Narrative:

I had been at norfolk for about a week and my next stop was to be washington dc. Manassas was suggested as the most convenient airport and on sep/xx/96, I departed norfolk VFR for the approximately 1 hour flight. I was in constant 'control' en route until I had manassas in sight. When dulles approach determined 'manassas in sight' I was told to switch to VFR (1200) and assume my own navigation. According to my flight guide plate, manassas had no tower but did have a CTAF frequency. On this frequency I reported my position, my approach to the pattern, my runway selection, my position in the pattern and I landed. I landed long on runway 16L and took taxiway K turn off. The WX was fine en route and at manassas and no aircraft that would constitute a hazard were seen. The one airplane that I saw was a cessna apparently doing training. I saw no others as I prepared my airplane for overnight parking. It wasn't until I reached the FBO desk to rent an automobile that I became aware of the manassas tower. During my approach and landing I scanned for aircraft targets and did not see the tower. In retrospect, my error was not to have checked my airport information by phone before takeoff. Also in retrospect I believe the FAA could have been more helpful. 1) dulles approach could have suggested I contact manassas tower, even give me the frequency, which is what socal approach does around los angeles. 2) the manassas tower could have monitored the old CTAF frequency, which would have alerted them to my intent, and I could have been diverted early in the approach.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT IN BE33 BONANZA AS NORAC TFC, PERFORMS AN UNAUTH LNDG AT A CTLED ARPT. LNDG WITHOUT CLRNC. UNAUTH PENETRATION OF CLASS D AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I HAD BEEN AT NORFOLK FOR ABOUT A WK AND MY NEXT STOP WAS TO BE WASHINGTON DC. MANASSAS WAS SUGGESTED AS THE MOST CONVENIENT ARPT AND ON SEP/XX/96, I DEPARTED NORFOLK VFR FOR THE APPROX 1 HR FLT. I WAS IN CONSTANT 'CTL' ENRTE UNTIL I HAD MANASSAS IN SIGHT. WHEN DULLES APCH DETERMINED 'MANASSAS IN SIGHT' I WAS TOLD TO SWITCH TO VFR (1200) AND ASSUME MY OWN NAV. ACCORDING TO MY FLT GUIDE PLATE, MANASSAS HAD NO TWR BUT DID HAVE A CTAF FREQ. ON THIS FREQ I RPTED MY POS, MY APCH TO THE PATTERN, MY RWY SELECTION, MY POS IN THE PATTERN AND I LANDED. I LANDED LONG ON RWY 16L AND TOOK TXWY K TURN OFF. THE WX WAS FINE ENRTE AND AT MANASSAS AND NO ACFT THAT WOULD CONSTITUTE A HAZARD WERE SEEN. THE ONE AIRPLANE THAT I SAW WAS A CESSNA APPARENTLY DOING TRAINING. I SAW NO OTHERS AS I PREPARED MY AIRPLANE FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING. IT WASN'T UNTIL I REACHED THE FBO DESK TO RENT AN AUTOMOBILE THAT I BECAME AWARE OF THE MANASSAS TWR. DURING MY APCH AND LNDG I SCANNED FOR ACFT TARGETS AND DID NOT SEE THE TWR. IN RETROSPECT, MY ERROR WAS NOT TO HAVE CHKED MY ARPT INFO BY PHONE BEFORE TKOF. ALSO IN RETROSPECT I BELIEVE THE FAA COULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL. 1) DULLES APCH COULD HAVE SUGGESTED I CONTACT MANASSAS TWR, EVEN GIVE ME THE FREQ, WHICH IS WHAT SOCAL APCH DOES AROUND LOS ANGELES. 2) THE MANASSAS TWR COULD HAVE MONITORED THE OLD CTAF FREQ, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALERTED THEM TO MY INTENT, AND I COULD HAVE BEEN DIVERTED EARLY IN THE APCH.

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.