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A private pilot flying IMC, became task-saturated with holding instructions, persistent turbulence, and a sick passenger which contributed to his failure to contact the tower. He landed without permission.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 451900 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199910 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | AL |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 3200 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence Thunderstorm |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : bhm.tracon tower : tcl.tower tower : atl.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cardinal 177/177RG |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer only : 4 |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude descent : holding landing : roll |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : tcl.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Cessna 150 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing : go around |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 65 flight time total : 1420 flight time type : 992 |
| ASRS Report | 451900 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground less severe incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : required legal separation other anomaly |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew |
| Miss Distance | horizontal : 12000 vertical : 800 |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Passenger Human Performance Weather Environmental Factor ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
I was inbound to airport, IFR flight, IMC with bad turbulence. Approach directed me to descend to 3200 ft and hold on the localizer. I asked where to hold 2 times before ATC replied. I was trying to figure out where to hold. A few mins later, approach said I was cleared for the approach and to contact tower when established. I contacted approach and said I was established on the localizer (at this point my passenger was getting sick). I started my descent on the localizer and switched to tower. I think this is the point I lost communication. I thought I heard that I was cleared to land. I continued to fly the approach. We were really getting bounced around. I landed. I heard another aircraft asking the tower about an aircraft on the runway. I contacted tower and idented myself, saying that I was on the runway. Tower asked me why I did not contact him. I said I thought I had and was cleared to land. I apologized. He asked me where I was parking. The other aircraft went around. I saw the other aircraft overhead as I was turning off the runway, at about 800 ft AGL.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PVT PLT FLYING IMC, BECAME TASK-SATURATED WITH HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS, PERSISTENT TURB, AND A SICK PAX WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO HIS FAILURE TO CONTACT THE TWR. HE LANDED WITHOUT PERMISSION.
Narrative: I WAS INBOUND TO ARPT, IFR FLT, IMC WITH BAD TURB. APCH DIRECTED ME TO DSND TO 3200 FT AND HOLD ON THE LOC. I ASKED WHERE TO HOLD 2 TIMES BEFORE ATC REPLIED. I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO HOLD. A FEW MINS LATER, APCH SAID I WAS CLRED FOR THE APCH AND TO CONTACT TWR WHEN ESTABLISHED. I CONTACTED APCH AND SAID I WAS ESTABLISHED ON THE LOC (AT THIS POINT MY PAX WAS GETTING SICK). I STARTED MY DSCNT ON THE LOC AND SWITCHED TO TWR. I THINK THIS IS THE POINT I LOST COM. I THOUGHT I HEARD THAT I WAS CLRED TO LAND. I CONTINUED TO FLY THE APCH. WE WERE REALLY GETTING BOUNCED AROUND. I LANDED. I HEARD ANOTHER ACFT ASKING THE TWR ABOUT AN ACFT ON THE RWY. I CONTACTED TWR AND IDENTED MYSELF, SAYING THAT I WAS ON THE RWY. TWR ASKED ME WHY I DID NOT CONTACT HIM. I SAID I THOUGHT I HAD AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. I APOLOGIZED. HE ASKED ME WHERE I WAS PARKING. THE OTHER ACFT WENT AROUND. I SAW THE OTHER ACFT OVERHEAD AS I WAS TURNING OFF THE RWY, AT ABOUT 800 FT AGL.
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.