NORDO TFC MAKES AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE IN PROX OF ARSA AND ATA; PERFORMS UNAUTH LNDG WHILE WATCHING FOR SIGNS OF TWR SIGNAL LIGHT CTL.

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EVENT OCCURRED APPROX 10 NM NNE OF SAV INTL ARPT. AFTER FLYING NE AT 5500 FT MSL; I NOTICED THE SCATTERED LAYER BELOW US UP AHEAD WAS ABOUT TO BECOME BROKEN SO I DSNDED WITH CARB HEAT ON AND PARTIAL PWR BELOW THE SCATTERED LAYER BEFORE IT BECAME BROKEN. I WAS AT 1200 FT. THE VISIBILITY AHEAD WAS DETERIORATING (STILL VFR) SO I OPTED TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN AND LAND SOMEWHERE CLOSE. MY TACHOMETER HAD JUST QUIT AND THE ENG WAS RUNNING ROUGH. I HAD NO OPTION BUT TO PENETRATE THE SAV ARSA BEFORE THE ENG QUIT RUNNING. AS I ORBITED THE ARPT WATCHING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS I TRIED TO INCREASE PWR AND THE ENG HARDLY RESPONDED. I HAD TO LAND BEFORE RECEIVING A SIGNAL FROM TWR. NO CONFLICTING TFC. LOST TACHOMETER; ENG RAN ROUGH; THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO DIE/QUIT. VFR FLT WITHOUT RADIO. OVERFLEW FIELD; WATCHING FOR LIGHT GUN SIGNALS FROM TWR; NO RESPONSE (FROM TWR). ENG WAS LOSING PWR; HAD TO LAND BEFORE TWR RECOGNIZED ME. AFTER LNDG TWR STILL DID NOT NOTICE ME; OR THE ACFT. I WALKED TO TWR; EXPLAINED. THEY SAID THEY NEVER SAW ME. WX WAS DETERIORATING AT TIME AND I HAD NO OPTION BUT TO PENETRATE AND LAND AT THE SAV ARSA.