SMA LANDS AT ARPT WITHOUT CONTACTING TEMPORARY TWR AND CAUSES CONFLICT.
Synopsis
SMA LANDS AT ARPT WITHOUT CONTACTING TEMPORARY TWR AND CAUSES CONFLICT.
Narrative
I DEPARTED MEADOWLARK ARPT IN HUNTINGTON BEACH; CA; ON A SHORT FLT (14 MI) TO COMPTON ARPT. WHILE ENRTE I MONITORED THE ATIS AT LGB (CTLED ARPT THAT SITS DIRECTLY BTWN THE 2 ARPTS) BECAUSE OF ITS CLOSE PROX TO COMPTON IT MIGHT RPT ANY SPECIAL CONDITIONS IN THE GENERAL AREA. LGB WAS NOT RPTING ANYTHING UNUSUAL SO ONCE I REACHED ABOUT 5 MI OUT I TUNED IN THE COMPTON UNICOM ON 122.9; CALLED OUT MY POS AND ASKED FOR ANY ARPT INFO. THERE WAS NO RESPONSE; BUT HAVING BEEN TO THE ARPT MANY TIMES THIS WAS A COMMON EVENT. I AGAIN CALLED MY POS ON DOWNWIND; BASE AND FINAL WITH NO RESPONSE FROM THE GND OR FROM ANY ACFT THAT MIGHT BE IN THE PATTERN. AFTER TURNING FINAL I WAS SURPRISED BY A PLANE THAT CUT IN FRONT OF ME AND LANDED FORCING ME TO GO AROUND. PLANES NOT USING THEIR RADIOS ARE NOT UNCOMMON AT THIS ARPT (IT IS UNCTLED AND HAS A LOW VOL OF TFC). AGAIN I CALLED OUT MY POS THROUGHOUT THE PATTERN (WITH NO RESPONSES) AND MADE MY LNDG. I HAD TO BRING MY PLANE TO A FULL STOP ON THE RWY BECAUSE A PLANE THAT HAD LANDED BEFORE ME WAS BLOCKING THE TURN OFF. I WAITED FOR A MOMENT TO SEE IF THE PLANE WOULD MOVE; TURNED MY HEAD JUST IN TIME TO SEE A PLANE LNDG ON THE RWY THAT I WAS ON. I QUICKLY MOVED OFF THE RWY TO AVOID A CONFLICT. FINALLY A VOICE CAME ON THE RADIO ON 122.9 AND INFORMED ME THAT THERE WAS A TEMPORARY TWR ON 120.1. WHEN I RESPONDED; THEY SAID MY XMISSION WAS GARBLED SO I CHANGED MICS AND GOT A LOUD AND CLEAR. THE ARPT WAS IN SOME DISARRAY DUE TO AN EARLIER AIR FAIR. I ASKED THE CTLR WHERE TO PARK AND THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WEREN'T SURE; SO I PARKED IN THE USUAL TRANSIENT AREA. TAXIING TO THE PARKING I XED A PARALLEL RWY THAT HAD BEEN MARKED WITH TEMPORARY 'X'S.' SOON AFTER I CLRED THE RWY A PLANE DEPARTED; RUNNING OVER THE 'X'S' ON THE CLOSED RWY. THE CTLR HAD BEEN CONFUSING IN HIS INSTRUCTIONS TO THE DEPARTING PLANE; THEN REPRIMANDED THE PLT; BLAMING HIM FOR NOT CHKING NOTAMS. AFTER PARKING I WENT TO THE AP OFFICE TO ASK WHERE THE TEMPORARY TWR WAS. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY I WAS NOT RESPONDED TO ON 122.9 UNTIL ON THE GND AND WHY A PLANE WAS ALLOWED TO LAND WHILE I WAS STILL ON THE RWY. IT WAS TOO LATE; THE TEMPORARY TWR WAS SHUT DOWN (PERMANENTLY) AT XA00 LCL TIME AND THE ARPT WAS BACK ON 122.9. IN MY FLT BAG I HAD A COPY OF 'NOTICES TO AIRMEN;' 6/THU/88-6/THU/88 AND COULD NOT FIND A NOTICE OF A TEMPORARY TWR AT CPM ON 6/X/88.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.