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Small aircraft pilot makes touch and go landing at a newly opened airport without realizing it has an operable control tower. Entered air traffic area and land without clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 131611 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198912 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : afw |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : afw |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | descent : approach landing other other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 400 |
| ASRS Report | 131611 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : far non adherence : clearance other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Alliance airport opened on 12/mon/89, which was well publicized. Word of mount information was that the control tower would not be open until the fall of 1990. I was flying out of aeronautical valley (northwest regional) airport, and I entered the traffic pattern at alliance thinking it was uncontrolled. I then proceeded to do a touch and go at alliance. Several hours later I found out that a temporary control tower had been operation. There was no other observed traffic in the area. I believe that the opening of a new airport should be better publicized to pilots operating in the area. I acknowledge that NOTAMS should be checked before every flight, but realistically I don't think this is always done by every pilot for every flight. In the past I have received flyers from the FAA describing situations much less important than a new controled field in the area. Alliance could have been on the terminal area chart with an effective date.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT MAKES TOUCH AND GO LNDG AT A NEWLY OPENED ARPT WITHOUT REALIZING IT HAS AN OPERABLE CTL TWR. ENTERED ATA AND LAND WITHOUT CLRNC.
Narrative: ALLIANCE ARPT OPENED ON 12/MON/89, WHICH WAS WELL PUBLICIZED. WORD OF MOUNT INFO WAS THAT THE CTL TWR WOULD NOT BE OPEN UNTIL THE FALL OF 1990. I WAS FLYING OUT OF AERO VALLEY (NW REGIONAL) ARPT, AND I ENTERED THE TFC PATTERN AT ALLIANCE THINKING IT WAS UNCONTROLLED. I THEN PROCEEDED TO DO A TOUCH AND GO AT ALLIANCE. SEVERAL HRS LATER I FOUND OUT THAT A TEMPORARY CTL TWR HAD BEEN OPERATION. THERE WAS NO OTHER OBSERVED TFC IN THE AREA. I BELIEVE THAT THE OPENING OF A NEW ARPT SHOULD BE BETTER PUBLICIZED TO PLTS OPERATING IN THE AREA. I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT NOTAMS SHOULD BE CHKED BEFORE EVERY FLT, BUT REALISTICALLY I DON'T THINK THIS IS ALWAYS DONE BY EVERY PLT FOR EVERY FLT. IN THE PAST I HAVE RECEIVED FLYERS FROM THE FAA DESCRIBING SITUATIONS MUCH LESS IMPORTANT THAN A NEW CTLED FIELD IN THE AREA. ALLIANCE COULD HAVE BEEN ON THE TERMINAL AREA CHART WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
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.