Small aircraft lands and departs without clearance at previously non tower airport.

Attributes
ACN	237383
Time
Date	199303
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 49j
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : 49j
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 2075 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	237383
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other
Events
Anomaly	incursion : runway other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Called for full briefing including NOTAMS. Went to FBO for fuel and to pay. Did preflight and listened to AWOS. Announced intentions on 123.0 as in past. Taxied to active (posted in FBO), did runup, announced taking active after observing no traffic, and took off. Did standard l-hand pattern and departed pattern on downwind at midfield. Called approach control at beaufort marine (as usual), got flight following, and proceeded to destination. While en route, heard departure tell another inbound aircraft to contact hilton head tower. This was my first indication that a tower was in operation at what is normally an uncontrolled field. Proceeded to destination and checked with FSS and specifically requested if 49J had a NOTAM for temporary tower and was told that it did. I did all the normal procedure that I follow in flying in and out of 49J, and never had any idea the temporary tower was in operation. FSS on original call never mentioned the tower even though they gave me NOTAMS along route and at destination. FBO did not say anything and there was no notice posted that I saw. Nothing on AWOS and departure did not mention it. To my knowledge, the only way I could have avoided this would have been to have filed IFR and gotten clearance on ground, but, since day was nice, I probably would have picked up clearance in the air anyway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS AND DEPARTS WITHOUT CLRNC AT PREVIOUSLY NON TWR ARPT.

Narrative: CALLED FOR FULL BRIEFING INCLUDING NOTAMS. WENT TO FBO FOR FUEL AND TO PAY. DID PREFLT AND LISTENED TO AWOS. ANNOUNCED INTENTIONS ON 123.0 AS IN PAST. TAXIED TO ACTIVE (POSTED IN FBO), DID RUNUP, ANNOUNCED TAKING ACTIVE AFTER OBSERVING NO TFC, AND TOOK OFF. DID STANDARD L-HAND PATTERN AND DEPARTED PATTERN ON DOWNWIND AT MIDFIELD. CALLED APCH CTL AT BEAUFORT MARINE (AS USUAL), GOT FLT FOLLOWING, AND PROCEEDED TO DEST. WHILE ENRTE, HEARD DEP TELL ANOTHER INBOUND ACFT TO CONTACT HILTON HEAD TWR. THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT A TWR WAS IN OP AT WHAT IS NORMALLY AN UNCTLED FIELD. PROCEEDED TO DEST AND CHKED WITH FSS AND SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED IF 49J HAD A NOTAM FOR TEMPORARY TWR AND WAS TOLD THAT IT DID. I DID ALL THE NORMAL PROC THAT I FOLLOW IN FLYING IN AND OUT OF 49J, AND NEVER HAD ANY IDEA THE TEMPORARY TWR WAS IN OP. FSS ON ORIGINAL CALL NEVER MENTIONED THE TWR EVEN THOUGH THEY GAVE ME NOTAMS ALONG RTE AND AT DEST. FBO DID NOT SAY ANYTHING AND THERE WAS NO NOTICE POSTED THAT I SAW. NOTHING ON AWOS AND DEP DID NOT MENTION IT. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE ONLY WAY I COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAVE FILED IFR AND GOTTEN CLRNC ON GND, BUT, SINCE DAY WAS NICE, I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE PICKED UP CLRNC IN THE AIR ANYWAY.

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.