Narrative:

My king air 300; landed at glacier park international (gpi) at approximately XA15 am on oct/sun/06 without contacting the gpi tower. We were on a flight from medicine hat (cyxh) airport in alberta; canada to gpi to clear customs before returning home to arizona. The aircraft was plted by me; the owner and coplted by the company's contract pilot. I flew the airplane while the copilot naved and operated the radios. After takeoff at medicine hat; the pilot's ADI showed a red flag and the altitude pre-select continually flashed but otherwise functioned properly. Shortly before leveling off at 14000 ft; the autoplt was engaged and the airplane leveled off maintaining course and altitude even though the red flag remained and the altitude pre-select light on the autoplt was flashing. The pilot's instruments were crosschecked with the copilot's instruments. The aircraft is equipped with a FMS integrated and displayed on a mfd with north america charts database. The chart database is updated by me through my office computer using the on-line service. When we attempted to load the charts for fca into our flight plan; the mfd would not recognize fca. Inputting gpi produced charts for long each; ca (lgb). We spent considerable time trying to resolve the problem with no success. We suspected the red flag and flashing altitude pre-select light had something to do with the failure to display the subject charts. Out of date paper commercial chart 1 charts were available in the aircraft and were used for reference. Unknown to us; the frequencys on these older charts were not the ones currently in use. As we approached gpi; the WX was broken over the mountains but VFR at the airport. As we descended through 12000 ft; the copilot spotted the airport and canceled the IFR flight plan with ATC. The radio frequency was switched to the tower (old) frequency and the copilot announced the airplane's position and intentions. It was assumed the tower was unmanned at the time since there was no response. We continued our approach; announced its position; landed; and then taxied to customs. The mfd performed without flags or problems for the remainder of the trip. It should be noted that on subsequent legs; gpi amd fca were entered into the mfd with the same result; no recognition of fca; and gpi producing charts for long beach. Upon returning home I checked my office computer and determined that the gpi charts dated jul/xa/06 were present and listed under the dual designation gpi/fca. It is not known what caused the charts to be absent from the mfd but it could have been a problem with downloading data from the office computer to the mfd data card. I regret this violation of procedure and recognize it could have resulted in a serious safety situation. I understand that another aircraft was also making the approach to gpi and I regret the inconvenience and concern this incident caused them. I can think of several things we could have done differently to avoid this incident and will employ them in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A KING AIR 300 FLT CREW LANDED AT GPI WITHOUT TWR CLRNC BECAUSE OF FMS PROBS AND OUT OF DATE CHARTS WITH NON CURRENT RADIO FREQS.

Narrative: MY KING AIR 300; LANDED AT GLACIER PARK INTL (GPI) AT APPROX XA15 AM ON OCT/SUN/06 WITHOUT CONTACTING THE GPI TWR. WE WERE ON A FLT FROM MEDICINE HAT (CYXH) ARPT IN ALBERTA; CANADA TO GPI TO CLR CUSTOMS BEFORE RETURNING HOME TO ARIZONA. THE ACFT WAS PLTED BY ME; THE OWNER AND COPLTED BY THE COMPANY'S CONTRACT PLT. I FLEW THE AIRPLANE WHILE THE COPLT NAVED AND OPERATED THE RADIOS. AFTER TKOF AT MEDICINE HAT; THE PLT'S ADI SHOWED A RED FLAG AND THE ALT PRE-SELECT CONTINUALLY FLASHED BUT OTHERWISE FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. SHORTLY BEFORE LEVELING OFF AT 14000 FT; THE AUTOPLT WAS ENGAGED AND THE AIRPLANE LEVELED OFF MAINTAINING COURSE AND ALT EVEN THOUGH THE RED FLAG REMAINED AND THE ALT PRE-SELECT LIGHT ON THE AUTOPLT WAS FLASHING. THE PLT'S INSTS WERE XCHKED WITH THE COPLT'S INSTS. THE ACFT IS EQUIPPED WITH A FMS INTEGRATED AND DISPLAYED ON A MFD WITH NORTH AMERICA CHARTS DATABASE. THE CHART DATABASE IS UPDATED BY ME THROUGH MY OFFICE COMPUTER USING THE ON-LINE SVC. WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO LOAD THE CHARTS FOR FCA INTO OUR FLT PLAN; THE MFD WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE FCA. INPUTTING GPI PRODUCED CHARTS FOR LONG EACH; CA (LGB). WE SPENT CONSIDERABLE TIME TRYING TO RESOLVE THE PROB WITH NO SUCCESS. WE SUSPECTED THE RED FLAG AND FLASHING ALT PRE-SELECT LIGHT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE FAILURE TO DISPLAY THE SUBJECT CHARTS. OUT OF DATE PAPER COMMERCIAL CHART 1 CHARTS WERE AVAILABLE IN THE ACFT AND WERE USED FOR REF. UNKNOWN TO US; THE FREQS ON THESE OLDER CHARTS WERE NOT THE ONES CURRENTLY IN USE. AS WE APCHED GPI; THE WX WAS BROKEN OVER THE MOUNTAINS BUT VFR AT THE ARPT. AS WE DSNDED THROUGH 12000 FT; THE COPLT SPOTTED THE ARPT AND CANCELED THE IFR FLT PLAN WITH ATC. THE RADIO FREQ WAS SWITCHED TO THE TWR (OLD) FREQ AND THE COPLT ANNOUNCED THE AIRPLANE'S POS AND INTENTIONS. IT WAS ASSUMED THE TWR WAS UNMANNED AT THE TIME SINCE THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. WE CONTINUED OUR APCH; ANNOUNCED ITS POS; LANDED; AND THEN TAXIED TO CUSTOMS. THE MFD PERFORMED WITHOUT FLAGS OR PROBS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TRIP. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT ON SUBSEQUENT LEGS; GPI AMD FCA WERE ENTERED INTO THE MFD WITH THE SAME RESULT; NO RECOGNITION OF FCA; AND GPI PRODUCING CHARTS FOR LONG BEACH. UPON RETURNING HOME I CHKED MY OFFICE COMPUTER AND DETERMINED THAT THE GPI CHARTS DATED JUL/XA/06 WERE PRESENT AND LISTED UNDER THE DUAL DESIGNATION GPI/FCA. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHAT CAUSED THE CHARTS TO BE ABSENT FROM THE MFD BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A PROB WITH DOWNLOADING DATA FROM THE OFFICE COMPUTER TO THE MFD DATA CARD. I REGRET THIS VIOLATION OF PROC AND RECOGNIZE IT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS SAFETY SIT. I UNDERSTAND THAT ANOTHER ACFT WAS ALSO MAKING THE APCH TO GPI AND I REGRET THE INCONVENIENCE AND CONCERN THIS INCIDENT CAUSED THEM. I CAN THINK OF SEVERAL THINGS WE COULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY TO AVOID THIS INCIDENT AND WILL EMPLOY THEM IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.