Narrative:

I was flying from the north to lunken (luk) at cincinnati, oh, in a 7AC champ with no electrical system. I have been flying NORDO champs and cubs since dec/92, but this was my first NORDO landing at a controled field. Aboard were myself and 1 passenger. We sighted lunken from 3100 ft MSL over blue ash (I77). From that point we stayed west of the line defined by runway 20R so as to avoid straight-in approachs or straight-out departures from that runway. While still 2 or 3 mi out, we saw an aircraft departing runway 20L, so we planned to cross at midfield and enter a left downwind for that runway. We decelerated to 60 mph pattern speed, turned to cross midfield. We were still at 3100 ft MSL and had yet to cross over any runway when we saw a steady green light from the tower. This point is marked with an 'X' on the attached map. Upon seeing the light, we began a descent into the control zone. We entered a left base for runway 20L while still descending and reached 1500 ft MSL at about the turn to base. We checked for straight-in traffic, turned final, and landed uneventfully. We taxied the length of the runway and exited onto the taxiway. After we were well clear of the runway and we had taxied past the millionaire hangar we heard a jet pass behind us either taking off or landing (he was too loud for taxi). We received a steady red followed by a flashing green to cross runway 20R and then a flashing green to cross runway 24. We taxied to the old terminal ramp and shut down. 10 or 15 mins after shutdown, a man came from the restaurant and said the tower wanted the pilot of the yellow high wing to call in. I called the tower and idented myself. The tower controller claimed I had landed without a green light, and that he had almost 'put a lear on top of you.' I told him we had a steady green, and he said no one there had sent it. He was agitated, and confrontational, so did not discuss it further. After the initial green light received at 3100 ft MSL ssw of the tower, we saw no further tower signal red or green until we were taxiing toward runway 20R. There had been no movement on the airport during that time, and there were no aircraft visible in the pattern. I looked for straight in traffic before turning final and saw none. Commentary: I did think it was odd not to see any light from the tower on downwind, base, or final, but I have often been cleared to land by radio from outside the pattern when the airport is quiet. Since this was my first NORDO landing at a controled field, and since the aim does not specify how often or where in the pattern a pilot should expect light gun signals, I did not have any firm reason to think anything more than an initial steady green was to be expected. I would suggest that it would be good practice and probably good policy to not send a steady green until late on downwind, and not to send one until after a flashing green. In other words: 1) flashing green clears entry into the control zone and an entry into the pattern, 2) steady green clearing a landing is not sent until the aircraft is past midway on downwind, and 3) no pilot may expect a steady green until after a flashing green. This or some other procedure should be covered in greater detail in the aim which is presently silent on when and where clearance to land is to be expected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NORDO SMA ENTERS PATTERN AT CTLED ARPT. LANDS WITHOUT GREEN LIGHT.