Narrative:

Mckellar field is now an air traffic area with an operational control tower on field. The control tower/CTAF frequency is 127.15 as of may/xx/95 and as published in current sectionals and charts. I transmitted on 127.15 to report inbound, but I only heard garble on the radio. I then intuitively switched to 123.6 which is the old control tower/CTAF frequency and made announcements as were required. I have been to mckellar field several times in the past and I have always communicated on 123.6. Since I received no response on either frequency, I made the assumption that the tower was closed. I proceeded closer to the airport and saw no light signals from the tower. As I proceeded to land, another aircraft well behind me made a go around. It was not a near miss. After my touch-and-go, I proceeded to the NDB (mercy) to hold and think about things. Shortly thereafter, I heard garble once again and on 123.6. In the garble I could barely make out 'change to 127.15 and contact tower.' I then changed frequencys and further transmitted. The control tower's xmissions were broken and barely readable. I then told the tower of his xmissions and that I would proceed inbound and talk to him on the ground. I explained the situation and he made his report. The gentleman was very helpful, and he invited me back to mckellar field. I have determined that the radio I was using was in fact operable because I had good radio contact with ZME and other stations that were mi away. Because I heard garble on 127.15, I could not help but to wonder if the frequency was published in error, so I intuitively switched to 123.6 to transmit as I had in previous yrs. The controller told me that he is supposed to monitor 123.6, but he only heard me once, at which time he switched me to 127.15. I would like to know if anyone else has had this experience at mckellar field, and is the controller's radio transmitting and receiving as it should? In the midst of this entire event, I was transmitting in the blind. Since I received no indications from the tower or any other aircraft, I assumed the lost communications procedure while hoping the other aircraft would extend its downwind leg. I had in fact prepared for this flight as per part 91 regulations and I was cleared to land for the full stop at mckellar field. I scanned the area thoroughly for other traffic prior to the touch-and-go. The controller told me I was not cleared to land and that I violated the class D airspace. Supplemental information from acn 321039: while riding as a passenger, we landed at airport while pilot was broadcasting on tower frequency as published on his charts. Upon landing, he was advised that he had landed without permission from the tower. Pilot thought tower was closed because he received no response from his xmissions. Pilot was using frequency from his charts which were more than 1 yr old. Tower frequency had been changed and pilot was unaware due to his having outdated charts. I was not acting as a crew member or CFI at any time during this flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA UNAUTH ENTRY CLASS D AIRSPACE LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: MCKELLAR FIELD IS NOW AN ATA WITH AN OPERATIONAL CTL TWR ON FIELD. THE CTL TWR/CTAF FREQ IS 127.15 AS OF MAY/XX/95 AND AS PUBLISHED IN CURRENT SECTIONALS AND CHARTS. I XMITTED ON 127.15 TO RPT INBOUND, BUT I ONLY HEARD GARBLE ON THE RADIO. I THEN INTUITIVELY SWITCHED TO 123.6 WHICH IS THE OLD CTL TWR/CTAF FREQ AND MADE ANNOUNCEMENTS AS WERE REQUIRED. I HAVE BEEN TO MCKELLAR FIELD SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST AND I HAVE ALWAYS COMMUNICATED ON 123.6. SINCE I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE ON EITHER FREQ, I MADE THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE TWR WAS CLOSED. I PROCEEDED CLOSER TO THE ARPT AND SAW NO LIGHT SIGNALS FROM THE TWR. AS I PROCEEDED TO LAND, ANOTHER ACFT WELL BEHIND ME MADE A GAR. IT WAS NOT A NEAR MISS. AFTER MY TOUCH-AND-GO, I PROCEEDED TO THE NDB (MERCY) TO HOLD AND THINK ABOUT THINGS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, I HEARD GARBLE ONCE AGAIN AND ON 123.6. IN THE GARBLE I COULD BARELY MAKE OUT 'CHANGE TO 127.15 AND CONTACT TWR.' I THEN CHANGED FREQS AND FURTHER XMITTED. THE CTL TWR'S XMISSIONS WERE BROKEN AND BARELY READABLE. I THEN TOLD THE TWR OF HIS XMISSIONS AND THAT I WOULD PROCEED INBOUND AND TALK TO HIM ON THE GND. I EXPLAINED THE SIT AND HE MADE HIS RPT. THE GENTLEMAN WAS VERY HELPFUL, AND HE INVITED ME BACK TO MCKELLAR FIELD. I HAVE DETERMINED THAT THE RADIO I WAS USING WAS IN FACT OPERABLE BECAUSE I HAD GOOD RADIO CONTACT WITH ZME AND OTHER STATIONS THAT WERE MI AWAY. BECAUSE I HEARD GARBLE ON 127.15, I COULD NOT HELP BUT TO WONDER IF THE FREQ WAS PUBLISHED IN ERROR, SO I INTUITIVELY SWITCHED TO 123.6 TO XMIT AS I HAD IN PREVIOUS YRS. THE CTLR TOLD ME THAT HE IS SUPPOSED TO MONITOR 123.6, BUT HE ONLY HEARD ME ONCE, AT WHICH TIME HE SWITCHED ME TO 127.15. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS EXPERIENCE AT MCKELLAR FIELD, AND IS THE CTLR'S RADIO XMITTING AND RECEIVING AS IT SHOULD? IN THE MIDST OF THIS ENTIRE EVENT, I WAS XMITTING IN THE BLIND. SINCE I RECEIVED NO INDICATIONS FROM THE TWR OR ANY OTHER ACFT, I ASSUMED THE LOST COMS PROC WHILE HOPING THE OTHER ACFT WOULD EXTEND ITS DOWNWIND LEG. I HAD IN FACT PREPARED FOR THIS FLT AS PER PART 91 REGS AND I WAS CLRED TO LAND FOR THE FULL STOP AT MCKELLAR FIELD. I SCANNED THE AREA THOROUGHLY FOR OTHER TFC PRIOR TO THE TOUCH-AND-GO. THE CTLR TOLD ME I WAS NOT CLRED TO LAND AND THAT I VIOLATED THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 321039: WHILE RIDING AS A PAX, WE LANDED AT ARPT WHILE PLT WAS BROADCASTING ON TWR FREQ AS PUBLISHED ON HIS CHARTS. UPON LNDG, HE WAS ADVISED THAT HE HAD LANDED WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE TWR. PLT THOUGHT TWR WAS CLOSED BECAUSE HE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE FROM HIS XMISSIONS. PLT WAS USING FREQ FROM HIS CHARTS WHICH WERE MORE THAN 1 YR OLD. TWR FREQ HAD BEEN CHANGED AND PLT WAS UNAWARE DUE TO HIS HAVING OUTDATED CHARTS. I WAS NOT ACTING AS A CREW MEMBER OR CFI AT ANY TIME DURING THIS FLT.

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.