1997-12 · NASA ASRS report 388653
PVT PLT LANDS HIS CESSNA TYPE ACFT WHILE OPERATING UNDER A LOST COM PROC. HE HAD JUST PENETRATED THE CLASS C AT LEX AND THEN LANDED WITHOUT FOLLOWING THE TWR CTLR'S LIGHT SIGNALS.
I WAS FLYING FROM HAZELHURST; GA; TO PMH; OH. I HAD TOTAL PWR FAILURE BTWN MORRISTOWN; TN; TO HUNTINGTON; WV. I ENDED UP AT LEXINGTON CLASS C ARPT. I HAD EMER AND FLEW BY TWR AND OVER RWY. I SAW JET ON RWY AND MADE A GAR AND CAME BACK. JET WAS GONE; SO I LANDED. I CALLED TWR IMMEDIATELY TO EXPLAIN SIT. HE INFORMED ME I BROKE A RULE. I EXPLAINED AGAIN I HAD EMER; NO ELECTRIC AT ALL. I COULDN'T USE VOR OR GYRO AND GAS TANKS WERE SHOWING EMPTY; THAT WAS THE EMER. I SHOULD HAVE HAD 2 HRS LEFT BUT THEY WERE SHOWING EMPTY. HE SAID AGAIN I BROKE A RULE AND FAA WOULD GET A HOLD OF ME IN A COUPLE DAYS. I REPLIED THAT THERE WAS A RULE STATING THAT I HAD THE RIGHT TO TAKE ANY ACTION TO SAFELY GET AN ACFT ON GND WITHOUT WRECKING. HE SAID HE GAVE ME PERMISSION ON FIRST ENTRY WITH STEADY GREEN LIGHT TO LAND. IF HE DID I DIDN'T SEE IT AND THERE WAS A JET ON RWY. WHEN THE JET WAS GONE I LANDED. HE SAID THAT WAS THE VIOLATION; THAT AT THAT TIME HE WAS GIVING ME A FLASHING GREEN LIGHT. ANYWAY; SECURITY GOT INVOLVED. THEY DONE NOTHING BUT GAVE ME A HARD TIME FOR 3 HRS; SO I GOT GAS. THE MECH WORKED ON PLANE. BY THIS TIME IT GOT DARK. I'M NOT USED TO FLYING IN DARK. WHEN I GOT GOING AND TRIED TO USE VOR AGAIN THEY STILL DIDN'T WORK SO I CALL GREATER CINCINNATI ARPT TO VECTOR ME IN. HE SAID I BROKE AN ALT. I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK I DID ANYTHING WRONG. I WAS NEVER SCARED GOING INTO CINCINNATI. I WAS LOOKING FOR OTHER ACFT; TRYING TO MAINTAIN ALT AND FIND ARPT. THE ONLY PROB WITH CINCINNATI WAS I HAVE NEVER FLEW INTO ARPT THAT BIG AND WASN'T USED TO THEIR LNDG LIGHTS. I HAVE READ ABOUT THEM BUT NEVER SAW THEM. THE CTLR NEVER HAD TO BE IN A RUSH TO GET ME IN. ANYWAY; BACK TO LEXINGTON. I COULD NOT SQUAWK 7700 OR 7600 OR 121.5; I HAD NO ELECTRIC. THE WAY THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED AT CINCINNATI WAS SPEND THE NIGHT AT LEXINGTON. AT LEXINGTON I WOULD DO NOTHING DIFFERENT. I MADE GAR. CTLR SHOULD HAVE KNOWN I HAD EMER TO ENTER CLASS C AIRSPACE. I KNOW WHAT CLASS A; B; C; D; AIRSPACE IS -- AND HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO ENTER WITHOUT PERMISSION OR DIALOGUE. MY FINAL WORD IS; I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO HARASSED BY ANY LAW ENFORCEMENT AS I WAS IN LEXINGTON.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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