 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Air ambulance helicopter pilot on wrong frequency presumes the tower is not open when he receives no response. Lands without clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 422835 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US.Airport |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air taxi |
| Flight Phase | landing other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air taxi |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 10175 flight time type : 175 |
| ASRS Report | 422835 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was diverted to ZZZ to pick up a patient to take to XXX. I made position reports on CTAF as it appeared the tower was still closed. I believed they opened at XX00 am but when I received no response I assumed I was mistaken and that they opened at XB00. I overflew the airport east to west and entered left downwind to runway 34 making position reports. I followed an aircraft on final and landed without incident. While unloading equipment our helicopter crew informed me the tower would like to speak with me. It was ascertained that I was on xzz.a while tower and CTAF is xyz.a. Being in a hurry due to the nature of the operation I had read the chart wrong. Due to the time of day I made incorrect assumptions rather than to rechk the frequency on the chart. Tower had cleared a citation on a straight in approach to land, however evasive action was not necessary.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AIR AMBULANCE HELI PLT ON WRONG FREQ PRESUMES THE TWR IS NOT OPEN WHEN HE RECEIVES NO RESPONSE. LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC.
Narrative: I WAS DIVERTED TO ZZZ TO PICK UP A PATIENT TO TAKE TO XXX. I MADE POS RPTS ON CTAF AS IT APPEARED THE TWR WAS STILL CLOSED. I BELIEVED THEY OPENED AT XX00 AM BUT WHEN I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE I ASSUMED I WAS MISTAKEN AND THAT THEY OPENED AT XB00. I OVERFLEW THE ARPT E TO W AND ENTERED L DOWNWIND TO RWY 34 MAKING POS RPTS. I FOLLOWED AN ACFT ON FINAL AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. WHILE UNLOADING EQUIP OUR HELI CREW INFORMED ME THE TWR WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH ME. IT WAS ASCERTAINED THAT I WAS ON XZZ.A WHILE TWR AND CTAF IS XYZ.A. BEING IN A HURRY DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE OP I HAD READ THE CHART WRONG. DUE TO THE TIME OF DAY I MADE INCORRECT ASSUMPTIONS RATHER THAN TO RECHK THE FREQ ON THE CHART. TWR HAD CLRED A CITATION ON A STRAIGHT IN APCH TO LAND, HOWEVER EVASIVE ACTION WAS NOT NECESSARY.
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.