Narrative:

Pilot background: BFR expired 10/87--new BFR at langley field, 7/88--3 solo lndgs (total) at ct airport after private license--no experience over water and not current night. Sequence of events: planned to depart pm lfi to tangier island, eat supper, return. After the flight plan was filed, I preflted the plane, had to add 1 qt of oil (10 mins), and since it was my first flight in the airplane, I had to familiarize myself with the radio setup. I started the engine and could not contact ground control. I shut off the engine, played with the radios, started the engine and contacted ground control. No response. I turned off the engine and discovered the select switch was loose. I used the one radio that worked, contacted ground control, got clearance to taxi, started the engine, taxied, performed runup, got clearance from ct to depart, flew to tangier west/O incident. I departed tangier, experiencing a little anxiety since it was already dusk. I flew the same course on return, maintained visual contact with the ground until cape charles VOR. I turned to 270 degrees about 10 mins later, I contacted langley approach, which I later discovered was norfolk approach. They assigned a squawk #, but could not identify. I later discovered I had forgotten to turn on the transponder at tangier. However, I was beyond the 20 KTS radius from norfolk. They told me to turn to 180 degrees and idented me at 10 mi north of langley field. Since I did not respond, they asked if I received the transmission. I replied yes, that I was 1 mi north of the field, although I could not see the tower. They corrected the distance to 'one zero point zero,' and advised me to approach the field for landing on runway 8. They did not report any other traffic. I could not see the tower for several mins due to haze (visibility 6H). Once I located the tower I began to place myself in relation to the runway--although the runway was not clear yet. I entered downwind for runway 8, turned base, saw the runway, landed, turned onto the north ramp (where I departed from), contacted gt. They asked if my radios worked, turned me around, instructed me to return to the runway, taxi to echo, and asked me to call when I got in. They informed me I entered the air traffic area west/O clearance, and landed west/O clearance. Afterward, I realized that my anxiety caused me to confuse approach with the tower. I explained I was new, this was my first solo approach, acknowledged that they were absolutely right. I told my instrument instrument what happened, and that I attributed it to anxiety, inexperience with ct airports, and that I'd never forget it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: pilot did not have the best of days. Delays at start of trip compounded at the end of trip. On arrival at restaurant reknowned for soft shelled crab, reporter found it closed. Reporter was very conscious of time of sunset and became anxious when departure was later than planned. Reporter had not flown in such extreme haze conditions and was not used to lack of distinct horizon. Anxiety! On recent BFR in area, instrument had handled all radio work, so reporter not exposed to communication procedures.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG, RWY TRANSGRESSION.

Narrative: PLT BACKGROUND: BFR EXPIRED 10/87--NEW BFR AT LANGLEY FIELD, 7/88--3 SOLO LNDGS (TOTAL) AT CT ARPT AFTER PVT LICENSE--NO EXPERIENCE OVER WATER AND NOT CURRENT NIGHT. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS: PLANNED TO DEPART PM LFI TO TANGIER ISLAND, EAT SUPPER, RETURN. AFTER THE FLT PLAN WAS FILED, I PREFLTED THE PLANE, HAD TO ADD 1 QT OF OIL (10 MINS), AND SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST FLT IN THE AIRPLANE, I HAD TO FAMILIARIZE MYSELF WITH THE RADIO SETUP. I STARTED THE ENG AND COULD NOT CONTACT GND CTL. I SHUT OFF THE ENG, PLAYED WITH THE RADIOS, STARTED THE ENG AND CONTACTED GND CTL. NO RESPONSE. I TURNED OFF THE ENG AND DISCOVERED THE SELECT SWITCH WAS LOOSE. I USED THE ONE RADIO THAT WORKED, CONTACTED GND CTL, GOT CLRNC TO TAXI, STARTED THE ENG, TAXIED, PERFORMED RUNUP, GOT CLRNC FROM CT TO DEPART, FLEW TO TANGIER W/O INCIDENT. I DEPARTED TANGIER, EXPERIENCING A LITTLE ANXIETY SINCE IT WAS ALREADY DUSK. I FLEW THE SAME COURSE ON RETURN, MAINTAINED VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE GND UNTIL CAPE CHARLES VOR. I TURNED TO 270 DEGS ABOUT 10 MINS LATER, I CONTACTED LANGLEY APCH, WHICH I LATER DISCOVERED WAS NORFOLK APCH. THEY ASSIGNED A SQUAWK #, BUT COULD NOT IDENT. I LATER DISCOVERED I HAD FORGOTTEN TO TURN ON THE TRANSPONDER AT TANGIER. HOWEVER, I WAS BEYOND THE 20 KTS RADIUS FROM NORFOLK. THEY TOLD ME TO TURN TO 180 DEGS AND IDENTED ME AT 10 MI N OF LANGLEY FIELD. SINCE I DID NOT RESPOND, THEY ASKED IF I RECEIVED THE XMISSION. I REPLIED YES, THAT I WAS 1 MI N OF THE FIELD, ALTHOUGH I COULD NOT SEE THE TWR. THEY CORRECTED THE DISTANCE TO 'ONE ZERO POINT ZERO,' AND ADVISED ME TO APCH THE FIELD FOR LNDG ON RWY 8. THEY DID NOT RPT ANY OTHER TFC. I COULD NOT SEE THE TWR FOR SEVERAL MINS DUE TO HAZE (VIS 6H). ONCE I LOCATED THE TWR I BEGAN TO PLACE MYSELF IN RELATION TO THE RWY--ALTHOUGH THE RWY WAS NOT CLEAR YET. I ENTERED DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8, TURNED BASE, SAW THE RWY, LANDED, TURNED ONTO THE N RAMP (WHERE I DEPARTED FROM), CONTACTED GT. THEY ASKED IF MY RADIOS WORKED, TURNED ME AROUND, INSTRUCTED ME TO RETURN TO THE RWY, TAXI TO ECHO, AND ASKED ME TO CALL WHEN I GOT IN. THEY INFORMED ME I ENTERED THE ATA W/O CLRNC, AND LANDED W/O CLRNC. AFTERWARD, I REALIZED THAT MY ANXIETY CAUSED ME TO CONFUSE APCH WITH THE TWR. I EXPLAINED I WAS NEW, THIS WAS MY FIRST SOLO APCH, ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY WERE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I TOLD MY INSTRUMENT INSTR WHAT HAPPENED, AND THAT I ATTRIBUTED IT TO ANXIETY, INEXPERIENCE WITH CT ARPTS, AND THAT I'D NEVER FORGET IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: PLT DID NOT HAVE THE BEST OF DAYS. DELAYS AT START OF TRIP COMPOUNDED AT THE END OF TRIP. ON ARR AT RESTAURANT REKNOWNED FOR SOFT SHELLED CRAB, RPTR FOUND IT CLOSED. RPTR WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF TIME OF SUNSET AND BECAME ANXIOUS WHEN DEP WAS LATER THAN PLANNED. RPTR HAD NOT FLOWN IN SUCH EXTREME HAZE CONDITIONS AND WAS NOT USED TO LACK OF DISTINCT HORIZON. ANXIETY! ON RECENT BFR IN AREA, INSTR HAD HANDLED ALL RADIO WORK, SO RPTR NOT EXPOSED TO COM PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.