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM THE N TO LUNKEN (LUK) AT CINCINNATI, OH, IN A 7AC CHAMP WITH NO ELECTRICAL SYS. I HAVE BEEN FLYING NORDO CHAMPS AND CUBS SINCE DEC/92, BUT THIS WAS MY FIRST NORDO LNDG AT A CTLED FIELD. ABOARD WERE MYSELF AND 1 PAX. WE SIGHTED LUNKEN FROM 3100 FT MSL OVER BLUE ASH (I77). FROM THAT POINT WE STAYED W OF THE LINE DEFINED BY RWY 20R SO AS TO AVOID STRAIGHT-IN APCHS OR STRAIGHT-OUT DEPS FROM THAT RWY. WHILE STILL 2 OR 3 MI OUT, WE SAW AN ACFT DEPARTING RWY 20L, SO WE PLANNED TO CROSS AT MIDFIELD AND ENTER A L DOWNWIND FOR THAT RWY. WE DECELERATED TO 60 MPH PATTERN SPD, TURNED TO CROSS MIDFIELD. WE WERE STILL AT 3100 FT MSL AND HAD YET TO CROSS OVER ANY RWY WHEN WE SAW A STEADY GREEN LIGHT FROM THE TWR. THIS POINT IS MARKED WITH AN 'X' ON THE ATTACHED MAP. UPON SEEING THE LIGHT, WE BEGAN A DSCNT INTO THE CTL ZONE. WE ENTERED A L BASE FOR RWY 20L WHILE STILL DSNDING AND REACHED 1500 FT MSL AT ABOUT THE TURN TO BASE. WE CHKED FOR STRAIGHT-IN TFC, TURNED FINAL, AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. WE TAXIED THE LENGTH OF THE RWY AND EXITED ONTO THE TXWY. AFTER WE WERE WELL CLR OF THE RWY AND WE HAD TAXIED PAST THE MILLIONAIRE HANGAR WE HEARD A JET PASS BEHIND US EITHER TAKING OFF OR LNDG (HE WAS TOO LOUD FOR TAXI). WE RECEIVED A STEADY RED FOLLOWED BY A FLASHING GREEN TO CROSS RWY 20R AND THEN A FLASHING GREEN TO CROSS RWY 24. WE TAXIED TO THE OLD TERMINAL RAMP AND SHUT DOWN. 10 OR 15 MINS AFTER SHUTDOWN, A MAN CAME FROM THE RESTAURANT AND SAID THE TWR WANTED THE PLT OF THE YELLOW HIGH WING TO CALL IN. I CALLED THE TWR AND IDENTED MYSELF. THE TWR CTLR CLAIMED I HAD LANDED WITHOUT A GREEN LIGHT, AND THAT HE HAD ALMOST 'PUT A LEAR ON TOP OF YOU.' I TOLD HIM WE HAD A STEADY GREEN, AND HE SAID NO ONE THERE HAD SENT IT. HE WAS AGITATED, AND CONFRONTATIONAL, SO DID NOT DISCUSS IT FURTHER. AFTER THE INITIAL GREEN LIGHT RECEIVED AT 3100 FT MSL SSW OF THE TWR, WE SAW NO FURTHER TWR SIGNAL RED OR GREEN UNTIL WE WERE TAXIING TOWARD RWY 20R. THERE HAD BEEN NO MOVEMENT ON THE ARPT DURING THAT TIME, AND THERE WERE NO ACFT VISIBLE IN THE PATTERN. I LOOKED FOR STRAIGHT IN TFC BEFORE TURNING FINAL AND SAW NONE. COMMENTARY: I DID THINK IT WAS ODD NOT TO SEE ANY LIGHT FROM THE TWR ON DOWNWIND, BASE, OR FINAL, BUT I HAVE OFTEN BEEN CLRED TO LAND BY RADIO FROM OUTSIDE THE PATTERN WHEN THE ARPT IS QUIET. SINCE THIS WAS MY FIRST NORDO LNDG AT A CTLED FIELD, AND SINCE THE AIM DOES NOT SPECIFY HOW OFTEN OR WHERE IN THE PATTERN A PLT SHOULD EXPECT LIGHT GUN SIGNALS, I DID NOT HAVE ANY FIRM REASON TO THINK ANYTHING MORE THAN AN INITIAL STEADY GREEN WAS TO BE EXPECTED. I WOULD SUGGEST THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD PRACTICE AND PROBABLY GOOD POLICY TO NOT SEND A STEADY GREEN UNTIL LATE ON DOWNWIND, AND NOT TO SEND ONE UNTIL AFTER A FLASHING GREEN. IN OTHER WORDS: 1) FLASHING GREEN CLRS ENTRY INTO THE CTL ZONE AND AN ENTRY INTO THE PATTERN, 2) STEADY GREEN CLRING A LNDG IS NOT SENT UNTIL THE ACFT IS PAST MIDWAY ON DOWNWIND, AND 3) NO PLT MAY EXPECT A STEADY GREEN UNTIL AFTER A FLASHING GREEN. THIS OR SOME OTHER PROC SHOULD BE COVERED IN GREATER DETAIL IN THE AIM WHICH IS PRESENTLY SILENT ON WHEN AND WHERE CLRNC TO LAND IS TO BE EXPECTED.

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.