Narrative:

Left phoenix deer valley for VFR flight to bull head city laughlin non stop. Deer valley to havasu city then to destination bullhead city. On board was myself as PIC and a passenger. The mistakes were made by me in the flight planning stage -- I used air guide flight guide of western states and a state of arizona chart -- neither of which is approved by FAA for navigation. I have discarded my az chart but I did keep my flight guide. And I know it is out dated and not dependable. Its last update was may/xx/93. On board the aircraft but not referred to was an up-to-date cg 18 that showed current data. I did not know that bullhead city where I had landed before now had a control tower. Had I referred to the WAC chart or checked NOTAMS, I would have known. I had made this trip many times in the past and I guess I considered it a local flight. The flight proceeded as planned and at havasu changed course to (330 degrees) to bullhead city. 20 mi out I contacted (bullhead city?) on what I thought was the CTAF frequency of 122.8. My call was 'bullhead city' this is (identify) 20 mi south, landing at laughlin -- what is the active? 122.8 answered stating 'active is runway 34.' I thanked them and continued -- I reported at 15 mi at 10 mi out and at 5 mi out I report over the river preparing to enter left downwind for runway 34. The information I did have stated all downwind over the river and be careful of turbulence over stacks. I entered a close downwind from an approximately 45 degree entry. Reported my position as we were both alerted for other aircraft in the pattern and I commented it should be busy. We heard 1 call in from 10 mi out but we could not locate. On downwind I did notice a big airplane just starting to taxi on the taxiway from the north buildings. We turned a close base and landed. As we touched down the big airplane was about midway on the taxi strip -- we turned off the runway to the left (south) at the south taxiway. We saw a sign that told us to give way to aircraft coming up the hill toward the runway there were turn off points or passing points available and a cessna was coming up the hill, we gave way. I had reported on 122.8 on turning off the runway and stated my intention of taxiing to tie down. At this point we found out about the tower. 'Tower, aircraft that just landed identify.' 'aircoup XXXX. Tower 'what is your name? You just landed at a tower controled airport -- get your butt off this frequency and call the tower.' we taxied to tie down and somebody, I think the FBO came out in a truck, he gave us the tower and again looked at my flight guide, told us the tower had been there for 5 or 6 months. He was nice and polite and he left. I then went in and called the tower and idented myself. The controller who had talked to us on radio answered our call. He was very agitated, I apologized and told him I did not know of the tower or I certainly would have used it. He told me he was sick of people not using the tower and that I was a real menace to traffic. He stated he had 6 or 8 airplanes in the pattern and he had just cleared the big airplane to depart. It was just dumb luck that it did not cause a 'fiery crash' and he was going to report me and then he hung up on me. We departed bullhead city on sat (the next day). I think we had the same controller and he was pleasant and professional. I know my mistakes were in preflight planning and using inappropriate charts. Also assuming nothing had changed since my last flight to bullhead city. As I have stated before I believe this incident was caused by my complacency in thinking that things were the same as my last flight of over a yr ago. I don't believe I will make the mistake again. But I don't know how to prevent someone else from making it. I do believe however, that we made enough calls on 122.8 and I would have thought that whoever was monitoring that they could have told us that a tower was in place. It might help if when changes are made the told system can be monitored. This tower must have been monitoring 122.8 or he could not have called me on it. I believe he might even have concluded from our call we did not know a tower existed. He stated he was sick and tired of people flying in unannounced. So it must happen often. There was no tower as such visible on the field. Apparently it is in a trailer somewhere. Also enclosed is a header sheet with good advice on it. I had not seen this before, I will avail myself of it in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC BELIEVING THERE WAS NO TWR AT ARPT.

