Narrative:

Returning from a watsonville, along the coast, I made a 90 degree turn to the right at half moon bay, crossing the ridge of hills under low-lying clouds for an approach to san carlos airport. My first flight experience in this area. The airport was in sight at 10 mi. No control tower responses were received after 4-5 requests for recognition and traffic appeared to be low. I approached an entry to a right pattern to runway 30 by crossing at midfield (above the control tower) in order to avoid landing and takeoff traffic. It was only then that the control tower apparently recognized my presence and gave me clearance to land. However, I was too high and told the tower that I would go around. This was acknowledged by the tower. Although I had traffic in sight, I departed the go around at midfield to again enter a right pattern and landed. After landing I was requested to call the tower and did so. I was told that the first recognition of my presence was at midfield as I overflew the tower, and that I should have remained clear of the air traffic area until having received recognition from the tower. Secondly, I was neatly chewed out for my midfield departure in a go around, even if I had traffic in sight. Habit, generated by being based at a uncontrolled field was a big factor in the midfield approach. I was also tired, late for an appointment and afraid of busting the TCA floor of 1500' and boundaries. Both events were just plain dumb. I can't explain why no response was received from the tower, but I failed to exercise proper procedures.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME SMA PLT HAS AN UNEXPLAINED COM PROBLEM IN CONTACTING SQL TWR AND MAKES AN UNAUTH PENETRATION OF THE SQL ATA. PLT FURTHER ERRS IN TRAFFIC PATTERN AND APCH PROC AND MAKES A NON STANDARD GO AROUND FROM MIDFIELD.

Narrative: RETURNING FROM A WATSONVILLE, ALONG THE COAST, I MADE A 90 DEG TURN TO THE RIGHT AT HALF MOON BAY, XING THE RIDGE OF HILLS UNDER LOW-LYING CLOUDS FOR AN APCH TO SAN CARLOS ARPT. MY FIRST FLT EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA. THE ARPT WAS IN SIGHT AT 10 MI. NO CTL TWR RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED AFTER 4-5 REQUESTS FOR RECOGNITION AND TFC APPEARED TO BE LOW. I APCHED AN ENTRY TO A RIGHT PATTERN TO RWY 30 BY XING AT MIDFIELD (ABOVE THE CTL TWR) IN ORDER TO AVOID LNDG AND TKOF TFC. IT WAS ONLY THEN THAT THE CTL TWR APPARENTLY RECOGNIZED MY PRESENCE AND GAVE ME CLRNC TO LAND. HOWEVER, I WAS TOO HIGH AND TOLD THE TWR THAT I WOULD GO AROUND. THIS WAS ACKNOWLEDGED BY THE TWR. ALTHOUGH I HAD TFC IN SIGHT, I DEPARTED THE GAR AT MIDFIELD TO AGAIN ENTER A RIGHT PATTERN AND LANDED. AFTER LNDG I WAS REQUESTED TO CALL THE TWR AND DID SO. I WAS TOLD THAT THE FIRST RECOGNITION OF MY PRESENCE WAS AT MIDFIELD AS I OVERFLEW THE TWR, AND THAT I SHOULD HAVE REMAINED CLR OF THE ATA UNTIL HAVING RECEIVED RECOGNITION FROM THE TWR. SECONDLY, I WAS NEATLY CHEWED OUT FOR MY MIDFIELD DEP IN A GAR, EVEN IF I HAD TFC IN SIGHT. HABIT, GENERATED BY BEING BASED AT A UNCONTROLLED FIELD WAS A BIG FACTOR IN THE MIDFIELD APCH. I WAS ALSO TIRED, LATE FOR AN APPOINTMENT AND AFRAID OF BUSTING THE TCA FLOOR OF 1500' AND BOUNDARIES. BOTH EVENTS WERE JUST PLAIN DUMB. I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY NO RESPONSE WAS RECEIVED FROM THE TWR, BUT I FAILED TO EXERCISE PROPER PROCS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.