIC WORD 'CLRED' AND CALL UP THE TWR AGAIN IF I'M NOT ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN A CLRNC HAS BEEN ISSUED.

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.