Runway incursion and landing without clearance by a low time student pilot in a PA28 at flo, sc.

Attributes
ACN	545033
Time
Date	200204
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : flo.airport
State Reference	SC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : flo.tracon tower : flo.tower
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in arrival : vfr
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : student
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 32 flight time total : 77 flight time type : 77
ASRS Report	545033
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airspace Structure Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I think the main contributing factor was distraction due to an unfamiliar situation. This was the first time I'd ever entered class D airspace. Previously, I had soloed twice to class C and I think I was expecting to be under positive control from the moment approach answered my initial call-up. Instead, on initial call-up, the approach controller said, 'cleared visual approach, straight-in to runway 17.' so, the uncertainty of not receiving the vectors/altitudes I was erroneously expecting became coupled with another unfamiliarity -- I had never done a straight-in approach. Somewhere a few mi out, the approach controller came back and said, 'contact tower 125.1' and right after that is where the disconnect happened. I had already dialed the tower frequency into standby as soon as I started talking to approach, because I knew that was whom I'd be talking to next. I read back the frequency to the approach controller, but something must have distraction me as I reached for the switch because I never switched over and called the tower. Maybe because they weren't telling me the other things I had expected them to, somewhere in the back of my mind, 'visual approach, straight-in to runway 17' got translated to something like, 'cleared to land.' next thing I know, I'm pretty far down final, coping with being high, and the approach controller came back and reread her previous instructions, 'contact tower 125.1.' I knew immediately I'd messed up, but my brain was still operating in 'cleared to land' mode. I read it back to her and switched to tower and called 'florence tower, warrior xyz.' by this point I was on short final. The tower controller did not respond to my call-up. After I landed and cleared the hold short line and stopped, then the tower controller told me, 'xyz, did you switch to tower when instructed?' 'no sir. I failed to do that. I'm sorry.' 'contact ground 121.0.' I went inside and called the tower and discussed what had happened. I think this event might not have happened if I had taken more time to learn the operational differences between class C and class D.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RWY INCURSION AND LWOC BY A LOW TIME STUDENT PLT IN A PA28 AT FLO, SC.

Narrative: I THINK THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS DISTR DUE TO AN UNFAMILIAR SIT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I'D EVER ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE. PREVIOUSLY, I HAD SOLOED TWICE TO CLASS C AND I THINK I WAS EXPECTING TO BE UNDER POSITIVE CTL FROM THE MOMENT APCH ANSWERED MY INITIAL CALL-UP. INSTEAD, ON INITIAL CALL-UP, THE APCH CTLR SAID, 'CLRED VISUAL APCH, STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 17.' SO, THE UNCERTAINTY OF NOT RECEIVING THE VECTORS/ALTS I WAS ERRONEOUSLY EXPECTING BECAME COUPLED WITH ANOTHER UNFAMILIARITY -- I HAD NEVER DONE A STRAIGHT-IN APCH. SOMEWHERE A FEW MI OUT, THE APCH CTLR CAME BACK AND SAID, 'CONTACT TWR 125.1' AND RIGHT AFTER THAT IS WHERE THE DISCONNECT HAPPENED. I HAD ALREADY DIALED THE TWR FREQ INTO STANDBY AS SOON AS I STARTED TALKING TO APCH, BECAUSE I KNEW THAT WAS WHOM I'D BE TALKING TO NEXT. I READ BACK THE FREQ TO THE APCH CTLR, BUT SOMETHING MUST HAVE DISTR ME AS I REACHED FOR THE SWITCH BECAUSE I NEVER SWITCHED OVER AND CALLED THE TWR. MAYBE BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T TELLING ME THE OTHER THINGS I HAD EXPECTED THEM TO, SOMEWHERE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, 'VISUAL APCH, STRAIGHT-IN TO RWY 17' GOT TRANSLATED TO SOMETHING LIKE, 'CLRED TO LAND.' NEXT THING I KNOW, I'M PRETTY FAR DOWN FINAL, COPING WITH BEING HIGH, AND THE APCH CTLR CAME BACK AND REREAD HER PREVIOUS INSTRUCTIONS, 'CONTACT TWR 125.1.' I KNEW IMMEDIATELY I'D MESSED UP, BUT MY BRAIN WAS STILL OPERATING IN 'CLRED TO LAND' MODE. I READ IT BACK TO HER AND SWITCHED TO TWR AND CALLED 'FLORENCE TWR, WARRIOR XYZ.' BY THIS POINT I WAS ON SHORT FINAL. THE TWR CTLR DID NOT RESPOND TO MY CALL-UP. AFTER I LANDED AND CLRED THE HOLD SHORT LINE AND STOPPED, THEN THE TWR CTLR TOLD ME, 'XYZ, DID YOU SWITCH TO TWR WHEN INSTRUCTED?' 'NO SIR. I FAILED TO DO THAT. I'M SORRY.' 'CONTACT GND 121.0.' I WENT INSIDE AND CALLED THE TWR AND DISCUSSED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I THINK THIS EVENT MIGHT NOT HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD TAKEN MORE TIME TO LEARN THE OPERATIONAL DIFFERENCES BTWN CLASS C AND CLASS D.

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.