Narrative:

The subject incident occurred as I was returning up the east coast from florida following known landmarks along the georgia coast using a current sectional chart. I had secured a WX briefing from gainesville WX and confirmed it with a call to craig municipal airport tower prior to departure. I did not ask for nor did I receive any NOTAMS for myrtle of intended flight. WX was reported to be marginal due to low ceilings with a possibility of decreased visibility in the vicinity of charleston, sc. The aircraft, an small aircraft, is a tailwheel aircraft built in 1950. It is equipped with an operating LORAN and VOR receiver. Primary navigation was pilotage. WX in route was clear with good visibility under a cloud deck that was 900-1100 ft AGL. Due to a pending 'bladder emergency' and what appeared to be deteriorating WX conditions to the north along my intended route of flight, I elected to land at hilton head, sc. I called my arrival 10 mi out on the published frequency, 123.0. A garbled response indicated that the frequency in use was 127.1. I assumed that this was a reference to contact savannah radio some 15 mi west. Savannah unicom uses the same 123.0 frequency. I did not respond to this transmission because of the lack of clarity and confusion over who was calling whom. Direct visual observation of steamship smoke in the savannah river channel showed me that the wind was from the north at about 10 mph. The aircraft over-the-ground speed displayed on the LORAN confirmed this. I approached hilton head to make a normal left hand approach to land on runway 3 into the wind. I called my location and intention on the published frequency and confirmed the landing direction with the windsock on the field. As I turned final, I observed a yellow low wing single small aircraft #2 on landing rollout on runway 21 in the opposite direction. I immediately aborted the approach and flew crosswind to enter the pattern to land on 21. I called again on 123.0 as I entered the downwind leg to land runway 21. At that time, a response on 123.0 advised me to call the tower on 127.1. I switched radio frequencys and was informed that the existence of a temperature tower had been published in the NOTAMS during the previous 2 weeks. I continued to make a normal approach and landing on runway 21. The touchdown was in a normal 3 point attitude and there appeared to be no problem during rollout despite the high relative ground speed. When the aircraft had slowed to perhaps 25 mph, the aircraft was rocked to the left by a gust of wind. I corrected with aileron and full right rudder. The aircraft oscillated rapidly to the right and as I corrected with opposite rudder it executed a ground loop to the left and came to rest 5 ft to the left of the runway. Subsequently I discussed the chain of events with FAA personnel on the field. It was explained that the temporary tower was established to administer traffic during a golf tournament on the island. I was thoroughly castigated for being unaware of the existence of the tower and for improper radio procedure on arrival. I noted during this discussion that the runway direction had been changed to permit aircraft arrival landing to the north to face into what I observed to be the prevailing wind. FAA personnel determined that they would not file a violation in this instance. Upon returning to the aircraft and inspecting it, I discovered that a wheel had been cracked during the incident and that the aircraft was not airworthy. I made arrangements to have the wheel replaced and was able to depart on wed, april, 3 days later.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT OPERATING IN MARGINAL VMC, CAME UPON A TEMPORARY TWR (HE HAD NOT CHKED NOTAMS). THE TWR DIRECTED HIM TO LAND DOWNWIND. HE CRACKED A WHEEL ON ROLLOUT. THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE OR INJURY.

