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Alleged erroneous penetration of airspace by small aircraft. Proximity of air traffic area without calling tower.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 234766 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199302 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : gvt |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 2000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : gvt |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : missed approach landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 150 |
| ASRS Report | 234766 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger observation : observer |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation other |
| Situations | |
| Airport | procedure or policy : unspecified |
Narrative:
I was flying with a friend and shooting the VOR/DME-a approach to greenville/majors airport. We had flown there 2 times before and the tower was closed during the day each time. On our approach to majors field, I called tower on 118.65 CTAF and no one answered our call. We then assumed the tower was closed like all the other times we had been there. We switched our frequency to unicom 122.95 and broadcasted our intentions and complied with normal uncontrolled field reporting. We maintained VFR on a severe clear day. There was no other traffic heard or seen on the airport while we flew the VOR/DME-a missed approach then another VOR/DME-a to circle and land. After we landed, taxied clear to the FBO and shut down, we did see another aircraft taxiing out for takeoff. At the FBO, we stopped for refreshments and were told to call the tower. We were advised of their operating hours and told to use the CTAF frequency for uncontrolled reporting. Contributing factors: the odd hours of operations of the control tower 9:00-4:00 (mon-fri). The tower not answering our call on 118.65 CTAF while there was no aircraft in the area. The tower did listen to us on 122.95, so they knew what we were doing. They failed to call us on 122.95 and tell us to come up 118.65 CTAF. We heard nothing and saw nothing. The tower should be notamed closed using the buj VORTAC identify (which is an IAF for the VOR/DME-a approach) use the voice portion of identify.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ALLEGED ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE BY SMA. PROX OF ATA WITHOUT CALLING TWR.
Narrative: I WAS FLYING WITH A FRIEND AND SHOOTING THE VOR/DME-A APCH TO GREENVILLE/MAJORS ARPT. WE HAD FLOWN THERE 2 TIMES BEFORE AND THE TWR WAS CLOSED DURING THE DAY EACH TIME. ON OUR APCH TO MAJORS FIELD, I CALLED TWR ON 118.65 CTAF AND NO ONE ANSWERED OUR CALL. WE THEN ASSUMED THE TWR WAS CLOSED LIKE ALL THE OTHER TIMES WE HAD BEEN THERE. WE SWITCHED OUR FREQ TO UNICOM 122.95 AND BROADCASTED OUR INTENTIONS AND COMPLIED WITH NORMAL UNCTLED FIELD RPTING. WE MAINTAINED VFR ON A SEVERE CLR DAY. THERE WAS NO OTHER TFC HEARD OR SEEN ON THE ARPT WHILE WE FLEW THE VOR/DME-A MISSED APCH THEN ANOTHER VOR/DME-A TO CIRCLE AND LAND. AFTER WE LANDED, TAXIED CLR TO THE FBO AND SHUT DOWN, WE DID SEE ANOTHER ACFT TAXIING OUT FOR TKOF. AT THE FBO, WE STOPPED FOR REFRESHMENTS AND WERE TOLD TO CALL THE TWR. WE WERE ADVISED OF THEIR OPERATING HRS AND TOLD TO USE THE CTAF FREQ FOR UNCTLED RPTING. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THE ODD HRS OF OPS OF THE CTL TWR 9:00-4:00 (MON-FRI). THE TWR NOT ANSWERING OUR CALL ON 118.65 CTAF WHILE THERE WAS NO ACFT IN THE AREA. THE TWR DID LISTEN TO US ON 122.95, SO THEY KNEW WHAT WE WERE DOING. THEY FAILED TO CALL US ON 122.95 AND TELL US TO COME UP 118.65 CTAF. WE HEARD NOTHING AND SAW NOTHING. THE TWR SHOULD BE NOTAMED CLOSED USING THE BUJ VORTAC IDENT (WHICH IS AN IAF FOR THE VOR/DME-A APCH) USE THE VOICE PORTION OF IDENT.
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.