2003-12 · NASA ASRS report 603635
AFTER MAKING SEVERAL CALLS TO THE TWR AND NOT RECEIVING A RESPONSE; A PA32 PLT BELIEVED IFP TWR WAS NOT IN OP AND LANDED.
FLYING CONDITIONS; CLR; UNRESTR VISIBILITY; UNRESTR CEILINGS; LIGHT TURB. APCHING BULLHEAD CITY (IFP); I CALLED TWR 10 MI OUT OF THE ARPT; WITH NO CONTACT. AT 6 MI OUT; I CALLED TWR AGAIN; AND ONCE MORE AT 3 MI OUT. ALL 3 CALLS RECEIVED NO REPLY. I APCHED THE APT; WHICH APPEARED DESERTED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AN ACFT WHICH APPEARED TO BE ON ROLLOUT FROM A LNDG ON RWY 16. THE WINDSOCK APPEARED TO BE CALM. I CIRCLED TO THE E OF THE ARPT AND TURNED TO A 45 DEG ENTRY TO RWY 16; FLYING DIRECTLY TOWARDS THE TWR. WHILE APCHING THE FIELD ON THE 45 DEG ENTRY; I ROCKED MY WINGS AND LOOKED FOR ANY VISUAL THAT THE TWR WAS IN OP AND SAW NONE. I TURNED DOWNWIND TO RWY 16 PASSING BY THE TWR AND AGAIN MAKING A VISUAL OF THE TWR LOOKING FOR ANY SIGNS THAT THE TWR WAS IN OP; AGAIN SEEING NONE. THE ARPT VISUAL APPEARED DESERTED EXCEPT FOR SMALL ACFT PARKED ON THE RAMPS AND THE ACFT NOTED EARLIER. I TURNED BASE TO RWY 16 AND MADE 1 FINAL CALL FOR ANY POSSIBLE TFC. ON APPROX A 1 MI FINAL TO RWY 16; I NOTICED A SMALL ACFT XING THE RWY FROM A W TO E DIRECTION. THIS DID NOT CAUSE ME ANY CONCERN AS BEING FAMILIAR WITH UNCTLED FIELDS; I AM USED TO ACFT XING RWYS WITH NO RADIO COM. THE ACFT XING POSED NO THREAT TO MY APCH FOR LNDG. ON FINAL; MY ASSOCIATE AND FELLOW PLT MADE A FINAL OBSERVATION OF THE TWR AND MADE THE COMMENT 'NO RED LIGHT.' AT THAT POINT; I VISUALLY LOOKED AT THE TWR AND CONFIRMED HIS OBSERVATION. I LANDED THE ACFT AND MADE THE FIRST TURNOUT AND TAXIED TO PARKING. AFTER PARKING THE ACFT; AN ARPT VEHICLE APCHED AND INFORMED ME THAT WE HAD LANDED IN A CTLR AIRSPACE. I WAS ESCORTED TO THE LCL FBO TO CONTACT THE TWR VIA A LANDLINE TELEPHONE. AFTER COM WITH TWR; I PROCEEDED BACK TO THE ACFT TO REVIEW THE CHARTS AND RADIO FREQS. I THEN DISCOVERED THAT I HAD DIALED IN 122.90 ON THE RADIO INSTEAD OF THE TWR FREQ OF 123.90.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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