Narrative:

As a retired USAF officer, I hold a 'civil aircraft landing permit.' this permit authorizes me to land my personal aircraft at all USAF bases. One requirement is that I contact any base I wish to land at 24 hours prior to arrival for approval. On jan/xx/95 I telephoned the dispatch office at patrick AFB to tell them that I planned to land there the following day (jan/yy) my flight was proposed to depart palm beach north county airport and proceed VFR direct to patrick. Because the flight would take only 35 min, I asked the dispatcher if a flight plan and clearance were required. I pointed out that ATC does not always forward VFR flight plans to destination airports in time to arrival prior to the aircraft's ETA. I also asked the dispatcher for a 'prior permission' number to give to patrick approach control when in range. I was told that neither would be required. Later in the day I called patrick to confirm my plan. I was told that all was in order. It turned out that the dispatcher never passed this information to approach control. I departed F45 at XA50Z and flew direct to cof (patrick) 40 NM south of cof, I called approach on 134.95. They gave me a mode C code and told me I was radar contact. I said my destination was patrick, gave my number and said base operations had all the information. Passing melbourne I was switched to mlb tower on 118.2 to advise them of my position. I came back to approach on 134.95 and advised that I was descending to pattern altitude. I was told to contact approach. I advised that I was only 4 mi out, airport in sight. They switched me to patrick tower. I advised that I was downwind for runway 20 with ATIS information delta. I believe that on this initial contact I was told 'clear to land runway 20' while on short downwind in landing confign. Tower called to tell me to contact base operations. I switched and called twice without success. At this point I was on final approach and I switched back to tower and heard them say 'continue'. I assumed this meant to continue my approach and I landed on runway 20. After landing I was told that the message was 'continue to circle' and that I had landed without clearance. As I turned off the runway, I was told my position on the taxiway. I was met by an air police vehicle which then escorted me to base operations. Operations and tower officials interviewed me and made copies of my military identification card, my calp papers, and my FAA pilot's license. What action, if any, they propose to take I do not know. This problem arose out of my confidence that my inbound arrival was expected by patrick approach and tower and that I would automatically be cleared to land as I always had in the past. It did not occur to me that base operations would fail to notify approach and tower as they are supposed to do. Another factor which contributed to the problem was that in the final 4 mins of this flight I was switched back and forth through 5 different frequencys. In retrospect, the only corrective action I can think of for me to take is to act in response to what is actually happening rather than to what I expect to happen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG AT A MIL ARPT.

Narrative: AS A RETIRED USAF OFFICER, I HOLD A 'CIVIL ACFT LNDG PERMIT.' THIS PERMIT AUTHORIZES ME TO LAND MY PERSONAL ACFT AT ALL USAF BASES. ONE REQUIREMENT IS THAT I CONTACT ANY BASE I WISH TO LAND AT 24 HRS PRIOR TO ARR FOR APPROVAL. ON JAN/XX/95 I TELEPHONED THE DISPATCH OFFICE AT PATRICK AFB TO TELL THEM THAT I PLANNED TO LAND THERE THE FOLLOWING DAY (JAN/YY) MY FLT WAS PROPOSED TO DEPART PALM BEACH NORTH COUNTY ARPT AND PROCEED VFR DIRECT TO PATRICK. BECAUSE THE FLT WOULD TAKE ONLY 35 MIN, I ASKED THE DISPATCHER IF A FLT PLAN AND CLRNC WERE REQUIRED. I POINTED OUT THAT ATC DOES NOT ALWAYS FORWARD VFR FLT PLANS TO DEST ARPTS IN TIME TO ARR PRIOR TO THE ACFT'S ETA. I ALSO ASKED THE DISPATCHER FOR A 'PRIOR PERMISSION' NUMBER TO GIVE TO PATRICK APCH CTL WHEN IN RANGE. I WAS TOLD THAT NEITHER WOULD BE REQUIRED. LATER IN THE DAY I CALLED PATRICK TO CONFIRM MY PLAN. I WAS TOLD THAT ALL WAS IN ORDER. IT TURNED OUT THAT THE DISPATCHER NEVER PASSED THIS INFO TO APCH CTL. I DEPARTED F45 AT XA50Z AND FLEW DIRECT TO COF (PATRICK) 40 NM SOUTH OF COF, I CALLED APCH ON 134.95. THEY GAVE ME A MODE C CODE AND TOLD ME I WAS RADAR CONTACT. I SAID MY DEST WAS PATRICK, GAVE MY NUMBER AND SAID BASE OPS HAD ALL THE INFO. PASSING MELBOURNE I WAS SWITCHED TO MLB TWR ON 118.2 TO ADVISE THEM OF MY POS. I CAME BACK TO APCH ON 134.95 AND ADVISED THAT I WAS DSNDING TO PATTERN ALT. I WAS TOLD TO CONTACT APCH. I ADVISED THAT I WAS ONLY 4 MI OUT, ARPT IN SIGHT. THEY SWITCHED ME TO PATRICK TWR. I ADVISED THAT I WAS DOWNWIND FOR RWY 20 WITH ATIS INFO DELTA. I BELIEVE THAT ON THIS INITIAL CONTACT I WAS TOLD 'CLR TO LAND RWY 20' WHILE ON SHORT DOWNWIND IN LNDG CONFIGN. TWR CALLED TO TELL ME TO CONTACT BASE OPS. I SWITCHED AND CALLED TWICE WITHOUT SUCCESS. AT THIS POINT I WAS ON FINAL APCH AND I SWITCHED BACK TO TWR AND HEARD THEM SAY 'CONTINUE'. I ASSUMED THIS MEANT TO CONTINUE MY APCH AND I LANDED ON RWY 20. AFTER LNDG I WAS TOLD THAT THE MESSAGE WAS 'CONTINUE TO CIRCLE' AND THAT I HAD LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC. AS I TURNED OFF THE RWY, I WAS TOLD MY POS ON THE TXWY. I WAS MET BY AN AIR POLICE VEHICLE WHICH THEN ESCORTED ME TO BASE OPS. OPS AND TWR OFFICIALS INTERVIEWED ME AND MADE COPIES OF MY MILITARY ID CARD, MY CALP PAPERS, AND MY FAA PLT'S LICENSE. WHAT ACTION, IF ANY, THEY PROPOSE TO TAKE I DO NOT KNOW. THIS PROB AROSE OUT OF MY CONFIDENCE THAT MY INBOUND ARR WAS EXPECTED BY PATRICK APCH AND TWR AND THAT I WOULD AUTOMATICALLY BE CLRED TO LAND AS I ALWAYS HAD IN THE PAST. IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT BASE OPS WOULD FAIL TO NOTIFY APCH AND TWR AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO. ANOTHER FACTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB WAS THAT IN THE FINAL 4 MINS OF THIS FLT I WAS SWITCHED BACK AND FORTH THROUGH 5 DIFFERENT FREQS. IN RETROSPECT, THE ONLY CORRECTIVE ACTION I CAN THINK OF FOR ME TO TAKE IS TO ACT IN RESPONSE TO WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING RATHER THAN TO WHAT I EXPECT TO HAPPEN.

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.