PLT OF AN SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED AN ATA WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY RADIO COMS WHILE CONDUCTING A GOV WILD LIFE SURVEY.

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THE ACFT; AN SMA AMPHIBIAN. THE TASK; LOW LEVEL (ATA BELOW 500 FT AGL) FLT WITH STATE FISH; WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST CHKING MIGRATORY WATER FOWL NESTING SITES. THE PROB WAS SET UP WHEN THE PLT TURNED DOWN THE VOLUME ON BOTH COM RADIOS IN ORDER TO BETTER HEAR THE BIOLOGIST ON THE ACFT INTERCOM. NO ATC COM WAS REQUIRED AT THE TIME (FOR ABOUT 40 MINS). APCHING THE ATA OF A NON FEDERAL CTL TWR; THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH COM AND GET PERMISSION TO WORK LOW LEVEL IN THE ATA TO WITHIN 1.5 MI OF THE ARPT. PREVIOUSLY; THIS TWR HAD BEEN A SEASONAL TWR. WHEN UNABLE TO RAISE THE TWR; THE PLT DOUBLE-CHKED THE FREQ; TRIED BOTH RADIOS; ETC. STILL NO LUCK. SO; ASSUMING THE TWR HADN'T OPENED FOR THE SEASON; BROADCASTED HIS INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF; AND GOT NO RESPONSE. UPON COMPLETING THE NEST SITE INSPECTIONS IN THIS AREA; THE NEXT AREA WAS INSIDE THE ATA OF A FULL TIME FEDERAL CTL TWR. ONCE AGAIN; REPEATED CALLS GOT NO RESPONSE; SO (BRIGHT BOY) THE PLT SOUGHT NEW REASONS. THE VOLUME TURN DOWN WAS REMEMBERED/DISCOVERED. AN IMMEDIATE CALL WAS MADE TO THE FIRST TWR (NFCT) CONFESSING AND APOLOGIZING (PROFUSELY). THE NEXT FOLKS REMINDED THE PLT OF THE NECESSITY FOR A CLRNC INTO THE ATA; BUT SAID HE WASN'T BUSY AND NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. HE'D GOTTEN ALL MY CALLS. I STILL FEEL REALLY STUPID! I ENTERED AN ATA WITHOUT A CLRNC BECAUSE I JUMPED ON THE FIRST EXPLANATION (SEASONAL TWR) I CAME TO; INSTEAD OF THOROUGHLY TROUBLE-SHOOTING THE PROB! FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE: HIGH WORKLOAD IN LOW LEVEL GND REF MODERATE BANKED TURNS; HIGH TOTAL TIME IN THIS TYPE ACFT -- PLENTY OF TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT; BUT NO IN THE PAST 45 DAYS. TASK ORIENTED TO THE FLYING! ALLOWED ME TO FIX TOO QUICKLY ON WHY NO RESPONSE FROM TWR.