Narrative:

Upon arriving to the surrounding city, I was monitoring both ATIS and CTAF as I approached the 10 mi radius of the airport. Tower had not yet opened and the ATIS had not been changed since it closed. The traffic at the airport was slightly busier than usual and I was trying to keep an eye out for traffic. Paying more attention to the time, which was getting close to tower opening, I turned down the CTAF radio and turned up the radio with ATIS information, still with no new information. I started to enter into the downwind pattern in front of a C152 and announced my actions as I had 10 mi and 5 mi out. Upon turning base ATIS came up on line with the new information for the day. I became busy slowing down and configuring the aircraft for landing and did not think about the situation with the radio volume and not hearing tower's instructions, for which I did not follow. When I was on final I could hear faint communications on the CTAF but did not want to divide my attention with task at hand with the radio and landing the aircraft, but still announced my actions. After landing, I taxied off the active runway. At this point, I realized what had just taken place and contacted ground asking if they were open and taxi instructions to the ramp. They responded with a tongue thrashing 'yes,' and ask to call them immediately. Fortunately, the conversation didn't end with the same tone it had started with. After evaluating the whole situation, I realized that I need pay more attention to CTAF than ATIS and try to contact tower even before they are scheduled to open. My attention should be given not only to landing the aircraft but also to my surroundings including proper radio use. Tower should also monitor the frequency before opening and take into consideration that there will be occasions like these and start giving instructions before ATIS is on the air.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SEL FAILED TO CONTACT TWR FOR LNDG RESULTING IN ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE AND AN UNAUTH LNDG.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING TO THE SURROUNDING CITY, I WAS MONITORING BOTH ATIS AND CTAF AS I APCHED THE 10 MI RADIUS OF THE ARPT. TWR HAD NOT YET OPENED AND THE ATIS HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED SINCE IT CLOSED. THE TFC AT THE ARPT WAS SLIGHTLY BUSIER THAN USUAL AND I WAS TRYING TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR TFC. PAYING MORE ATTN TO THE TIME, WHICH WAS GETTING CLOSE TO TWR OPENING, I TURNED DOWN THE CTAF RADIO AND TURNED UP THE RADIO WITH ATIS INFO, STILL WITH NO NEW INFO. I STARTED TO ENTER INTO THE DOWNWIND PATTERN IN FRONT OF A C152 AND ANNOUNCED MY ACTIONS AS I HAD 10 MI AND 5 MI OUT. UPON TURNING BASE ATIS CAME UP ON LINE WITH THE NEW INFO FOR THE DAY. I BECAME BUSY SLOWING DOWN AND CONFIGURING THE ACFT FOR LNDG AND DID NOT THINK ABOUT THE SIT WITH THE RADIO VOLUME AND NOT HEARING TWR'S INSTRUCTIONS, FOR WHICH I DID NOT FOLLOW. WHEN I WAS ON FINAL I COULD HEAR FAINT COMS ON THE CTAF BUT DID NOT WANT TO DIVIDE MY ATTN WITH TASK AT HAND WITH THE RADIO AND LNDG THE ACFT, BUT STILL ANNOUNCED MY ACTIONS. AFTER LNDG, I TAXIED OFF THE ACTIVE RWY. AT THIS POINT, I REALIZED WHAT HAD JUST TAKEN PLACE AND CONTACTED GND ASKING IF THEY WERE OPEN AND TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO THE RAMP. THEY RESPONDED WITH A TONGUE THRASHING 'YES,' AND ASK TO CALL THEM IMMEDIATELY. FORTUNATELY, THE CONVERSATION DIDN'T END WITH THE SAME TONE IT HAD STARTED WITH. AFTER EVALUATING THE WHOLE SIT, I REALIZED THAT I NEED PAY MORE ATTN TO CTAF THAN ATIS AND TRY TO CONTACT TWR EVEN BEFORE THEY ARE SCHEDULED TO OPEN. MY ATTN SHOULD BE GIVEN NOT ONLY TO LNDG THE ACFT BUT ALSO TO MY SURROUNDINGS INCLUDING PROPER RADIO USE. TWR SHOULD ALSO MONITOR THE FREQ BEFORE OPENING AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THERE WILL BE OCCASIONS LIKE THESE AND START GIVING INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE ATIS IS ON THE AIR.

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.