Narrative:

I was assigned to pick up a news cameraman at santa maria airport (ca) and to proceed offshore in the vicinity of morro bay for a film session. Another company pilot met the aircraft at santa maria, helped the cameraman aboard and gave me the coordinates and the sbp tower frequency as 122.8 unicom, where I was supposed to drop the man after the flight. I accepted the frequency as valid and on a standard VFR entry to sbp attempted to contact the unicom on 122.8. No answer, however I received a green light and landed adjacent to the tower. I dropped my passenger and asked my mechanic to get out and check with the tower people on the proper frequency. As he went to the tower I checked the la sectional and found the correct frequency to be 124.0. My mechanic returned and verified this to be true. I contacted the tower on the proper frequency and received takeoff and departure instructions which I complied with as issued. The tower personnel were most helpful and professional (and at no time was safety a factor in this instance).

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMA ON CHARTER OPERATION LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR. CALL HAD BEEN MADE ON UNICOM FREQ AND TWR SIGNAL LIGHT CONTROL WAS OBSERVED.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO PICK UP A NEWS CAMERAMAN AT SANTA MARIA ARPT (CA) AND TO PROCEED OFFSHORE IN THE VICINITY OF MORRO BAY FOR A FILM SESSION. ANOTHER COMPANY PLT MET THE ACFT AT SANTA MARIA, HELPED THE CAMERAMAN ABOARD AND GAVE ME THE COORDINATES AND THE SBP TWR FREQ AS 122.8 UNICOM, WHERE I WAS SUPPOSED TO DROP THE MAN AFTER THE FLT. I ACCEPTED THE FREQ AS VALID AND ON A STANDARD VFR ENTRY TO SBP ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE UNICOM ON 122.8. NO ANSWER, HOWEVER I RECEIVED A GREEN LIGHT AND LANDED ADJACENT TO THE TWR. I DROPPED MY PAX AND ASKED MY MECH TO GET OUT AND CHK WITH THE TWR PEOPLE ON THE PROPER FREQ. AS HE WENT TO THE TWR I CHKED THE LA SECTIONAL AND FOUND THE CORRECT FREQ TO BE 124.0. MY MECH RETURNED AND VERIFIED THIS TO BE TRUE. I CONTACTED THE TWR ON THE PROPER FREQ AND RECEIVED TKOF AND DEP INSTRUCTIONS WHICH I COMPLIED WITH AS ISSUED. THE TWR PERSONNEL WERE MOST HELPFUL AND PROFESSIONAL (AND AT NO TIME WAS SAFETY A FACTOR IN THIS INSTANCE).

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.