Small aircraft X land and takeoff at controled airport without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	307250
Time
Date	199506
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ida
State Reference	ID
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ida
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 540 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	396250
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Small aircraft X left driggs, idaho, at approximately XA00 am for idaho falls with my passenger. As we approached idaho falls from the north I made my first radio call to the idaho falls tower on 118.5. We were approximately 10 KM out, just east of rigby, idaho, swbound. Getting no response from the tower on my 1ST try I tried several more times with no success. I then tried my hand held VHF, still no response. At approximately 6 mi north of the airport I made a turn to the west in order to remain out of the approach path of runway 20, and to monitor the tower visually for light signals. At this point I tried the tower, and unicom on 122.95, on both the plane's navcom, and the handheld. Again, no response, no light signals were visible. At this point I looked closely for traffic north and south of the airport, announced my intentions to enter a long final for runway 20, and proceeded to enter a 5 mi final for runway 20. With my navcom on tower frequency and the handheld on unicom, we proceeded on final for runway 20, with my friend announcing our position continuously on unicom and myself on tower frequency. After touchdown, we taxied to the FBO. Having determined that the tower must not have opened at XA30 am as published, I taxied to depart on runway 2, announced to unicom my intentions, checked for traffic and departed runway 2 for driggs. Upon arriving in driggs, I asked the FBO operator if he heard my xmissions during my arrival and landing in driggs. He said I was loud and clear. This verified to me that my communication was working. Knowing this, and the fact that no light signals were shown, I felt sure that for some reason the tower had not opened at the normal time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X LAND AND TKOF AT CTLED ARPT WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: SMA X LEFT DRIGGS, IDAHO, AT APPROX XA00 AM FOR IDAHO FALLS WITH MY PAX. AS WE APCHED IDAHO FALLS FROM THE N I MADE MY FIRST RADIO CALL TO THE IDAHO FALLS TWR ON 118.5. WE WERE APPROX 10 KM OUT, JUST E OF RIGBY, IDAHO, SWBOUND. GETTING NO RESPONSE FROM THE TWR ON MY 1ST TRY I TRIED SEVERAL MORE TIMES WITH NO SUCCESS. I THEN TRIED MY HAND HELD VHF, STILL NO RESPONSE. AT APPROX 6 MI N OF THE ARPT I MADE A TURN TO THE W IN ORDER TO REMAIN OUT OF THE APCH PATH OF RWY 20, AND TO MONITOR THE TWR VISUALLY FOR LIGHT SIGNALS. AT THIS POINT I TRIED THE TWR, AND UNICOM ON 122.95, ON BOTH THE PLANE'S NAVCOM, AND THE HANDHELD. AGAIN, NO RESPONSE, NO LIGHT SIGNALS WERE VISIBLE. AT THIS POINT I LOOKED CLOSELY FOR TFC N AND S OF THE ARPT, ANNOUNCED MY INTENTIONS TO ENTER A LONG FINAL FOR RWY 20, AND PROCEEDED TO ENTER A 5 MI FINAL FOR RWY 20. WITH MY NAVCOM ON TWR FREQ AND THE HANDHELD ON UNICOM, WE PROCEEDED ON FINAL FOR RWY 20, WITH MY FRIEND ANNOUNCING OUR POS CONTINUOUSLY ON UNICOM AND MYSELF ON TWR FREQ. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, WE TAXIED TO THE FBO. HAVING DETERMINED THAT THE TWR MUST NOT HAVE OPENED AT XA30 AM AS PUBLISHED, I TAXIED TO DEPART ON RWY 2, ANNOUNCED TO UNICOM MY INTENTIONS, CHKED FOR TFC AND DEPARTED RWY 2 FOR DRIGGS. UPON ARRIVING IN DRIGGS, I ASKED THE FBO OPERATOR IF HE HEARD MY XMISSIONS DURING MY ARR AND LNDG IN DRIGGS. HE SAID I WAS LOUD AND CLR. THIS VERIFIED TO ME THAT MY COM WAS WORKING. KNOWING THIS, AND THE FACT THAT NO LIGHT SIGNALS WERE SHOWN, I FELT SURE THAT FOR SOME REASON THE TWR HAD NOT OPENED AT THE NORMAL TIME.

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.