Narrative:

While flying into the st. Louis area, we were redirected from weiss, which was closed, to spirit of st. Louis airport. At about 30 minutes out we found out from ZKC that weiss was closed and made the decision to land at sus. Plans had to be changed, phone calls made for arrangements to be picked up from the airport. This was at about XY00Z. At about XX30Z we had begun to experience radio problems with some of the frequencys being used and problems with the headset that I was wearing. Plans and arrangements were made over unicom frequencys to be picked up at sus. By this time we were talking to st. Louse approach control. St. Louis approach was very busy that morning, gave us a squawk and directed us to sus. Gave reports of position of sus and we started down from 7500-3000 ft. At one point we entered the class 'B' airspace and were held on approach control until we exited the class 'B' airspace. By that time we had passed sus and the controller advised us to squawk 'VFR' and change to advisory frequencys approved. I assumed that the tower was closed, but called on tower frequency and unicom both and received no reply on either. We crossed over the approach end on a left crosswind, entered a left upwind back to crosswind to downwind to base to final, announcing our intentions on both tower and unicom. Upon reaching the tiedown, the line personnel advised us to call tower on landline stating that they had heard us on unicom, but not on tower frequency. Called tower. I feel that combination of the airport change, that no briefer told me was closed, and the failure of the approach controller to hand us off to the tower were contributing factors. I have flown extensively in the ATC system using VFR flight following and on some IFR training flts and have never experienced this type of problem. I have over 100 hours of cross country time and have always used the ATC system.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT LANDS WITHOUT TWR CONTACT.

Narrative: WHILE FLYING INTO THE ST. LOUIS AREA, WE WERE REDIRECTED FROM WEISS, WHICH WAS CLOSED, TO SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS ARPT. AT ABOUT 30 MINUTES OUT WE FOUND OUT FROM ZKC THAT WEISS WAS CLOSED AND MADE THE DECISION TO LAND AT SUS. PLANS HAD TO BE CHANGED, PHONE CALLS MADE FOR ARRANGEMENTS TO BE PICKED UP FROM THE ARPT. THIS WAS AT ABOUT XY00Z. AT ABOUT XX30Z WE HAD BEGUN TO EXPERIENCE RADIO PROBS WITH SOME OF THE FREQS BEING USED AND PROBS WITH THE HEADSET THAT I WAS WEARING. PLANS AND ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE OVER UNICOM FREQS TO BE PICKED UP AT SUS. BY THIS TIME WE WERE TALKING TO ST. LOUSE APCH CTL. ST. LOUIS APCH WAS VERY BUSY THAT MORNING, GAVE US A SQUAWK AND DIRECTED US TO SUS. GAVE RPTS OF POS OF SUS AND WE STARTED DOWN FROM 7500-3000 FT. AT ONE POINT WE ENTERED THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE AND WERE HELD ON APCH CTL UNTIL WE EXITED THE CLASS 'B' AIRSPACE. BY THAT TIME WE HAD PASSED SUS AND THE CTLR ADVISED US TO SQUAWK 'VFR' AND CHANGE TO ADVISORY FREQS APPROVED. I ASSUMED THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED, BUT CALLED ON TWR FREQ AND UNICOM BOTH AND RECEIVED NO REPLY ON EITHER. WE CROSSED OVER THE APCH END ON A L XWIND, ENTERED A L UPWIND BACK TO XWIND TO DOWNWIND TO BASE TO FINAL, ANNOUNCING OUR INTENTIONS ON BOTH TWR AND UNICOM. UPON REACHING THE TIEDOWN, THE LINE PERSONNEL ADVISED US TO CALL TWR ON LANDLINE STATING THAT THEY HAD HEARD US ON UNICOM, BUT NOT ON TWR FREQUENCY. CALLED TWR. I FEEL THAT COMBINATION OF THE ARPT CHANGE, THAT NO BRIEFER TOLD ME WAS CLOSED, AND THE FAILURE OF THE APCH CTLR TO HAND US OFF TO THE TWR WERE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. I HAVE FLOWN EXTENSIVELY IN THE ATC SYS USING VFR FLT FOLLOWING AND ON SOME IFR TRAINING FLTS AND HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF PROB. I HAVE OVER 100 HRS OF CROSS COUNTRY TIME AND HAVE ALWAYS USED THE ATC SYS.

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.