Narrative:

I was en route from louisville (lou) to paducah (pah) to pick up a part 135 air taxi passenger. I was level at 8000 ft in VMC conditions about 1000 ft above a solid undercast. There were reports of moderate mixed icing in the clouds below me as I neared paducah. ZME gave me paducah WX and pilot's discretion to descend to 4000 ft. I waited a few mins to begin my descent so as to minimize my exposure to the ice. I was given my choice of the VOR/DME runway 22 or the ILS runway 4. I chose to shoot the VOR/DME runway 22 because it would be relatively straight-in and minimize my exposure to ice. Center told me to intercept the 20 DME arc and cleared me to spent intersection to hold northeast right hand turns with and expect further clearance time of about 15 min. The hold was unexpected, however I was experiencing only light mixed icing and saw no reason for concern. I flew the arc and turned inbound toward spent and ZME cleared a commuter airliner for the VOR/DME runway 22 approach. The commuter overtook me at his lower altitude while we were both inbound toward spent. (Spent is the final approach fix) I was then cleared to 3000 ft about the time I entered the hold. At 3000 ft the ice became moderate mixed. While outbound in the hold the commuter landed. By this time the ice was increasing so as to be occasionally heavy. With the ice starting to accumulate rapidly it became necessary to use the de-ice boots. The boots inflated properly, however they only partially cleared the wings and tail. ZME then cleared me to 2500 ft till established and cleared me for the approach. Center also handed me off to paducah tower. Tower told me to report spent (final approach fix). During the transition from the hold to the inbound segment of the approach the ice continued to accumulate moderate to heavy. The airplane's handling was somewhat degraded due to the ice. I was very aware of the increased workload this situation placed on the single pilot. Being single pilot, IFR, and moderate to heavy ice while shooting an approach, I was consciously aware of the need to fly the airplane well, run the checklist, and do everything right. Descending to 2100 ft on the inbound segment the ice continued and I decided on a maximum flap setting of 15 degree (approach) for landing due to ice on the airframe. At the final approach fix (spent) I selected gear down and flaps to approach then started my descent paying close attention to the airspeed and handling characteristics of the plane in landing confign. I broke out of the clouds at about 700 ft AGL and spotted the runway through the snow. The only forward visibility was through the small hot plate on the center of the windshield. On short final the ice started to melt rapidly and by the time my wheels touched, the air frame was virtually clean. I asked tower for a short, 180 degree to taxi back. Tower replied that he didn't even know I was on the runway and that I had failed to report spend (final approach fix) and landed without a landing clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART 135 PLT FAILED TO RPT A FAF, AND LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS ENRTE FROM LOUISVILLE (LOU) TO PADUCAH (PAH) TO PICK UP A PART 135 AIR TAXI PAX. I WAS LEVEL AT 8000 FT IN VMC CONDITIONS ABOUT 1000 FT ABOVE A SOLID UNDERCAST. THERE WERE RPTS OF MODERATE MIXED ICING IN THE CLOUDS BELOW ME AS I NEARED PADUCAH. ZME GAVE ME PADUCAH WX AND PLT'S DISCRETION TO DSND TO 4000 FT. I WAITED A FEW MINS TO BEGIN MY DSCNT SO AS TO MINIMIZE MY EXPOSURE TO THE ICE. I WAS GIVEN MY CHOICE OF THE VOR/DME RWY 22 OR THE ILS RWY 4. I CHOSE TO SHOOT THE VOR/DME RWY 22 BECAUSE IT WOULD BE RELATIVELY STRAIGHT-IN AND MINIMIZE MY EXPOSURE TO ICE. CTR TOLD ME TO INTERCEPT THE 20 DME ARC AND CLRED ME TO SPENT INTXN TO HOLD NE R HAND TURNS WITH AND EXPECT FURTHER CLRNC TIME OF ABOUT 15 MIN. THE HOLD WAS UNEXPECTED, HOWEVER I WAS EXPERIENCING ONLY LIGHT MIXED ICING AND SAW NO REASON FOR CONCERN. I FLEW THE ARC AND TURNED INBOUND TOWARD SPENT AND ZME CLRED A COMMUTER AIRLINER FOR THE VOR/DME RWY 22 APCH. THE COMMUTER OVERTOOK ME AT HIS LOWER ALT WHILE WE WERE BOTH INBOUND TOWARD SPENT. (SPENT IS THE FINAL APCH FIX) I WAS THEN CLRED TO 3000 FT ABOUT THE TIME I ENTERED THE HOLD. AT 3000 FT THE ICE BECAME MODERATE MIXED. WHILE OUTBOUND IN THE HOLD THE COMMUTER LANDED. BY THIS TIME THE ICE WAS INCREASING SO AS TO BE OCCASIONALLY HVY. WITH THE ICE STARTING TO ACCUMULATE RAPIDLY IT BECAME NECESSARY TO USE THE DE-ICE BOOTS. THE BOOTS INFLATED PROPERLY, HOWEVER THEY ONLY PARTIALLY CLRED THE WINGS AND TAIL. ZME THEN CLRED ME TO 2500 FT TILL ESTABLISHED AND CLRED ME FOR THE APCH. CTR ALSO HANDED ME OFF TO PADUCAH TWR. TWR TOLD ME TO RPT SPENT (FINAL APCH FIX). DURING THE TRANSITION FROM THE HOLD TO THE INBOUND SEGMENT OF THE APCH THE ICE CONTINUED TO ACCUMULATE MODERATE TO HVY. THE AIRPLANE'S HANDLING WAS SOMEWHAT DEGRADED DUE TO THE ICE. I WAS VERY AWARE OF THE INCREASED WORKLOAD THIS SIT PLACED ON THE SINGLE PLT. BEING SINGLE PLT, IFR, AND MODERATE TO HVY ICE WHILE SHOOTING AN APCH, I WAS CONSCIOUSLY AWARE OF THE NEED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE WELL, RUN THE CHKLIST, AND DO EVERYTHING RIGHT. DSNDING TO 2100 FT ON THE INBOUND SEGMENT THE ICE CONTINUED AND I DECIDED ON A MAX FLAP SETTING OF 15 DEG (APCH) FOR LNDG DUE TO ICE ON THE AIRFRAME. AT THE FINAL APCH FIX (SPENT) I SELECTED GEAR DOWN AND FLAPS TO APCH THEN STARTED MY DSCNT PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO THE AIRSPD AND HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANE IN LNDG CONFIGN. I BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS AT ABOUT 700 FT AGL AND SPOTTED THE RWY THROUGH THE SNOW. THE ONLY FORWARD VISIBILITY WAS THROUGH THE SMALL HOT PLATE ON THE CTR OF THE WINDSHIELD. ON SHORT FINAL THE ICE STARTED TO MELT RAPIDLY AND BY THE TIME MY WHEELS TOUCHED, THE AIR FRAME WAS VIRTUALLY CLEAN. I ASKED TWR FOR A SHORT, 180 DEG TO TAXI BACK. TWR REPLIED THAT HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW I WAS ON THE RWY AND THAT I HAD FAILED TO RPT SPEND (FINAL APCH FIX) AND LANDED WITHOUT A LNDG CLRNC.

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.