Narrative:

My husband and I decided to go flying in our C182. We departed lbx (brazoria county; tx) at XA00 local. The cessna is a 2004 model with an avionics package that we had had some substantial maintenance issues with. During our flight we decided that it was a nice evening and we should go to galveston for dinner. I was concerned about a fog bank that was developing over the water and so we checked for forecasts for gls and brazoria county with our onboard satellite system. The forecast WX looked good and we decided to continue to gls. My husband does not yet have his private license and was talking on the radio. We began normal broadcasts on unicom 10 mi west of gls; unaware that a control tower was now operational there. We thought it was odd that no one came back with an airport advisory but continued with normal broadcasts; looked at the windsock and entered a downwind for runway 13. We saw a mooney waiting for takeoff and also thought it was a little strange that he was not talking on the radio but once again it is not all that uncommon for uncontrolled airports. Our belief that gls was uncontrolled was supported by the fact that the G-1000 showed the airport as magenta and did not show a tower frequency. While we were on a high final; the mooney pulled out onto the runway for takeoff and we elected to go around. We remained offset to the west so we could watch the mooney's departure path. At this time we also saw 2 helicopters in the pattern and then someone came up on unicom and told us to contact tower. This; of course; was heart-stopping news; but we contacted the tower and then obtained a phone number for later contact. Of course; after any incident; there is much review as to why this happened and it was a valuable learning experience for both of us. Most of our GA flying is done in a J-3 cub; and we are accustomed to keeping our eyes open. But in this case; we relied on our automation and the fact that we have always known gls to be uncontrolled. As it turns out; even though we had been updating our avionics system and the airplane had in fact just come out of annual where they updated everything; the update that shows on startup was prior to the installation of the control tower at gls. We are now in the process of finding out why; even though the updates appeared to 'take;' they did not. We do carry a set of current charts in the airplane; however on that particular day; we believed we had all the relevant information we needed and chose not to pull them out. In the future; our planning will be more thorough.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A C182 EQUIPPED WITH EFIS-FMC ENTERED THE PATTERN AT GLS WITHOUT TALKING TO THE TWR BECAUSE THEIR NAV SYS SHOWED THE ARPT WAS UNCTLED.

Narrative: MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO GO FLYING IN OUR C182. WE DEPARTED LBX (BRAZORIA COUNTY; TX) AT XA00 LCL. THE CESSNA IS A 2004 MODEL WITH AN AVIONICS PACKAGE THAT WE HAD HAD SOME SUBSTANTIAL MAINT ISSUES WITH. DURING OUR FLT WE DECIDED THAT IT WAS A NICE EVENING AND WE SHOULD GO TO GALVESTON FOR DINNER. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT A FOG BANK THAT WAS DEVELOPING OVER THE WATER AND SO WE CHKED FOR FORECASTS FOR GLS AND BRAZORIA COUNTY WITH OUR ONBOARD SATELLITE SYS. THE FORECAST WX LOOKED GOOD AND WE DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO GLS. MY HUSBAND DOES NOT YET HAVE HIS PVT LICENSE AND WAS TALKING ON THE RADIO. WE BEGAN NORMAL BROADCASTS ON UNICOM 10 MI W OF GLS; UNAWARE THAT A CTL TWR WAS NOW OPERATIONAL THERE. WE THOUGHT IT WAS ODD THAT NO ONE CAME BACK WITH AN ARPT ADVISORY BUT CONTINUED WITH NORMAL BROADCASTS; LOOKED AT THE WINDSOCK AND ENTERED A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 13. WE SAW A MOONEY WAITING FOR TKOF AND ALSO THOUGHT IT WAS A LITTLE STRANGE THAT HE WAS NOT TALKING ON THE RADIO BUT ONCE AGAIN IT IS NOT ALL THAT UNCOMMON FOR UNCTLED ARPTS. OUR BELIEF THAT GLS WAS UNCTLED WAS SUPPORTED BY THE FACT THAT THE G-1000 SHOWED THE ARPT AS MAGENTA AND DID NOT SHOW A TWR FREQ. WHILE WE WERE ON A HIGH FINAL; THE MOONEY PULLED OUT ONTO THE RWY FOR TKOF AND WE ELECTED TO GO AROUND. WE REMAINED OFFSET TO THE W SO WE COULD WATCH THE MOONEY'S DEP PATH. AT THIS TIME WE ALSO SAW 2 HELIS IN THE PATTERN AND THEN SOMEONE CAME UP ON UNICOM AND TOLD US TO CONTACT TWR. THIS; OF COURSE; WAS HEART-STOPPING NEWS; BUT WE CONTACTED THE TWR AND THEN OBTAINED A PHONE NUMBER FOR LATER CONTACT. OF COURSE; AFTER ANY INCIDENT; THERE IS MUCH REVIEW AS TO WHY THIS HAPPENED AND IT WAS A VALUABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR BOTH OF US. MOST OF OUR GA FLYING IS DONE IN A J-3 CUB; AND WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO KEEPING OUR EYES OPEN. BUT IN THIS CASE; WE RELIED ON OUR AUTOMATION AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS KNOWN GLS TO BE UNCTLED. AS IT TURNS OUT; EVEN THOUGH WE HAD BEEN UPDATING OUR AVIONICS SYS AND THE AIRPLANE HAD IN FACT JUST COME OUT OF ANNUAL WHERE THEY UPDATED EVERYTHING; THE UPDATE THAT SHOWS ON STARTUP WAS PRIOR TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE CTL TWR AT GLS. WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF FINDING OUT WHY; EVEN THOUGH THE UPDATES APPEARED TO 'TAKE;' THEY DID NOT. WE DO CARRY A SET OF CURRENT CHARTS IN THE AIRPLANE; HOWEVER ON THAT PARTICULAR DAY; WE BELIEVED WE HAD ALL THE RELEVANT INFO WE NEEDED AND CHOSE NOT TO PULL THEM OUT. IN THE FUTURE; OUR PLANNING WILL BE MORE THOROUGH.

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.