SMA LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC. NEW TWR IN OP ONLY 2 WKS.

Date: 1994-08 · Aircraft: Skylane 182/RG Turbo Skylane/RG

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

SMA LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC. NEW TWR IN OP ONLY 2 WKS.

Narrative

WHILE MAKING A FERRY FLT FROM FT BRAGG; CALIFORNIA TO BOERNE; TX AND BTWN BATTLE MOUNTAIN; NV; AND PROVO; UT; I CLBED ABOVE THE SMOKE LAYER AND HAD GOOD VISIBILITY ABOVE ABOUT 10000 FT. I HAD REFUELED AND CHKED WX AT BATTLE MOUNTAIN; NV. IT TOOK SEVERAL MI TO CLB ABOVE THE SMOKE. AS SOON AS I WAS IN THE CLR; I OBSERVED TSTMS AHEAD OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND TO THE S. I CHKED WITH SALT LAKE CITY FLT SVC. THEY CONFIRMED THE LOCATION OF THE TSTMS. THIS MADE MY PLANNED STOP AT PROVO; UT; UNADVISABLE. AT THIS TIME I WAS SEVERAL MI S OF ELKO; NEVADA. I QUICKLY DECIDED TO LAND AT ELKO BEFORE THE WX GOT WORSE. AT THE MOMENT I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL; DAYLIGHT AND VISIBILITY; BUT TSTMS WERE MOVING MY WAY. I CHKED THE COMMERCIAL REF BOOK FOR ARPT INFO AND BEGAN A VERY WIDE; SEVERAL MI; CIRCLE TO THE L. I ALSO SEARCHED THE ARPT FOR A WIND INDICATOR; OTHER TFC AND ANYTHING THAT APPEARED TO BE A CTL TWR. NO INFO AVAILABLE FOR TWR OR UNICOM FREQ. WHILE STILL S OF ELKO; SEVERAL MI; I BEGAN TO CALL UNICOM ON SEVERAL FREQS; 123.00; 122.80; AND 122.7; NO ANSWER. I OBSERVED A WINDSOCK WHICH INDICATED THAT I SHOULD LAND TO THE S. I CONTINUED MY CIRCLE TO THE L AND CONTINUED TO REQUEST ARPT TA ON SEVERAL FREQS. WHILE SEVERAL MI N OF THE ARPT; I SAW A CESSNA 310 LNDG TO THE SW. I CONTINUED MY CIRCLE AROUND THE ARPT AND BROADCAST MY INTENTIONS TO LAND ON THE SAME RWY AS THE 310. AGAIN; I BROADCAST MY POS AND INTENTIONS WHILE ON L DOWNWIND; LEFT BASE AND LONG FINAL ON 122.7. WHEN I ROLLED OUT OF MY FINAL TURN; I OBSERVED THE 310 BACK TAXIING ON THE RWY. NATURALLY; I ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS UNCTLED ARPT. I MADE A R TURN; STEEP ENOUGH SO THAT THE 310 PLT WOULD BE SURE THAT I SAW HIM AND WAS NOT GOING TO LAND. THE 310 TURNED OFF THE RWY ABOUT MID FIELD ONTO A TXWY. I THEN MADE A L TURN BACK TO FINAL; EXTENDED THE FLAPS; ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION ON 122.7 AGAIN; LANDED THE AIRPLANE; MADE A 180 DEG TURN ON THE RWY PRIOR TO REACHING THE TXWY WHERE THE 310 WAS AND ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD BACK TAXI ON THE RWY; CONFORMING TO THE FLOW OF LCL TFC. TO MY SURPRISE; AFTER MANY ANNOUNCEMENTS ON 122.7; I HEARD A VOICE. THE VOICE STATED THAT IT WAS THE ELKO CTL TWR AND THAT I SHOULD GIVE THEM A PHONE CALL. I TAXIED TO THE FBO AND PARKED. THE 310 CAME IN AND PARKED BESIDE ME. I WAS VERY RELIEVED TO BE SAFE ON THE GND AND AGAIN OBSERVE THE APCHING TSTMS MI AWAY. THE 310 PLT GOT OUT AND AS WE WALKED IN THE FBO TOGETHER; I APOLOGIZED FOR MAKING HIM TURN OFF THE RWY. HE STATED 'YOU DIDN'T.' THE PHONE CALL WAS INTERESTING. THE TWR OPERATOR WAS VERY RUDE. HE STATED THAT THE TWR HAD BEEN IN OP FOR 2 WKS AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE READ THE NOTAMS AND THEN WOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE TWR OP. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD NOT INTENDED TO LAND AT ELKO; AND WAS ENRTE FROM FT BRAGG; CA; TO SAN ANTONIO; TX. THE TWR OPERATOR EXPLAINED THAT SINCE ELKO WAS A POSSIBLE LNDG SITE; I SOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE TWR. I EXPLAINED THAT EVERY ARPT FROM FT BRAGG TO SAN ANTONIO IS A POSSIBLE SITE; AND WITH THE APCHING TSTMS; I LANDED. THE TWR WAS BEING OPERATED FROM A STAND; VERY SIMILAR TO A DEER BLIND. THE TWR OPERATOR OBVIOUSLY WAS MONITORING 122.7 SINCE HE CALLED ME AFTER I ANNOUNCED THAT I WOULD BACK TAXI. HE DID NOT ANSWER ANY OF THE SEVERAL PREVIOUS CALLS THAT I MADE ON 122.7 WHICH WAS THE CORRECT FREQ FOR UNICOM. THE TWR OPERATOR STATED THAT I HAD ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT. THAT IS NOT TRUE; I OBEYED ALL OF THE RULES OF SAFETY; EVEN YIELDING THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO THE TAXIING ACFT. I NEVER FLEW CLOSE TO THE 310. I OBSERVED HIM FROM THE TIME THAT I WAS ON LONG FINAL; ABOUT 2 MI OUT; AND THE 310 WAS ABOUT 3/4 DOWN THE RWY. I MADE A R TURN TO YIELD TO THE TAXIING ACFT; THE 310 CONTINUED TO TAXI TO A RWY EXIT; TURNED OFF THE RWY AND WAITED. I REENTERED FINAL; LANDED; ROLLED TO A STOP AND MADE A 180 DEG BEFORE NEARING THE RWY EXIT; WHERE THE 310 HAD TURNED OFF. IT SEEMS THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY THAT THE TWR OPERATOR WOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO ONE OF MY SEVERAL CALLS ON 122.7; SINCE HE WAS OBVIOUSLY MONITORING THAT FREQ AND THATWAS THE CORRECT UNICOM FREQ. THE FOLLOWING MORNING; THE FBO MGR EXPLAINED THAT THE TWR WAS A CIVILIAN CONTRACTOR; THEY WERE NEW; THEY HAD BEEN OPERATING ABOUT 2 WKS AND WERE ABOUT TO DRIVE ALL OF THEIR CUSTOMERS AWAY. THE FBO WAS VERY DISGUSTED AND APOLOGETIC WITH THE OP OF THE TWR TOWARD ME AND OTHER PLTS. I APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING THAT I MAY HAVE DONE WRONG. I SUGGEST THAT THE TWR OPERATOR RESPOND TO CALLS THAT HE IS MONITORING AND ADVISE PLTS OF THE OPERATING CTL TWR.

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