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A B727 on last flight before retirement, flight crew unfamiliar with operation broadcast on unicom frequency with no response and landed uneventfully not realizing that gyr is a controled airport.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 456516 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199911 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| State Reference | AZ |
| Altitude | msl single value : 3000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | descent : vacating altitude descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach |
| Route In Use | approach : circling approach : visual arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 6500 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 45 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500 |
| ASRS Report | 456303 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter other non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence other |
| Independent Detector | other controllera |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
We were delivering a B727 to gyr for maintenance prior to retiring the aircraft to the desert. Luke AFB approach control cleared us for a visual approach to runway 3 at gyr. They told us to contact the tower, but gave us no frequency. No commercial charts were available for gyr and we were using unfamiliar airfield diagrams. This made finding the correct tower frequency challenging in a short time period. I was flying and the first officer found the unicom frequency for gyr. I remarked that I thought they had a tower frequency and he remarked 'no, unicom on 122.95.' I also hurriedly looked at my chart, while on a short right base, and also saw unicom prominently displayed near the top of the diagram. We continued to self-announce on unicom and when on short final I thought I saw a green light from tower and landed. On rollout, we discovered that tower frequency was 120.1, not unicom. Contributing factors were not being prepared for a quick handoff to tower with no frequency coupled with no approach charts and an unfamiliar layout of the airfield diagram. We also had been briefed that gyr was a no-radar, no-approach, VFR only airport -- so unicom seemed to make sense. I had previously studied the airfield diagram with emphasis on VFR past procedures on altitudes, runway lengths, displaced threshold on runway 21 and parking location, but did not notice the tower frequency.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727 ON LAST FLT BEFORE RETIREMENT, FLC UNFAMILIAR WITH OP BROADCAST ON UNICOM FREQ WITH NO RESPONSE AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY NOT REALIZING THAT GYR IS A CTLED ARPT.
Narrative: WE WERE DELIVERING A B727 TO GYR FOR MAINT PRIOR TO RETIRING THE ACFT TO THE DESERT. LUKE AFB APCH CTL CLRED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 3 AT GYR. THEY TOLD US TO CONTACT THE TWR, BUT GAVE US NO FREQ. NO COMMERCIAL CHARTS WERE AVAILABLE FOR GYR AND WE WERE USING UNFAMILIAR AIRFIELD DIAGRAMS. THIS MADE FINDING THE CORRECT TWR FREQ CHALLENGING IN A SHORT TIME PERIOD. I WAS FLYING AND THE FO FOUND THE UNICOM FREQ FOR GYR. I REMARKED THAT I THOUGHT THEY HAD A TWR FREQ AND HE REMARKED 'NO, UNICOM ON 122.95.' I ALSO HURRIEDLY LOOKED AT MY CHART, WHILE ON A SHORT R BASE, AND ALSO SAW UNICOM PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED NEAR THE TOP OF THE DIAGRAM. WE CONTINUED TO SELF-ANNOUNCE ON UNICOM AND WHEN ON SHORT FINAL I THOUGHT I SAW A GREEN LIGHT FROM TWR AND LANDED. ON ROLLOUT, WE DISCOVERED THAT TWR FREQ WAS 120.1, NOT UNICOM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE NOT BEING PREPARED FOR A QUICK HDOF TO TWR WITH NO FREQ COUPLED WITH NO APCH CHARTS AND AN UNFAMILIAR LAYOUT OF THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM. WE ALSO HAD BEEN BRIEFED THAT GYR WAS A NO-RADAR, NO-APCH, VFR ONLY ARPT -- SO UNICOM SEEMED TO MAKE SENSE. I HAD PREVIOUSLY STUDIED THE AIRFIELD DIAGRAM WITH EMPHASIS ON VFR PAST PROCS ON ALTS, RWY LENGTHS, DISPLACED THRESHOLD ON RWY 21 AND PARKING LOCATION, BUT DID NOT NOTICE THE TWR FREQ.
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.