Narrative:

My student and I prepared to depart on an IFR cross country, in VFR WX. I asked the student to check WX, NOTAMS, file an IFR flight plan and preflight. After a short time, my student advised me that everything was done except the flight plan was not filed. I asked atlantic city to activate our IFR flight plan. I was told they didn't have it. So I advised them that I could continue VFR with advisories. When I switched to dover they asked me to confirm my destination which I did. About 10 mi north of sby I was advised, the airport is at 12 O'clock position 10 mi, radar services terminated, squawk VFR, frequency change approved. For further advisories contact pxt approach. Since I had the field in sight I did not contact pxt. I switched to the CTAF and made position reports. We flew over the field looked at the windsock and set up for a left downwind. When we landed and taxied off, I noticed a control tower. I quickly looked at my charts to confirm that they didn't show a control tower. At that point, I figured the tower was decommissioned. When I taxied by, I noticed someone in the tower waving. I looked at the charts again and called pxt approach. I started to ask pxt if they had a frequency for sby tower, as I was doing this, tower came on pxt's frequency and said, aircraft on the ground at sby contact sby tower on frequency XXX.xx. I immediately called tower and advised them that my current charts had no frequency for sby tower. Tower advised me that they were open by NOTAM. At this point, I apologized profusely and was told by tower to be sure and contact him before I departed, which I did. If I had gotten the IFR I would have been told to contact tower. Since I was VFR, and the tower was new, dover might have advised me to contact the tower and not pxt approach. Also tower could monitor the CTAF.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT LANDS AT SBY WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I PREPARED TO DEPART ON AN IFR XCOUNTRY, IN VFR WX. I ASKED THE STUDENT TO CHK WX, NOTAMS, FILE AN IFR FLT PLAN AND PREFLT. AFTER A SHORT TIME, MY STUDENT ADVISED ME THAT EVERYTHING WAS DONE EXCEPT THE FLT PLAN WAS NOT FILED. I ASKED ATLANTIC CITY TO ACTIVATE OUR IFR FLT PLAN. I WAS TOLD THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT. SO I ADVISED THEM THAT I COULD CONTINUE VFR WITH ADVISORIES. WHEN I SWITCHED TO DOVER THEY ASKED ME TO CONFIRM MY DEST WHICH I DID. ABOUT 10 MI N OF SBY I WAS ADVISED, THE ARPT IS AT 12 O'CLOCK POS 10 MI, RADAR SVCS TERMINATED, SQUAWK VFR, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED. FOR FURTHER ADVISORIES CONTACT PXT APCH. SINCE I HAD THE FIELD IN SIGHT I DID NOT CONTACT PXT. I SWITCHED TO THE CTAF AND MADE POS RPTS. WE FLEW OVER THE FIELD LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK AND SET UP FOR A L DOWNWIND. WHEN WE LANDED AND TAXIED OFF, I NOTICED A CTL TWR. I QUICKLY LOOKED AT MY CHARTS TO CONFIRM THAT THEY DIDN'T SHOW A CTL TWR. AT THAT POINT, I FIGURED THE TWR WAS DECOMMISSIONED. WHEN I TAXIED BY, I NOTICED SOMEONE IN THE TWR WAVING. I LOOKED AT THE CHARTS AGAIN AND CALLED PXT APCH. I STARTED TO ASK PXT IF THEY HAD A FREQ FOR SBY TWR, AS I WAS DOING THIS, TWR CAME ON PXT'S FREQ AND SAID, ACFT ON THE GND AT SBY CONTACT SBY TWR ON FREQ XXX.XX. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED TWR AND ADVISED THEM THAT MY CURRENT CHARTS HAD NO FREQ FOR SBY TWR. TWR ADVISED ME THAT THEY WERE OPEN BY NOTAM. AT THIS POINT, I APOLOGIZED PROFUSELY AND WAS TOLD BY TWR TO BE SURE AND CONTACT HIM BEFORE I DEPARTED, WHICH I DID. IF I HAD GOTTEN THE IFR I WOULD HAVE BEEN TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. SINCE I WAS VFR, AND THE TWR WAS NEW, DOVER MIGHT HAVE ADVISED ME TO CONTACT THE TWR AND NOT PXT APCH. ALSO TWR COULD MONITOR THE CTAF.

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.