Narrative:

On jul/xa/97 my cross country route was vrb-34J-ism-vrb. Based on my flight planning by checking jax sectional VFR chart and AFD, I wrote down all available frequencys, such as CTAF, unicom, AWOS, etc. After I took off from 34J, I opened flight plan at st petersburg FSS and received flight following (radar service) from orl approach controller. During this phase of flight, neither st petersburg FSS nor orl approach (until radar service terminated) did not tell me about kissimmee municipal airport (ism) is now controled airport (tower is operating class D). Especially orl approach just told me 'ism is using runway 33R heavy traffic' without mentioning tower frequency at ism. (Normal procedure for radar service, when they hand off -- or terminate -- give appropriate frequency, such as tower or next available radar service center.) after I got ism airport in sight, I proceeded uncontrolled airport approach procedure (making traffic calls on CTAF and unicom frequency). However, there was no one answering on both frequencys. Then I flew the ism airport at above traffic pattern altitude and checked for traffic. I could not find any aircraft at runway or taxiway, so I flew left traffic pattern and landed on runway 33. Beside, there was a tower, but I couldn't be able to verify whether tower is operating or not. (Based on my flight planning, ism was uncontrolled airport by checking sectional, AFD, NOTAM, etc.) after I landed at ism, I talked to the ism tower manager over the phone, and he asked me how I approach and land at ism without contacting ism tower, so I explained all the procedures I've done since flight planning and so on (as described above). Finally tower manager told me that as far as approach and landing procedure was concerned (based on not knowing tower is operating) I did everything that I was supposed to do as a pilot, so tower manager did not violate me. I believe this incident all begins from confusion on 2 different government printing (jax VFR sectional chart versus AFD) talking about 2 different things. For example, the frequency list on sectional for ism CTAF is different than what AFD listed for CTAF ism. Also, jax sectional still showing ism airspace is class east starting at 700 ft. AFD does list tower frequency at ism, but I confused because it didn't mention about airspace (such as class D at ism). Also, NOTAM didn't show ism tower is operating.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR FOR A CLRNC SINCE THE PLT DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THE TWR WAS ACTIVE AND THAT THE CORRESPONDING TWR FREQS WHICH WERE SHOWN ON THE AFD WERE CURRENTLY BEING USED BY THE TWR.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/97 MY XCOUNTRY RTE WAS VRB-34J-ISM-VRB. BASED ON MY FLT PLANNING BY CHKING JAX SECTIONAL VFR CHART AND AFD, I WROTE DOWN ALL AVAILABLE FREQS, SUCH AS CTAF, UNICOM, AWOS, ETC. AFTER I TOOK OFF FROM 34J, I OPENED FLT PLAN AT ST PETERSBURG FSS AND RECEIVED FLT FOLLOWING (RADAR SVC) FROM ORL APCH CTLR. DURING THIS PHASE OF FLT, NEITHER ST PETERSBURG FSS NOR ORL APCH (UNTIL RADAR SVC TERMINATED) DID NOT TELL ME ABOUT KISSIMMEE MUNICIPAL ARPT (ISM) IS NOW CTLED ARPT (TWR IS OPERATING CLASS D). ESPECIALLY ORL APCH JUST TOLD ME 'ISM IS USING RWY 33R HVY TFC' WITHOUT MENTIONING TWR FREQ AT ISM. (NORMAL PROC FOR RADAR SVC, WHEN THEY HAND OFF -- OR TERMINATE -- GIVE APPROPRIATE FREQ, SUCH AS TWR OR NEXT AVAILABLE RADAR SVC CTR.) AFTER I GOT ISM ARPT IN SIGHT, I PROCEEDED UNCTLED ARPT APCH PROC (MAKING TFC CALLS ON CTAF AND UNICOM FREQ). HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO ONE ANSWERING ON BOTH FREQS. THEN I FLEW THE ISM ARPT AT ABOVE TFC PATTERN ALT AND CHKED FOR TFC. I COULD NOT FIND ANY ACFT AT RWY OR TXWY, SO I FLEW L TFC PATTERN AND LANDED ON RWY 33. BESIDE, THERE WAS A TWR, BUT I COULDN'T BE ABLE TO VERIFY WHETHER TWR IS OPERATING OR NOT. (BASED ON MY FLT PLANNING, ISM WAS UNCTLED ARPT BY CHKING SECTIONAL, AFD, NOTAM, ETC.) AFTER I LANDED AT ISM, I TALKED TO THE ISM TWR MGR OVER THE PHONE, AND HE ASKED ME HOW I APCH AND LAND AT ISM WITHOUT CONTACTING ISM TWR, SO I EXPLAINED ALL THE PROCS I'VE DONE SINCE FLT PLANNING AND SO ON (AS DESCRIBED ABOVE). FINALLY TWR MGR TOLD ME THAT AS FAR AS APCH AND LNDG PROC WAS CONCERNED (BASED ON NOT KNOWING TWR IS OPERATING) I DID EVERYTHING THAT I WAS SUPPOSED TO DO AS A PLT, SO TWR MGR DID NOT VIOLATE ME. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT ALL BEGINS FROM CONFUSION ON 2 DIFFERENT GOV PRINTING (JAX VFR SECTIONAL CHART VERSUS AFD) TALKING ABOUT 2 DIFFERENT THINGS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FREQ LIST ON SECTIONAL FOR ISM CTAF IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT AFD LISTED FOR CTAF ISM. ALSO, JAX SECTIONAL STILL SHOWING ISM AIRSPACE IS CLASS E STARTING AT 700 FT. AFD DOES LIST TWR FREQ AT ISM, BUT I CONFUSED BECAUSE IT DIDN'T MENTION ABOUT AIRSPACE (SUCH AS CLASS D AT ISM). ALSO, NOTAM DIDN'T SHOW ISM TWR IS OPERATING.

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.