Pilot reported the VFR sectional chart does not adequately identify AUO airport as a towered airport with class D airspace.

Date: 2024-12 · Aircraft: Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Retractable Gear

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-landing-without-clearance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

Pilot reported the VFR sectional chart does not adequately identify AUO airport as a towered airport with class D airspace.

Narrative

On a VFR flight from ZZZ to AUO; I picked up the weather at Auburn about 30 miles out; informed ATC I had the weather and I was ready to cancel flight following. They told me to squawk VFR and frequency change approved. I switched to the Auburn CTAF frequency and reported my position as I approached the airport. As I was entering the downwind for Runway 36; Auburn Tower contacted me on the CTAF frequency; notified me I violated their airspace and gave me their frequency to switch to. They gave me a landing clearance and I landed without issue.This is a flight I have made multiple times; and before the flight I updated my sectional chart and checked the airport NOTAMs before departure. At no point in that process did I realize a Tower had been added to this airport. After landing; I checked the sectional and saw that the airport is shown in class E/G airspace; with the icon being red; which indicates an untowered field. The NOTAMs do not warn that the airport is towered; but there are two NOTAMs mentioning times the Tower is closed. I must have skimmed over these because NOTAMs mentioning a Tower being closed should be irrelevant to an untowered airport.I told the Tower Controller that my updated sectional showed the airport as untowered; and he responded that 'it's on there.' After reviewing it post-flight; I disagree; and I would be surprised if any VFR pilot looking at the airport on a sectional would realize it has a Tower.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.