Air taxi pilot lands PA23 at sbh without proper clearance.

Attributes
ACN	417249
Time
Date	199810
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pjm
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sbh tower : mem
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	PA-23 Apache (& Geronimo Apache)
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Route In Use	arrival other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air taxi
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 4400 flight time type : 1400
ASRS Report	417249
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : weather non adherence : published procedure non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Flight initiated from st thomas late due to longer than expected radio maintenance work done in sju, pr, earlier that day, followed by a left engine starter problem. The flight between st thomas and st barthelemy got additionally delayed by some cloud formation and rain showers that I avoided by heading slightly off course. After being in contact with st marteen julianna airport, I switched to st barthelemy frequency at XA01, indicated at my watch. I then tried contact with st barthelemy tower to get the usual airport information and advise of my arrival. Being unable to contact, I switched radios and doublechked all electrical connections to no avail. At 2 NM from the airport, I did a left 360 degree turn and noticed that at that time a rain shower had moved between my position and julianna airport, therefore, having st barthelemy airport in sight I made the decision to land having low visibility conditions between me and st marteen, night falling rapidly and suspecting some radio problems.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR TAXI PLT LANDS PA23 AT SBH WITHOUT PROPER CLRNC.

Narrative: FLT INITIATED FROM ST THOMAS LATE DUE TO LONGER THAN EXPECTED RADIO MAINT WORK DONE IN SJU, PR, EARLIER THAT DAY, FOLLOWED BY A L ENG STARTER PROB. THE FLT BTWN ST THOMAS AND ST BARTHELEMY GOT ADDITIONALLY DELAYED BY SOME CLOUD FORMATION AND RAIN SHOWERS THAT I AVOIDED BY HDG SLIGHTLY OFF COURSE. AFTER BEING IN CONTACT WITH ST MARTEEN JULIANNA ARPT, I SWITCHED TO ST BARTHELEMY FREQ AT XA01, INDICATED AT MY WATCH. I THEN TRIED CONTACT WITH ST BARTHELEMY TWR TO GET THE USUAL ARPT INFO AND ADVISE OF MY ARR. BEING UNABLE TO CONTACT, I SWITCHED RADIOS AND DOUBLECHKED ALL ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS TO NO AVAIL. AT 2 NM FROM THE ARPT, I DID A L 360 DEG TURN AND NOTICED THAT AT THAT TIME A RAIN SHOWER HAD MOVED BTWN MY POS AND JULIANNA ARPT, THEREFORE, HAVING ST BARTHELEMY ARPT IN SIGHT I MADE THE DECISION TO LAND HAVING LOW VISIBILITY CONDITIONS BTWN ME AND ST MARTEEN, NIGHT FALLING RAPIDLY AND SUSPECTING SOME RADIO PROBS.

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.