Narrative:

At the conclusion of a normal part 91 VFR flight, I unknowingly entered class D airspace with an operating control tower and subsequently landed at that airport without establishing radio contact with the tower controller. En route charts, approach plates, and WAC charts were used for navigation. A normal briefing was obttained emphasizing current and forecast WX conditions as well as NOTAMS concerning NAVAID and facility changes. No unusual NOTAMS were in efefct for the 4 cites or any airspace en route. A CTAF frequency of 123.0 was entered and WX was obtained from the ASOS facility. Approaching the airport from the north, and with regard to the reported winds, I elected for a straight-in approach to runway 17. I set up for the VOR DME runway 17 approach as well as the ILS runway 35 approach adjusted to simulate a backcourse approach to runway 17. I then removed the airport diagram plate from the binder to use for taxiing after landing. A final mental note was made of the approach distances and step down fixes/altitudes for the VOR DME runway 17 approach and the approach binder was put away so as not to interfere with the remainder of the flight. Approximately 20 mi from the airport, I switched the 2 external landing lights on and began periodic position reports on the CTAF frequency. Throughout this period I neither heard nor saw any other traffic. With the lowering of the landing gear, the taxi light was switched on. Approximately 2 mi from the runway end, I made a final radio call indicating that I was on a 2 mi final. As I scanned the airport for any other aircraft taxiing toward the runway, I noticed a control tower. Not recalling any communications frequencys other than the CTAF, I continued inbound. I glanced at the tower a couple more times looking for beacon lights, tower light gun signals, or any other signs of 'life' to suggest it was an operating control tower. Not seeing any, I assumed it was a decommissioned tower and landed. During the landing roll, a voice came on the CTAF frequency instructing me to contact tower on 118.15. I immediately contacted the tower on this frequency. I was then instructed to contact ground control on 119.1 upon exiting the runway, which I did. The same controller then said the tower had been open for a yr, and that 'the next time I enter his class D airspace, to call him first.' I assured him I would and taxied to parking. I made a note on my airport diagram of the ground control and tower frequencys. I reviewed my navigation material to determine how I missed that an operating control tower was in place at this airport. The en route chart and all of the approach plates were current with the single exception of the airport diagram plate. Somehow, the airport diagram plate had inadvertently been overlooked during a revision. This chart showed only the CTAF frequency. The other charts did show the right frequency of 118.15. I was relying on the airport diagram plate for the communication information exclusively. The best course of action to prevent this from happening again is to xref all available material for obvious differences. While navigation facilities are easier to determine from their audible identify, and already twred airports have numerous options to gather information (ATIS, approach, tower, etc), uncontrolled airports do not usually have anything more than a single frequency. Simply xchking this one frequency across the multiple available sources would have alleviated the problem. In addition, continued and enhanced vigilance during the revision process would further prevent a like event from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 PLT ENTERED GCK CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT THE ARPT WITHOUT A CLRNC.

