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Pilot of a piper turbo seneca, PA34-200T failed to contact tower for landing clearance after being cleared for a visual approach by ATC. Pilot claims that he became distraction over the amount of altitude he needed to lose for landing since he was over the airport at a higher altitude than he was usually accustomed to being at.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 395440 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199803 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mcn |
| State Reference | GA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : mcn |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200T Turbo Seneca II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Route In Use | approach : visual |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 40 flight time total : 1662 flight time type : 25 |
| ASRS Report | 395440 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Cleared for visual approach by approach control. Kept me very high on downwind, 5000 ft MSL (4500 ft AGL). I don't recall a handoff to tower frequency. I got preoccupied with slowing down and going down and did not switch to tower or receive landing clearance nor did I request landing clearance. I did not discover the error until off the runway and switched to ground frequency. Both tower and ground were being handled by the same controller and he informed me of my goof. No conflict occurred. I think the problem arose because I've only owned this airplane 1 month. The previous plane was a single engine, fixed gear, no turbocharged PA32, and the go-down/slow-down situation the approach controller put me in. I'm not trying to switch the blame but the approach was not routine and I was concentrating too much on solving that problem.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PLT OF A PIPER TURBO SENECA, PA34-200T FAILED TO CONTACT TWR FOR LNDG CLRNC AFTER BEING CLRED FOR A VISUAL APCH BY ATC. PLT CLAIMS THAT HE BECAME DISTR OVER THE AMOUNT OF ALT HE NEEDED TO LOSE FOR LNDG SINCE HE WAS OVER THE ARPT AT A HIGHER ALT THAN HE WAS USUALLY ACCUSTOMED TO BEING AT.
Narrative: CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH BY APCH CTL. KEPT ME VERY HIGH ON DOWNWIND, 5000 FT MSL (4500 FT AGL). I DON'T RECALL A HDOF TO TWR FREQ. I GOT PREOCCUPIED WITH SLOWING DOWN AND GOING DOWN AND DID NOT SWITCH TO TWR OR RECEIVE LNDG CLRNC NOR DID I REQUEST LNDG CLRNC. I DID NOT DISCOVER THE ERROR UNTIL OFF THE RWY AND SWITCHED TO GND FREQ. BOTH TWR AND GND WERE BEING HANDLED BY THE SAME CTLR AND HE INFORMED ME OF MY GOOF. NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. I THINK THE PROB AROSE BECAUSE I'VE ONLY OWNED THIS AIRPLANE 1 MONTH. THE PREVIOUS PLANE WAS A SINGLE ENG, FIXED GEAR, NO TURBOCHARGED PA32, AND THE GO-DOWN/SLOW-DOWN SIT THE APCH CTLR PUT ME IN. I'M NOT TRYING TO SWITCH THE BLAME BUT THE APCH WAS NOT ROUTINE AND I WAS CONCENTRATING TOO MUCH ON SOLVING THAT PROB.
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.