Narrative: THE SUBJECT INCIDENT OCCURRED AS I WAS RETURNING UP THE E COAST FROM FLORIDA FOLLOWING KNOWN LANDMARKS ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST USING A CURRENT SECTIONAL CHART. I HAD SECURED A WX BRIEFING FROM GAINESVILLE WX AND CONFIRMED IT WITH A CALL TO CRAIG MUNICIPAL ARPT TWR PRIOR TO DEP. I DID NOT ASK FOR NOR DID I RECEIVE ANY NOTAMS FOR MYRTLE OF INTENDED FLT. WX WAS RPTED TO BE MARGINAL DUE TO LOW CEILINGS WITH A POSSIBILITY OF DECREASED VISIBILITY IN THE VICINITY OF CHARLESTON, SC. THE ACFT, AN SMA, IS A TAILWHEEL ACFT BUILT IN 1950. IT IS EQUIPPED WITH AN OPERATING LORAN AND VOR RECEIVER. PRIMARY NAV WAS PILOTAGE. WX IN RTE WAS CLR WITH GOOD VISIBILITY UNDER A CLOUD DECK THAT WAS 900-1100 FT AGL. DUE TO A PENDING 'BLADDER EMER' AND WHAT APPEARED TO BE DETERIORATING WX CONDITIONS TO THE N ALONG MY INTENDED RTE OF FLT, I ELECTED TO LAND AT HILTON HEAD, SC. I CALLED MY ARR 10 MI OUT ON THE PUBLISHED FREQ, 123.0. A GARBLED RESPONSE INDICATED THAT THE FREQ IN USE WAS 127.1. I ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS A REF TO CONTACT SAVANNAH RADIO SOME 15 MI W. SAVANNAH UNICOM USES THE SAME 123.0 FREQ. I DID NOT RESPOND TO THIS XMISSION BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF CLARITY AND CONFUSION OVER WHO WAS CALLING WHOM. DIRECT VISUAL OBSERVATION OF STEAMSHIP SMOKE IN THE SAVANNAH RIVER CHANNEL SHOWED ME THAT THE WIND WAS FROM THE N AT ABOUT 10 MPH. THE ACFT OVER-THE-GND SPD DISPLAYED ON THE LORAN CONFIRMED THIS. I APCHED HILTON HEAD TO MAKE A NORMAL L HAND APCH TO LAND ON RWY 3 INTO THE WIND. I CALLED MY LOCATION AND INTENTION ON THE PUBLISHED FREQ AND CONFIRMED THE LNDG DIRECTION WITH THE WINDSOCK ON THE FIELD. AS I TURNED FINAL, I OBSERVED A YELLOW LOW WING SINGLE SMA #2 ON LNDG ROLLOUT ON RWY 21 IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE APCH AND FLEW XWIND TO ENTER THE PATTERN TO LAND ON 21. I CALLED AGAIN ON 123.0 AS I ENTERED THE DOWNWIND LEG TO LAND RWY 21. AT THAT TIME, A RESPONSE ON 123.0 ADVISED ME TO CALL THE TWR ON 127.1. I SWITCHED RADIO FREQS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE EXISTENCE OF A TEMP TWR HAD BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE NOTAMS DURING THE PREVIOUS 2 WKS. I CONTINUED TO MAKE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 21. THE TOUCHDOWN WAS IN A NORMAL 3 POINT ATTITUDE AND THERE APPEARED TO BE NO PROBLEM DURING ROLLOUT DESPITE THE HIGH RELATIVE GND SPD. WHEN THE ACFT HAD SLOWED TO PERHAPS 25 MPH, THE ACFT WAS ROCKED TO THE L BY A GUST OF WIND. I CORRECTED WITH AILERON AND FULL R RUDDER. THE ACFT OSCILLATED RAPIDLY TO THE R AND AS I CORRECTED WITH OPPOSITE RUDDER IT EXECUTED A GND LOOP TO THE L AND CAME TO REST 5 FT TO THE L OF THE RWY. SUBSEQUENTLY I DISCUSSED THE CHAIN OF EVENTS WITH FAA PERSONNEL ON THE FIELD. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE TEMPORARY TWR WAS ESTABLISHED TO ADMINISTER TFC DURING A GOLF TOURNAMENT ON THE ISLAND. I WAS THOROUGHLY CASTIGATED FOR BEING UNAWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF THE TWR AND FOR IMPROPER RADIO PROC ON ARR. I NOTED DURING THIS DISCUSSION THAT THE RWY DIRECTION HAD BEEN CHANGED TO PERMIT ACFT ARR LNDG TO THE N TO FACE INTO WHAT I OBSERVED TO BE THE PREVAILING WIND. FAA PERSONNEL DETERMINED THAT THEY WOULD NOT FILE A VIOLATION IN THIS INSTANCE. UPON RETURNING TO THE ACFT AND INSPECTING IT, I DISCOVERED THAT A WHEEL HAD BEEN CRACKED DURING THE INCIDENT AND THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY. I MADE ARRANGEMENTS TO HAVE THE WHEEL REPLACED AND WAS ABLE TO DEPART ON WED, APRIL, 3 DAYS LATER.

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.