Narrative:

Near the texarkana area the flight encountered lowering ceilings and reduced visibility. A decision was made to return to mcalester. Following an 180 degree turn it was discovered that the ceilings and visibility had closed down around the foothills and vicinity effectively cutting off any possibility of backtracking the previous route. At this time texarkana ATIS information was tuned, reported conditions were 600 ft ceiling and 2 mi visibility. A call was made to texarkana tower to verify the currency of the ATIS information, (ATIS confirmed). Following confirmation that texarkana did not have the WX for VFR operations as yet, a decision was made to divert to hope airport (an uncontrolled field just south and east or our position). Hope NDB was tuned in, however, the ADF needle fluctuated erratically and no identifier was apparent. Unable to determine a relative bearing to hope, the flight was turned toward hope airport relying upon pilotage in reference to the aeronautical chart. Believing our position to be west of hope and north and east of texarkana, I proceeded to tune and identify rich mountain VOR and texarkana VOR to provide an accurate position fix and course to proceed to hope airport. However, before I was able to complete the radio fix, the complex of crossing runways was sighted and believed to be hope airport. We came upon the site rather abruptly. I quickly scanned the complex for traffic activity and a wind sock. It was at this time I first saw the control tower and realized I had entered an air traffic area (probably texarkana). I turned the aircraft in a direction I felt would not compromise traffic and quickly tuned the tower frequency for texarkana. My thought was to establish communication with them to avoid any further conflict than had already been caused. As I came up on frequency the tower announced 'the aircraft that had just entered a downwind position for runway 22 cleared to land on runway 22.' I acknowledged the call and made an expeditious turn base to final for 22. The tower appeared not to hear my reply, as I was now short final for 22 when they called again 'aircraft cleared to land on any runway.' again I responded ' small aircraft landing 22.' the tower requested if I could hear them that I take the first taxiway intersection and clear the runway for traffic on 4 mi final. I responded to their transmission and followed their instructions. Again it appeared that they did not hear my acknowledgement. The controller instructed me to taxi to the tower and call the tower chief. The other traffic landed without event and I called the tower I do not know why the controller did not hear me.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT BECAME VFR IN IMC A LONG WAY FROM HOME AND FAMILIAR SURROUNDINGS. HE STUMBLED ONTO AN ARPT AND LANDED SAFELY WITH NO RPTED DAMAGE OR INJURY. INABILITY TO TUNE AN NDB ADDED TO THIS PLTS PROBLEMS.

Narrative: NEAR THE TEXARKANA AREA THE FLT ENCOUNTERED LOWERING CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. A DECISION WAS MADE TO RETURN TO MCALESTER. FOLLOWING AN 180 DEG TURN IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY HAD CLOSED DOWN AROUND THE FOOTHILLS AND VICINITY EFFECTIVELY CUTTING OFF ANY POSSIBILITY OF BACKTRACKING THE PREVIOUS RTE. AT THIS TIME TEXARKANA ATIS INFO WAS TUNED, RPTED CONDITIONS WERE 600 FT CEILING AND 2 MI VISIBILITY. A CALL WAS MADE TO TEXARKANA TWR TO VERIFY THE CURRENCY OF THE ATIS INFO, (ATIS CONFIRMED). FOLLOWING CONFIRMATION THAT TEXARKANA DID NOT HAVE THE WX FOR VFR OPS AS YET, A DECISION WAS MADE TO DIVERT TO HOPE ARPT (AN UNCTLED FIELD JUST S AND E OR OUR POS). HOPE NDB WAS TUNED IN, HOWEVER, THE ADF NEEDLE FLUCTUATED ERRATICALLY AND NO IDENTIFIER WAS APPARENT. UNABLE TO DETERMINE A RELATIVE BEARING TO HOPE, THE FLT WAS TURNED TOWARD HOPE ARPT RELYING UPON PILOTAGE IN REF TO THE AERONAUTICAL CHART. BELIEVING OUR POS TO BE W OF HOPE AND N AND E OF TEXARKANA, I PROCEEDED TO TUNE AND IDENT RICH MOUNTAIN VOR AND TEXARKANA VOR TO PROVIDE AN ACCURATE POS FIX AND COURSE TO PROCEED TO HOPE ARPT. HOWEVER, BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THE RADIO FIX, THE COMPLEX OF XING RWYS WAS SIGHTED AND BELIEVED TO BE HOPE ARPT. WE CAME UPON THE SITE RATHER ABRUPTLY. I QUICKLY SCANNED THE COMPLEX FOR TFC ACTIVITY AND A WIND SOCK. IT WAS AT THIS TIME I FIRST SAW THE CTL TWR AND REALIZED I HAD ENTERED AN ATA (PROBABLY TEXARKANA). I TURNED THE ACFT IN A DIRECTION I FELT WOULD NOT COMPROMISE TFC AND QUICKLY TUNED THE TWR FREQ FOR TEXARKANA. MY THOUGHT WAS TO ESTABLISH COM WITH THEM TO AVOID ANY FURTHER CONFLICT THAN HAD ALREADY BEEN CAUSED. AS I CAME UP ON FREQ THE TWR ANNOUNCED 'THE ACFT THAT HAD JUST ENTERED A DOWNWIND POS FOR RWY 22 CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 22.' I ACKNOWLEDGED THE CALL AND MADE AN EXPEDITIOUS TURN BASE TO FINAL FOR 22. THE TWR APPEARED NOT TO HEAR MY REPLY, AS I WAS NOW SHORT FINAL FOR 22 WHEN THEY CALLED AGAIN 'ACFT CLRED TO LAND ON ANY RWY.' AGAIN I RESPONDED ' SMA LNDG 22.' THE TWR REQUESTED IF I COULD HEAR THEM THAT I TAKE THE FIRST TAXIWAY INTXN AND CLR THE RWY FOR TFC ON 4 MI FINAL. I RESPONDED TO THEIR XMISSION AND FOLLOWED THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. AGAIN IT APPEARED THAT THEY DID NOT HEAR MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO TAXI TO THE TWR AND CALL THE TWR CHIEF. THE OTHER TFC LANDED WITHOUT EVENT AND I CALLED THE TWR I DO NOT KNOW WHY THE CTLR DID NOT HEAR ME.

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.