Narrative:

On sep/sun/95, I flew IFR from lgb (twred airport) to rir (uncontrolled) for breakfast. We spent a couple of hours or so at rir, then departed VFR for L66 (uncontrolled) about 12 NM away to check out aircraft on display that day. I did not call FSS for information on the route of flight or the destination airport since it was so close. Immediately after takeoff from rir, I contacted ral (twred) to transition their class D. I monitored unicom (122.8) beginning about 6 mi from L66. There were at least 3 additional airports in the area that were using the same unicom (122.8) as L66. I called corona unicom about 3 mi from the airport. The person on unicom gave me landing information with 'left traffic, runway 25.' I did about a 3 mi 45 degree entry and entered the downwind. I announced myself on the 45 degree and downwind. I believe I was on downwind when the person on unicom indicated I should contact the 'temporary tower' on 126.4. This was a surprise and the first time I had heard of the temporary tower. I immediately contacted the temporary tower on 126.4 on either downwind or base leg. Being established in the traffic pattern, announcing myself and my position several times in the pattern and with an experienced pilot as a passenger also looking for traffic, I decided to continue the approach. The tower cleared me as #2 behind a cessna. We were unable to spot the cessna that was supposed to be in front of us even as late as final. I called tower again on final indicating I did not have the #1 traffic. Tower then cleared me to land as #1. There was no plane in front of us for landing. During the approach, I heard some confusion by the temporary tower and other traffic in the pattern. I contemplated departing the traffic pattern. One cessna driver announced 'I'm out of here' and left the traffic pattern. I decided it would be safer to continue my landing. I thought it might cause more of a problem for me to power up and depart the traffic pattern. I continued on and landed without event. This situation came about by my not having obtained 'all available' information. I could (and should) have contacted FSS and the destination airport prior to the flight. I assumed that such a short (12 NM) flight should be very straight forward. Having discovered the temporary tower so late in the flight was unsettling. I was further surprised that the person on the unicom frequency did not tell me of the temporary tower frequency on my initial call in. I certainly should be (and will be) contacting FSS more readily for those short 'neighborhood drives' as well as the longer flts and particularly when an 'event' (eg, aircraft display) is known to be going on. Contacting the destination airport would be a good idea. Additionally, I will be contacting the unicom frequency of uncontrolled airports much farther away from the airport in the future.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA PLT REGRETS NOT HAVING FILED A FLT PLAN FOR A VERY SHORT FLT.

Narrative: ON SEP/SUN/95, I FLEW IFR FROM LGB (TWRED ARPT) TO RIR (UNCTLED) FOR BREAKFAST. WE SPENT A COUPLE OF HRS OR SO AT RIR, THEN DEPARTED VFR FOR L66 (UNCTLED) ABOUT 12 NM AWAY TO CHK OUT ACFT ON DISPLAY THAT DAY. I DID NOT CALL FSS FOR INFO ON THE RTE OF FLT OR THE DEST ARPT SINCE IT WAS SO CLOSE. IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF FROM RIR, I CONTACTED RAL (TWRED) TO TRANSITION THEIR CLASS D. I MONITORED UNICOM (122.8) BEGINNING ABOUT 6 MI FROM L66. THERE WERE AT LEAST 3 ADDITIONAL ARPTS IN THE AREA THAT WERE USING THE SAME UNICOM (122.8) AS L66. I CALLED CORONA UNICOM ABOUT 3 MI FROM THE ARPT. THE PERSON ON UNICOM GAVE ME LNDG INFO WITH 'L TFC, RWY 25.' I DID ABOUT A 3 MI 45 DEG ENTRY AND ENTERED THE DOWNWIND. I ANNOUNCED MYSELF ON THE 45 DEG AND DOWNWIND. I BELIEVE I WAS ON DOWNWIND WHEN THE PERSON ON UNICOM INDICATED I SHOULD CONTACT THE 'TEMPORARY TWR' ON 126.4. THIS WAS A SURPRISE AND THE FIRST TIME I HAD HEARD OF THE TEMPORARY TWR. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE TEMPORARY TWR ON 126.4 ON EITHER DOWNWIND OR BASE LEG. BEING ESTABLISHED IN THE TFC PATTERN, ANNOUNCING MYSELF AND MY POS SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PATTERN AND WITH AN EXPERIENCED PLT AS A PAX ALSO LOOKING FOR TFC, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE APCH. THE TWR CLRED ME AS #2 BEHIND A CESSNA. WE WERE UNABLE TO SPOT THE CESSNA THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN FRONT OF US EVEN AS LATE AS FINAL. I CALLED TWR AGAIN ON FINAL INDICATING I DID NOT HAVE THE #1 TFC. TWR THEN CLRED ME TO LAND AS #1. THERE WAS NO PLANE IN FRONT OF US FOR LNDG. DURING THE APCH, I HEARD SOME CONFUSION BY THE TEMPORARY TWR AND OTHER TFC IN THE PATTERN. I CONTEMPLATED DEPARTING THE TFC PATTERN. ONE CESSNA DRIVER ANNOUNCED 'I'M OUT OF HERE' AND LEFT THE TFC PATTERN. I DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFER TO CONTINUE MY LNDG. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT CAUSE MORE OF A PROB FOR ME TO PWR UP AND DEPART THE TFC PATTERN. I CONTINUED ON AND LANDED WITHOUT EVENT. THIS SIT CAME ABOUT BY MY NOT HAVING OBTAINED 'ALL AVAILABLE' INFO. I COULD (AND SHOULD) HAVE CONTACTED FSS AND THE DEST ARPT PRIOR TO THE FLT. I ASSUMED THAT SUCH A SHORT (12 NM) FLT SHOULD BE VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD. HAVING DISCOVERED THE TEMPORARY TWR SO LATE IN THE FLT WAS UNSETTLING. I WAS FURTHER SURPRISED THAT THE PERSON ON THE UNICOM FREQ DID NOT TELL ME OF THE TEMPORARY TWR FREQ ON MY INITIAL CALL IN. I CERTAINLY SHOULD BE (AND WILL BE) CONTACTING FSS MORE READILY FOR THOSE SHORT 'NEIGHBORHOOD DRIVES' AS WELL AS THE LONGER FLTS AND PARTICULARLY WHEN AN 'EVENT' (EG, ACFT DISPLAY) IS KNOWN TO BE GOING ON. CONTACTING THE DEST ARPT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA. ADDITIONALLY, I WILL BE CONTACTING THE UNICOM FREQ OF UNCTLED ARPTS MUCH FARTHER AWAY FROM THE ARPT 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.