An small aircraft landed without clearance after being VFR in IMC.

Attributes
ACN	224994
Time
Date	199210
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jst
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : jst
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	approach : contact
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8200 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	224994
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : vfr in imc non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I had planned an IFR flight from bedford, ma, to allegheny city, PA. Due to icing reports, I decided to make a VFR flight as long as conditions permitted. The WX was deteriorating, so I decided to land at johnstown, PA, because I remembered from 1 1/2 yrs earlier that it had a FSS on the fld with an aas frequency of 123.6, uncontrolled ie, I was navigating with low altitude en route charts. I received no response on 123.6 but it never occurred to me that the airport status had changed. Over a yr ago, a control tower was activated. The low altitude en route chart does not indicate this unless there is an ATIS, which there isn't. I trusted my memory instead of looking at the communication tab, my judgement impaired by rapidly deteriorating WX. I landed without a clearance to land. Fortunately, I did not cause a traffic conflict or disrupt operations, or endanger any other traffic. I learned a major lesson in guarding against complacency and trusting memory.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC AFTER BEING VFR IN IMC.

Narrative: I HAD PLANNED AN IFR FLT FROM BEDFORD, MA, TO ALLEGHENY CITY, PA. DUE TO ICING RPTS, I DECIDED TO MAKE A VFR FLT AS LONG AS CONDITIONS PERMITTED. THE WX WAS DETERIORATING, SO I DECIDED TO LAND AT JOHNSTOWN, PA, BECAUSE I REMEMBERED FROM 1 1/2 YRS EARLIER THAT IT HAD A FSS ON THE FLD WITH AN AAS FREQ OF 123.6, UNCTLED IE, I WAS NAVIGATING WITH LOW ALT ENRTE CHARTS. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE ON 123.6 BUT IT NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE ARPT STATUS HAD CHANGED. OVER A YR AGO, A CTL TWR WAS ACTIVATED. THE LOW ALT ENRTE CHART DOES NOT INDICATE THIS UNLESS THERE IS AN ATIS, WHICH THERE ISN'T. I TRUSTED MY MEMORY INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT THE COM TAB, MY JUDGEMENT IMPAIRED BY RAPIDLY DETERIORATING WX. I LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC TO LAND. FORTUNATELY, I DID NOT CAUSE A TFC CONFLICT OR DISRUPT OPS, OR ENDANGER ANY OTHER TFC. I LEARNED A MAJOR LESSON IN GUARDING AGAINST COMPLACENCY AND TRUSTING MEMORY.

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.