THE RPTR CALLED TWR AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. THE RPTR CONTINUED ON INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE RPTR CALLED ON THE 45 DEG TO THE DOWNWIND THINKING HE SAID FOR RWY 16. THE TWR SAID FOR HIM TO RPT MID-FIELD; WHICH THE RPTR DID; AND APPARENTLY GOT LNDG CLRNC. AFTER LNDG THE TWR ADVISED RWY 34 WAS THE RWY IN USE.

Date: 1996-01 · Aircraft: Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-clearance|other-airspace-violation-entry-or-exit

Synopsis

THE RPTR CALLED TWR AND WAS TOLD TO STANDBY. THE RPTR CONTINUED ON INTO THE CLASS D AIRSPACE. THE RPTR CALLED ON THE 45 DEG TO THE DOWNWIND THINKING HE SAID FOR RWY 16. THE TWR SAID FOR HIM TO RPT MID-FIELD; WHICH THE RPTR DID; AND APPARENTLY GOT LNDG CLRNC. AFTER LNDG THE TWR ADVISED RWY 34 WAS THE RWY IN USE.

Narrative

INADVERTENTLY LANDED ON RWY 16 INSTEAD OF RWY 34 AT LAUGHLIN BULLHEAD; AZ. FLEW FROM KINGMAN; AZ; TO LAUGHLIN BULLHEAD; AZ. ON THE WAY TO BULLHEAD; I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT UNICOM; WITHOUT SUCCESS; TO FIND OUT THE WX AND RWY. NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTACT UNICOM; I CONTACTED THE TWR ABOUT 5 MI FROM ARPT. TWR SAID TO STANDBY. INSTEAD OF CIRCLING I CONTINUED TOWARDS THE ARPT; BELIEVING I HAD 2 WAY COM. I THEN CONTACTED TWR AND SAID I WAS ON THE 45 DEG ENTERING DOWNWIND (I BELIEVE; BUT CAN'T SAY FOR SURE; I SAID FOR RWY 16 TO TWR). TWR SAID TO CONTACT HIM AT MID-FIELD. I CONTACTED TWR AT MID-FIELD. I LANDED ON RWY 16. AFTER LNDG TWR SAID RWY 34 WAS IN USE. NO PLANES WERE LNDG OR TAKING OFF AT THE TIME I LANDED ON RWY 16. I THINK THIS PROB AROSE BECAUSE I WAS TIRED; HAVING FLOWN FOR 3 HRS FROM CAMARILLO; CA; TO KINGMAN; AZ. FURTHER; THE COM RADIOS HAD A MEMORY FOR 3 FREQS TO BE INSERTED ON EACH COM LINE. I PUNCHED IN UNICOM BUT FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE FREQ OF UNICOM DID NOT STAY. IT WENT BACK TO THE PREVIOUSLY SET FREQ. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS UNTIL I GOT CLOSE TO THE ARPT. THAT IS THE REASON UNICOM DID NOT RESPOND. I WAS ON THE WRONG FREQ. THE NEXT TIME I WILL TAKE MY TIME AND FLY OVER THE ARPT OR CIRCLE TO GET THE PROPER COM FLOW BTWN THE TWR AND MYSELF. FORTUNATELY; THERE WAS NO CONFLICTING ACFT IN THE VICINITY.

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