Narrative:

Approximately am, apr/sun/95 while letting down 15 mi from hemet-ryan airport (uncontrolled), I heard 'tower-like' radio communication to the air tankers on the unicom frequency. I circled above the traffic pattern trying to establish communication to no avail. When the pattern was clear, I let down above the airport expecting to land using transmitter inoperative only, procedures. On final, seeing no light signal and hearing no communication to me, but seeing an air tanker waiting at the runup, I aborted my approach. I executed a high go around and as I approached the crosswind leg, I heard the air tanker 'cleared for takeoff.' I turned crosswind and seeing and hearing no one in the pattern, I continued downwind. Upon turning base, a voice asked for my number. I responded and turned final. Seeing no traffic, runway clear, I landed. A few mins later, I phoned the riverside FSS and closed my flight plan from sedona, az. I mentioned to FSS that there 'seems to be some kind of tower operating.' he responded, 'there's a lot of fire activity and that we probably should put out a NOTAM.' upon telling this to the local FBO, he made some phone calls, and was told a 'temporary mobile tower had been put up across the field and that it had been operating since the day before!! And that the FAA were going to issue a NOTAM!' I am sure, I'm not the only pilot that was confused whether a tower was in effect. And if one was in effect, why did they not try to communication or use loss of radio procedures?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEMPORARY TWR AT UNCTLED ARPT. NO NOTAM.

Narrative: APPROX AM, APR/SUN/95 WHILE LETTING DOWN 15 MI FROM HEMET-RYAN ARPT (UNCTLED), I HEARD 'TWR-LIKE' RADIO COM TO THE AIR TANKERS ON THE UNICOM FREQ. I CIRCLED ABOVE THE TFC PATTERN TRYING TO ESTABLISH COM TO NO AVAIL. WHEN THE PATTERN WAS CLR, I LET DOWN ABOVE THE ARPT EXPECTING TO LAND USING XMITTER INOP ONLY, PROCS. ON FINAL, SEEING NO LIGHT SIGNAL AND HEARING NO COM TO ME, BUT SEEING AN AIR TANKER WAITING AT THE RUNUP, I ABORTED MY APCH. I EXECUTED A HIGH GAR AND AS I APCHED THE XWIND LEG, I HEARD THE AIR TANKER 'CLRED FOR TKOF.' I TURNED XWIND AND SEEING AND HEARING NO ONE IN THE PATTERN, I CONTINUED DOWNWIND. UPON TURNING BASE, A VOICE ASKED FOR MY NUMBER. I RESPONDED AND TURNED FINAL. SEEING NO TFC, RWY CLR, I LANDED. A FEW MINS LATER, I PHONED THE RIVERSIDE FSS AND CLOSED MY FLT PLAN FROM SEDONA, AZ. I MENTIONED TO FSS THAT THERE 'SEEMS TO BE SOME KIND OF TWR OPERATING.' HE RESPONDED, 'THERE'S A LOT OF FIRE ACTIVITY AND THAT WE PROBABLY SHOULD PUT OUT A NOTAM.' UPON TELLING THIS TO THE LCL FBO, HE MADE SOME PHONE CALLS, AND WAS TOLD A 'TEMPORARY MOBILE TWR HAD BEEN PUT UP ACROSS THE FIELD AND THAT IT HAD BEEN OPERATING SINCE THE DAY BEFORE!! AND THAT THE FAA WERE GOING TO ISSUE A NOTAM!' I AM SURE, I'M NOT THE ONLY PLT THAT WAS CONFUSED WHETHER A TWR WAS IN EFFECT. AND IF ONE WAS IN EFFECT, WHY DID THEY NOT TRY TO COM OR USE LOSS OF RADIO PROCS?

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.