Narrative:

En route from winchester, va (W16) to williamsport, PA (ipt), the WX was forecasted to be 2500 broken with visibility 4 mi with some obscuration in the mountains. I had planned this flight 2 weeks prior and, although IFR capable, I preferred to make this flight under VFR conditions, if possible. Approximately 30 mi from ipt the WX began to improve to a scattered layer at 2500 ft. I contacted ipt flight service who reported ipt as still broken at 2500 ft during the last hourly observation. Upon hearing this report I opened up the instrument approach procedure for the ILS runway 27 in case the ceiling or visibility or obscured mountain tops required me to climb and get an IFR clearance to land safely at williamsport. I glanced at the sectional and mistakenly dialed in the unicom frequency of 122.95 when I saw the frequency on the sectional and a circled 'C' next to it. At 10 mi the landing area was hidden by a 2000 ft ridge to the south, so I made a position report on unicom/CTAF and then contacted flight service to report the ceiling was dissipating into a scattered deck at 2500 ft, but the visibility had decreased to 4 mi in haze. As I descended over the second ridge I saw the williamsport airport, observed the wind sock, and made a call on 122.95 that I was turning left downwind for runway 27. No other traffic was observed in the pattern, so I called left base, landed and taxied to parking. After reaching the FBO the manager told me to call the tower and I immediately realized what had happened. I called the tower and explained to the controller that I had misread the sectional. Upon reflection, I had 3 chances to see the airport was tower controled. I did not see the tower frequency on the sectional or notice the airport was blue, not magenta. I also did not review the frequencys on the instrument approach plate. This was the fourth flight of a 2-DAY, 1300 mi cross country trip in varying WX conditions from MVFR to VFR. I had prepared for the trip 2 weeks in advance and had planned to go to ipt because of its location and the availability of an instrument approach. I believe this incident was caused by 3 factors. 1) I tried to give a PIREP 10 mi from the airport when I could have waited and given it in person (FSS on field), 2) I was task saturated trying to find the airport in MVFR with a 2000 ft ridge obscuring the field, and 3) I was tired after such a long cross country. Perhaps I prepared for this trip too early and forgot some of the details. The simple rule: 'aviate, navigation, communicate' could have prevented this incident, and luckily all that happened was an unexpected landing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA LANDS WITHOUT CLRNC. COM ON UNICOM FREQ INSTEAD OF TWR.

Narrative: ENRTE FROM WINCHESTER, VA (W16) TO WILLIAMSPORT, PA (IPT), THE WX WAS FORECASTED TO BE 2500 BROKEN WITH VISIBILITY 4 MI WITH SOME OBSCURATION IN THE MOUNTAINS. I HAD PLANNED THIS FLT 2 WKS PRIOR AND, ALTHOUGH IFR CAPABLE, I PREFERRED TO MAKE THIS FLT UNDER VFR CONDITIONS, IF POSSIBLE. APPROX 30 MI FROM IPT THE WX BEGAN TO IMPROVE TO A SCATTERED LAYER AT 2500 FT. I CONTACTED IPT FLT SVC WHO RPTED IPT AS STILL BROKEN AT 2500 FT DURING THE LAST HRLY OBSERVATION. UPON HEARING THIS RPT I OPENED UP THE INST APCH PROC FOR THE ILS RWY 27 IN CASE THE CEILING OR VISIBILITY OR OBSCURED MOUNTAIN TOPS REQUIRED ME TO CLB AND GET AN IFR CLRNC TO LAND SAFELY AT WILLIAMSPORT. I GLANCED AT THE SECTIONAL AND MISTAKENLY DIALED IN THE UNICOM FREQ OF 122.95 WHEN I SAW THE FREQ ON THE SECTIONAL AND A CIRCLED 'C' NEXT TO IT. AT 10 MI THE LNDG AREA WAS HIDDEN BY A 2000 FT RIDGE TO THE S, SO I MADE A POS RPT ON UNICOM/CTAF AND THEN CONTACTED FLT SVC TO RPT THE CEILING WAS DISSIPATING INTO A SCATTERED DECK AT 2500 FT, BUT THE VISIBILITY HAD DECREASED TO 4 MI IN HAZE. AS I DSNDED OVER THE SECOND RIDGE I SAW THE WILLIAMSPORT ARPT, OBSERVED THE WIND SOCK, AND MADE A CALL ON 122.95 THAT I WAS TURNING L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 27. NO OTHER TFC WAS OBSERVED IN THE PATTERN, SO I CALLED L BASE, LANDED AND TAXIED TO PARKING. AFTER REACHING THE FBO THE MGR TOLD ME TO CALL THE TWR AND I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I CALLED THE TWR AND EXPLAINED TO THE CTLR THAT I HAD MISREAD THE SECTIONAL. UPON REFLECTION, I HAD 3 CHANCES TO SEE THE ARPT WAS TWR CTLED. I DID NOT SEE THE TWR FREQ ON THE SECTIONAL OR NOTICE THE ARPT WAS BLUE, NOT MAGENTA. I ALSO DID NOT REVIEW THE FREQS ON THE INST APCH PLATE. THIS WAS THE FOURTH FLT OF A 2-DAY, 1300 MI XCOUNTRY TRIP IN VARYING WX CONDITIONS FROM MVFR TO VFR. I HAD PREPARED FOR THE TRIP 2 WKS IN ADVANCE AND HAD PLANNED TO GO TO IPT BECAUSE OF ITS LOCATION AND THE AVAILABILITY OF AN INST APCH. I BELIEVE THIS INCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY 3 FACTORS. 1) I TRIED TO GIVE A PIREP 10 MI FROM THE ARPT WHEN I COULD HAVE WAITED AND GIVEN IT IN PERSON (FSS ON FIELD), 2) I WAS TASK SATURATED TRYING TO FIND THE ARPT IN MVFR WITH A 2000 FT RIDGE OBSCURING THE FIELD, AND 3) I WAS TIRED AFTER SUCH A LONG XCOUNTRY. PERHAPS I PREPARED FOR THIS TRIP TOO EARLY AND FORGOT SOME OF THE DETAILS. THE SIMPLE RULE: 'AVIATE, NAV, COMMUNICATE' COULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS INCIDENT, AND LUCKILY ALL THAT HAPPENED WAS AN UNEXPECTED LNDG.

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.