Narrative: LEFT PHOENIX DEER VALLEY FOR VFR FLT TO BULL HEAD CITY LAUGHLIN NON STOP. DEER VALLEY TO HAVASU CITY THEN TO DEST BULLHEAD CITY. ON BOARD WAS MYSELF AS PIC AND A PAX. THE MISTAKES WERE MADE BY ME IN THE FLT PLANNING STAGE -- I USED AIR GUIDE FLT GUIDE OF WESTERN STATES AND A STATE OF ARIZONA CHART -- NEITHER OF WHICH IS APPROVED BY FAA FOR NAV. I HAVE DISCARDED MY AZ CHART BUT I DID KEEP MY FLT GUIDE. AND I KNOW IT IS OUT DATED AND NOT DEPENDABLE. ITS LAST UPDATE WAS MAY/XX/93. ON BOARD THE ACFT BUT NOT REFERRED TO WAS AN UP-TO-DATE CG 18 THAT SHOWED CURRENT DATA. I DID NOT KNOW THAT BULLHEAD CITY WHERE I HAD LANDED BEFORE NOW HAD A CTL TWR. HAD I REFERRED TO THE WAC CHART OR CHKED NOTAMS, I WOULD HAVE KNOWN. I HAD MADE THIS TRIP MANY TIMES IN THE PAST AND I GUESS I CONSIDERED IT A LCL FLT. THE FLT PROCEEDED AS PLANNED AND AT HAVASU CHANGED COURSE TO (330 DEGS) TO BULLHEAD CITY. 20 MI OUT I CONTACTED (BULLHEAD CITY?) ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE CTAF FREQ OF 122.8. MY CALL WAS 'BULLHEAD CITY' THIS IS (IDENT) 20 MI S, LNDG AT LAUGHLIN -- WHAT IS THE ACTIVE? 122.8 ANSWERED STATING 'ACTIVE IS RWY 34.' I THANKED THEM AND CONTINUED -- I RPTED AT 15 MI AT 10 MI OUT AND AT 5 MI OUT I RPT OVER THE RIVER PREPARING TO ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 34. THE INFO I DID HAVE STATED ALL DOWNWIND OVER THE RIVER AND BE CAREFUL OF TURB OVER STACKS. I ENTERED A CLOSE DOWNWIND FROM AN APPROX 45 DEG ENTRY. RPTED MY POS AS WE WERE BOTH ALERTED FOR OTHER ACFT IN THE PATTERN AND I COMMENTED IT SHOULD BE BUSY. WE HEARD 1 CALL IN FROM 10 MI OUT BUT WE COULD NOT LOCATE. ON DOWNWIND I DID NOTICE A BIG AIRPLANE JUST STARTING TO TAXI ON THE TXWY FROM THE N BUILDINGS. WE TURNED A CLOSE BASE AND LANDED. AS WE TOUCHED DOWN THE BIG AIRPLANE WAS ABOUT MIDWAY ON THE TAXI STRIP -- WE TURNED OFF THE RWY TO THE L (S) AT THE S TXWY. WE SAW A SIGN THAT TOLD US TO GIVE WAY TO ACFT COMING UP THE HILL TOWARD THE RWY THERE WERE TURN OFF POINTS OR PASSING POINTS AVAILABLE AND A CESSNA WAS COMING UP THE HILL, WE GAVE WAY. I HAD RPTED ON 122.8 ON TURNING OFF THE RWY AND STATED MY INTENTION OF TAXIING TO TIE DOWN. AT THIS POINT WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE TWR. 'TWR, ACFT THAT JUST LANDED IDENT.' 'AIRCOUP XXXX. TWR 'WHAT IS YOUR NAME? YOU JUST LANDED AT A TWR CTLED ARPT -- GET YOUR BUTT OFF THIS FREQ AND CALL THE TWR.' WE TAXIED TO TIE DOWN AND SOMEBODY, I THINK THE FBO CAME OUT IN A TRUCK, HE GAVE US THE TWR AND AGAIN LOOKED AT MY FLT GUIDE, TOLD US THE TWR HAD BEEN THERE FOR 5 OR 6 MONTHS. HE WAS NICE AND POLITE AND HE LEFT. I THEN WENT IN AND CALLED THE TWR AND IDENTED MYSELF. THE CTLR WHO HAD TALKED TO US ON RADIO ANSWERED OUR CALL. HE WAS VERY AGITATED, I APOLOGIZED AND TOLD HIM I DID NOT KNOW OF THE TWR OR I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE USED IT. HE TOLD ME HE WAS SICK OF PEOPLE NOT USING THE TWR AND THAT I WAS A REAL MENACE TO TFC. HE STATED HE HAD 6 OR 8 AIRPLANES IN THE PATTERN AND HE HAD JUST CLRED THE BIG AIRPLANE TO DEPART. IT WAS JUST DUMB LUCK THAT IT DID NOT CAUSE A 'FIERY CRASH' AND HE WAS GOING TO RPT ME AND THEN HE HUNG UP ON ME. WE DEPARTED BULLHEAD CITY ON SAT (THE NEXT DAY). I THINK WE HAD THE SAME CTLR AND HE WAS PLEASANT AND PROFESSIONAL. I KNOW MY MISTAKES WERE IN PREFLT PLANNING AND USING INAPPROPRIATE CHARTS. ALSO ASSUMING NOTHING HAD CHANGED SINCE MY LAST FLT TO BULLHEAD CITY. AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY MY COMPLACENCY IN THINKING THAT THINGS WERE THE SAME AS MY LAST FLT OF OVER A YR AGO. I DON'T BELIEVE I WILL MAKE THE MISTAKE AGAIN. BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PREVENT SOMEONE ELSE FROM MAKING IT. I DO BELIEVE HOWEVER, THAT WE MADE ENOUGH CALLS ON 122.8 AND I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT WHOEVER WAS MONITORING THAT THEY COULD HAVE TOLD US THAT A TWR WAS IN PLACE. IT MIGHT HELP IF WHEN CHANGES ARE MADE THE TOLD SYS CAN BE MONITORED. THIS TWR MUST HAVE BEEN MONITORING 122.8 OR HE COULD NOT HAVE CALLED ME ON IT. I BELIEVE HE MIGHT EVEN HAVE CONCLUDED FROM OUR CALL WE DID NOT KNOW A TWR EXISTED. HE STATED HE WAS SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE FLYING IN UNANNOUNCED. SO IT MUST HAPPEN OFTEN. THERE WAS NO TWR AS SUCH VISIBLE ON THE FIELD. APPARENTLY IT IS IN A TRAILER SOMEWHERE. ALSO ENCLOSED IS A HEADER SHEET WITH GOOD ADVICE ON IT. I HAD NOT SEEN THIS BEFORE, I WILL AVAIL MYSELF OF IT IN THE FUTURE.

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.