Narrative: AT THE CONCLUSION OF A NORMAL PART 91 VFR FLT, I UNKNOWINGLY ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE WITH AN OPERATING CTL TWR AND SUBSEQUENTLY LANDED AT THAT ARPT WITHOUT ESTABLISHING RADIO CONTACT WITH THE TWR CTLR. ENRTE CHARTS, APCH PLATES, AND WAC CHARTS WERE USED FOR NAV. A NORMAL BRIEFING WAS OBTTAINED EMPHASIZING CURRENT AND FORECAST WX CONDITIONS AS WELL AS NOTAMS CONCERNING NAVAID AND FACILITY CHANGES. NO UNUSUAL NOTAMS WERE IN EFEFCT FOR THE 4 CITES OR ANY AIRSPACE ENRTE. A CTAF FREQ OF 123.0 WAS ENTERED AND WX WAS OBTAINED FROM THE ASOS FACILITY. APCHING THE ARPT FROM THE N, AND WITH REGARD TO THE RPTED WINDS, I ELECTED FOR A STRAIGHT-IN APCH TO RWY 17. I SET UP FOR THE VOR DME RWY 17 APCH AS WELL AS THE ILS RWY 35 APCH ADJUSTED TO SIMULATE A BACKCOURSE APCH TO RWY 17. I THEN REMOVED THE ARPT DIAGRAM PLATE FROM THE BINDER TO USE FOR TAXIING AFTER LNDG. A FINAL MENTAL NOTE WAS MADE OF THE APCH DISTANCES AND STEP DOWN FIXES/ALTS FOR THE VOR DME RWY 17 APCH AND THE APCH BINDER WAS PUT AWAY SO AS NOT TO INTERFERE WITH THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT. APPROX 20 MI FROM THE ARPT, I SWITCHED THE 2 EXTERNAL LNDG LIGHTS ON AND BEGAN PERIODIC POS RPTS ON THE CTAF FREQ. THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD I NEITHER HEARD NOR SAW ANY OTHER TFC. WITH THE LOWERING OF THE LNDG GEAR, THE TAXI LIGHT WAS SWITCHED ON. APPROX 2 MI FROM THE RWY END, I MADE A FINAL RADIO CALL INDICATING THAT I WAS ON A 2 MI FINAL. AS I SCANNED THE ARPT FOR ANY OTHER ACFT TAXIING TOWARD THE RWY, I NOTICED A CTL TWR. NOT RECALLING ANY COMS FREQS OTHER THAN THE CTAF, I CONTINUED INBOUND. I GLANCED AT THE TWR A COUPLE MORE TIMES LOOKING FOR BEACON LIGHTS, TWR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS, OR ANY OTHER SIGNS OF 'LIFE' TO SUGGEST IT WAS AN OPERATING CTL TWR. NOT SEEING ANY, I ASSUMED IT WAS A DECOMMISSIONED TWR AND LANDED. DURING THE LNDG ROLL, A VOICE CAME ON THE CTAF FREQ INSTRUCTING ME TO CONTACT TWR ON 118.15. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE TWR ON THIS FREQ. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT GND CTL ON 119.1 UPON EXITING THE RWY, WHICH I DID. THE SAME CTLR THEN SAID THE TWR HAD BEEN OPEN FOR A YR, AND THAT 'THE NEXT TIME I ENTER HIS CLASS D AIRSPACE, TO CALL HIM FIRST.' I ASSURED HIM I WOULD AND TAXIED TO PARKING. I MADE A NOTE ON MY ARPT DIAGRAM OF THE GND CTL AND TWR FREQS. I REVIEWED MY NAV MATERIAL TO DETERMINE HOW I MISSED THAT AN OPERATING CTL TWR WAS IN PLACE AT THIS ARPT. THE ENRTE CHART AND ALL OF THE APCH PLATES WERE CURRENT WITH THE SINGLE EXCEPTION OF THE ARPT DIAGRAM PLATE. SOMEHOW, THE ARPT DIAGRAM PLATE HAD INADVERTENTLY BEEN OVERLOOKED DURING A REVISION. THIS CHART SHOWED ONLY THE CTAF FREQ. THE OTHER CHARTS DID SHOW THE RIGHT FREQ OF 118.15. I WAS RELYING ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM PLATE FOR THE COM INFO EXCLUSIVELY. THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IS TO XREF ALL AVAILABLE MATERIAL FOR OBVIOUS DIFFERENCES. WHILE NAV FACILITIES ARE EASIER TO DETERMINE FROM THEIR AUDIBLE IDENT, AND ALREADY TWRED ARPTS HAVE NUMEROUS OPTIONS TO GATHER INFO (ATIS, APCH, TWR, ETC), UNCTLED ARPTS DO NOT USUALLY HAVE ANYTHING MORE THAN A SINGLE FREQ. SIMPLY XCHKING THIS ONE FREQ ACROSS THE MULTIPLE AVAILABLE SOURCES WOULD HAVE ALLEVIATED THE PROB. IN ADDITION, CONTINUED AND ENHANCED VIGILANCE DURING THE REVISION PROCESS WOULD FURTHER PREVENT A LIKE EVENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.