Landing without tower green light or verbal clearance by skybolt private pilot after loss of radio a...

Attributes
ACN	556088
Time
Date	200208
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rhv.airport
State Reference	CA
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mdw.tower
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Amateur (Home) Built
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing : roll
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 19.1 flight time total : 542.7 flight time type : 207
ASRS Report	556088
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe airspace violation : entry incursion : runway incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : landed as precaution other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

At the approximately time and date reported above I was flying south of san jose when I realized that my radio was not functioning. I checked all switches and circuit breakers and determined that I would have to land without radio communication. I approached reid hillview airport with sufficient altitude to see that the left runway (31L) was clear of traffic. I approached the runway watching and hoping for a green light signaling that it would be safe to land. There was no light. I made 2 more passes but still no signal. On the next approach I landed the airplane and taxied short of runway 31R and then I received a green light to cross the runway and I taxied back to my hangar. I was met by a ground operations employee who informed me I was to call the tower. The tower supervisor asked why I had not landed at south county airport (uncontrolled) and phoned reid hillview from there or called from a cell phone while in the air. I did not have a cell phone with me and I felt that the established procedures were appropriate. The tower supervisor told me that there had been a close call on runway 31R because the controllers were watching me. My procedure was proper and should not have distracted the tower personnel.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LNDG WITHOUT TWR GREEN LIGHT OR VERBAL CLRNC BY SKYBOLT PVT PLT AFTER LOSS OF RADIO AT RHV, CA.

Narrative: AT THE APPROX TIME AND DATE RPTED ABOVE I WAS FLYING S OF SAN JOSE WHEN I REALIZED THAT MY RADIO WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. I CHKED ALL SWITCHES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND DETERMINED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO LAND WITHOUT RADIO COM. I APCHED REID HILLVIEW ARPT WITH SUFFICIENT ALT TO SEE THAT THE L RWY (31L) WAS CLR OF TFC. I APCHED THE RWY WATCHING AND HOPING FOR A GREEN LIGHT SIGNALING THAT IT WOULD BE SAFE TO LAND. THERE WAS NO LIGHT. I MADE 2 MORE PASSES BUT STILL NO SIGNAL. ON THE NEXT APCH I LANDED THE AIRPLANE AND TAXIED SHORT OF RWY 31R AND THEN I RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT TO CROSS THE RWY AND I TAXIED BACK TO MY HANGAR. I WAS MET BY A GND OPS EMPLOYEE WHO INFORMED ME I WAS TO CALL THE TWR. THE TWR SUPVR ASKED WHY I HAD NOT LANDED AT SOUTH COUNTY ARPT (UNCTLED) AND PHONED REID HILLVIEW FROM THERE OR CALLED FROM A CELL PHONE WHILE IN THE AIR. I DID NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE WITH ME AND I FELT THAT THE ESTABLISHED PROCS WERE APPROPRIATE. THE TWR SUPVR TOLD ME THAT THERE HAD BEEN A CLOSE CALL ON RWY 31R BECAUSE THE CTLRS WERE WATCHING ME. MY PROC WAS PROPER AND SHOULD NOT HAVE DISTRACTED THE TWR PERSONNEL.

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.

Landing without tower green light or verbal clearance by skybolt private pilot after loss of radio at rhv, ca.