Narrative:

On oct/xa/98 I was descending to bed (hanscom field) and obtained ATIS information. At about 1500 ft AGL, I dialed in the tower and ground frequencys on my 2 radios and contacted the tower, saying 'bedford, skylane xyz here, about 9 mi to the southwest, with ATIS information.' I was informed that I was in contact with bedford ground and requested to switch over to the tower frequency. I apologized and switched to the tower frequency. I then stated 'tower, skylane xyz here, about 9 mi to the southwest with ATIS information.' I was told to report left base, runway 29 (ATIS had indicated runway 23). I continued in and reported as directed, and was cleared to land. I then requested permission to 'land long' (my hangar was at the end of the runway). Permission to land long was granted. As we approached the runway 23 intersection at 75-100 ft AGL, we noted a plane (I believe a katana, single engine, private aircraft) at lower altitude, landing on runway 23. We ascended about 75 ft and maintaining visual contact with the other aircraft, touched down some distance after the intersection. After we cleared runway 29, we contacted hanscom ground, and they asked us if we knew we had just landed on runway 29. We answered 'affirmative' and told them all that we had reported to the tower, and that we had been cleared to land on runway 29. They replied that we must have been in contact with another tower and that we had not been in contact with hanscom tower. They then cleared us to the hangar and suggested we contact the tower on their frequency. I reported that I had indeed been in touch with the tower and that my other radio was still dialed in at (I read it off) 120.5. Hanscom tower's frequency is 119.5. Ground replied 'did you say 120.5?' feeling ashamed and horrified about it all, I chose to finish hangaring my plane and phone the tower from my home rather than contact them on tower frequency. I attempted to reach tower personnel once I reached home (about 20 mins later) and got their answering machine. I left the message that I was the owner of skylane xyz and also left my home and office phone numbers. Noted mental errors: 1) not positively identing dialed-in communication frequencys and communication switch position. 2) not positively identing the tower (I said 'tower, this is...,' I did not say 'hanscom tower, this is....') 3) not questioning the runway assignment (ATIS had indicated runway 23). 4) judgement error in deciding to not go around once we saw landing aircraft, even though at the time we thought we were 'in the right' and felt both aircraft could land safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC ON THE WRONG RWY AT BED, MA. PLT HAD INCORRECT FREQ ON RADIO AND HAD NOT ADDRESSED THE TWR WITH A 'BEDFORD' PRECEDING THE 'TWR.'

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/98 I WAS DSNDING TO BED (HANSCOM FIELD) AND OBTAINED ATIS INFO. AT ABOUT 1500 FT AGL, I DIALED IN THE TWR AND GND FREQS ON MY 2 RADIOS AND CONTACTED THE TWR, SAYING 'BEDFORD, SKYLANE XYZ HERE, ABOUT 9 MI TO THE SW, WITH ATIS INFO.' I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS IN CONTACT WITH BEDFORD GND AND REQUESTED TO SWITCH OVER TO THE TWR FREQ. I APOLOGIZED AND SWITCHED TO THE TWR FREQ. I THEN STATED 'TWR, SKYLANE XYZ HERE, ABOUT 9 MI TO THE SW WITH ATIS INFO.' I WAS TOLD TO RPT L BASE, RWY 29 (ATIS HAD INDICATED RWY 23). I CONTINUED IN AND RPTED AS DIRECTED, AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I THEN REQUESTED PERMISSION TO 'LAND LONG' (MY HANGAR WAS AT THE END OF THE RWY). PERMISSION TO LAND LONG WAS GRANTED. AS WE APCHED THE RWY 23 INTXN AT 75-100 FT AGL, WE NOTED A PLANE (I BELIEVE A KATANA, SINGLE ENG, PVT ACFT) AT LOWER ALT, LNDG ON RWY 23. WE ASCENDED ABOUT 75 FT AND MAINTAINING VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE OTHER ACFT, TOUCHED DOWN SOME DISTANCE AFTER THE INTXN. AFTER WE CLRED RWY 29, WE CONTACTED HANSCOM GND, AND THEY ASKED US IF WE KNEW WE HAD JUST LANDED ON RWY 29. WE ANSWERED 'AFFIRMATIVE' AND TOLD THEM ALL THAT WE HAD RPTED TO THE TWR, AND THAT WE HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 29. THEY REPLIED THAT WE MUST HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH ANOTHER TWR AND THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN IN CONTACT WITH HANSCOM TWR. THEY THEN CLRED US TO THE HANGAR AND SUGGESTED WE CONTACT THE TWR ON THEIR FREQ. I RPTED THAT I HAD INDEED BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE TWR AND THAT MY OTHER RADIO WAS STILL DIALED IN AT (I READ IT OFF) 120.5. HANSCOM TWR'S FREQ IS 119.5. GND REPLIED 'DID YOU SAY 120.5?' FEELING ASHAMED AND HORRIFIED ABOUT IT ALL, I CHOSE TO FINISH HANGARING MY PLANE AND PHONE THE TWR FROM MY HOME RATHER THAN CONTACT THEM ON TWR FREQ. I ATTEMPTED TO REACH TWR PERSONNEL ONCE I REACHED HOME (ABOUT 20 MINS LATER) AND GOT THEIR ANSWERING MACHINE. I LEFT THE MESSAGE THAT I WAS THE OWNER OF SKYLANE XYZ AND ALSO LEFT MY HOME AND OFFICE PHONE NUMBERS. NOTED MENTAL ERRORS: 1) NOT POSITIVELY IDENTING DIALED-IN COM FREQS AND COM SWITCH POS. 2) NOT POSITIVELY IDENTING THE TWR (I SAID 'TWR, THIS IS...,' I DID NOT SAY 'HANSCOM TWR, THIS IS....') 3) NOT QUESTIONING THE RWY ASSIGNMENT (ATIS HAD INDICATED RWY 23). 4) JUDGEMENT ERROR IN DECIDING TO NOT GO AROUND ONCE WE SAW LNDG ACFT, EVEN THOUGH AT THE TIME WE THOUGHT WE WERE 'IN THE RIGHT' AND FELT BOTH ACFT COULD LAND SAFETY.

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.