A B06 helicopter pilot landing without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	509645
Time
Date	200104
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sat.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	msl single value : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : sat.tracon tower : sat.tower
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Jet Ranger/Kiowa/206
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 7000 flight time type : 600
ASRS Report	509645
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On apr/xa/01, at about XA45Z, near the end of a 5.6 hour single pilot cross country flight from fhu to sat in a bell 206l3 helicopter, I missed an instruction to contact tower. Shortly after radar contact, and just inside 20 NM at 1500 ft MSL, approach asked me for my request. I told approach that I was inbound from the northwest to FBO for fuel (as best that I can remember). Approach then said 'cleared to nayak as requested, maintain own navigation, remain south of the runway 12R ILS extended centerline,' along with the current wind and altimeter setting. With this clearance, approach must have told me to contact tower, but I don't remember hearing that part of the instruction. I didn't give a full readback because I was thinking about how I was going to comply with approach's instructions. Commercial airliners were landing on runways 12L&right, so I knew that I was going to stay out of their way, and found that not to be a problem. I fly in and out of sat often, and I'm familiar with the common rtes, also I have to say that one reason I wasn't concerned about not being handed off to tower was because there have been times where some controllers handled me as approach and tower, or tower and approach on the same frequencys. I've experienced this at several different airports. This procedure seems to be common at slow times. I've never known this to be a problem, and don't think that it is. However, the reason I'm compelled to write this form was because of how I upset the controller. I called approach after the flight to apologize, and to find out when, exactly, I missed the instruction to contact tower. Normally, I read back all the major points of a clearance, but because of being a little tired, and receiving a cumbersome clearance, I simply responded with a wilco. In the future, I will ask for a clearance again if I don't fully understand it, that way it would have given approach the opportunity to reinstate its direction to contact tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B06 HELI PLT LWOC.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/01, AT ABOUT XA45Z, NEAR THE END OF A 5.6 HR SINGLE PLT XCOUNTRY FLT FROM FHU TO SAT IN A BELL 206L3 HELI, I MISSED AN INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR. SHORTLY AFTER RADAR CONTACT, AND JUST INSIDE 20 NM AT 1500 FT MSL, APCH ASKED ME FOR MY REQUEST. I TOLD APCH THAT I WAS INBOUND FROM THE NW TO FBO FOR FUEL (AS BEST THAT I CAN REMEMBER). APCH THEN SAID 'CLRED TO NAYAK AS REQUESTED, MAINTAIN OWN NAV, REMAIN S OF THE RWY 12R ILS EXTENDED CTRLINE,' ALONG WITH THE CURRENT WIND AND ALTIMETER SETTING. WITH THIS CLRNC, APCH MUST HAVE TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER HEARING THAT PART OF THE INSTRUCTION. I DIDN'T GIVE A FULL READBACK BECAUSE I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW I WAS GOING TO COMPLY WITH APCH'S INSTRUCTIONS. COMMERCIAL AIRLINERS WERE LNDG ON RWYS 12L&R, SO I KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO STAY OUT OF THEIR WAY, AND FOUND THAT NOT TO BE A PROB. I FLY IN AND OUT OF SAT OFTEN, AND I'M FAMILIAR WITH THE COMMON RTES, ALSO I HAVE TO SAY THAT ONE REASON I WASN'T CONCERNED ABOUT NOT BEING HANDED OFF TO TWR WAS BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE SOME CTLRS HANDLED ME AS APCH AND TWR, OR TWR AND APCH ON THE SAME FREQS. I'VE EXPERIENCED THIS AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT ARPTS. THIS PROC SEEMS TO BE COMMON AT SLOW TIMES. I'VE NEVER KNOWN THIS TO BE A PROB, AND DON'T THINK THAT IT IS. HOWEVER, THE REASON I'M COMPELLED TO WRITE THIS FORM WAS BECAUSE OF HOW I UPSET THE CTLR. I CALLED APCH AFTER THE FLT TO APOLOGIZE, AND TO FIND OUT WHEN, EXACTLY, I MISSED THE INSTRUCTION TO CONTACT TWR. NORMALLY, I READ BACK ALL THE MAJOR POINTS OF A CLRNC, BUT BECAUSE OF BEING A LITTLE TIRED, AND RECEIVING A CUMBERSOME CLRNC, I SIMPLY RESPONDED WITH A WILCO. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL ASK FOR A CLRNC AGAIN IF I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, THAT WAY IT WOULD HAVE GIVEN APCH THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINSTATE ITS DIRECTION TO CONTACT TWR.

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.