Narrative:

I was conducting an emergency medical service flight originally planned from a hospital a, to a hospital B. Shortly after takeoff the destination was changed to airport to meet a ground ambulance. I had not been to that destination before. I used the airport guide booklet to find the LORAN coords and proper frequencys. I inadvertently selected the unicom frequency and not being familiar with that airport, assumed it was an uncontrolled unicom airport. My reasoning for using the booklet rather than the sectional for the area was one of convenience in that it was easier to handle while manipulating the controls. I proceeded north with xyz approach control through the xyz air traffic area. I lost radar contact with xyz approach before being handed off, but retained the assigned squawk code. As I approached hosptial B, approximately 20 NM out, the patient on board coded. This caused considerable commotion in the aircraft as the patient was given drugs, the patient was intubated, and the medical crew was out of their seat belts and moving about the cabin. When the situation was back under control in the cabin I was asked to establish radio contact with the receiving hospital to inform them of change in patient status. I tried, without success, until I was indicating 7 NM south of the airport. I stopped trying to contact the hospital and switched to unicom. I announced my position and intentions to land on the north/south runway which, at 1500 ft was all I could see. I made a second call at 4 mi out to change the landing site to the adjacent taxiway. By the time I realized I was approaching a controled airport without the tower frequency, I was on short final. At that point I decided it would be safer to continue my approach to the clear taxiway/ramp area, and avoid the flow of fixed wing traffic, than to turn 180 degree and possibly fly back through fixed wing traffic without radio contact. After landing to a hover, I moved to a taxiway which I felt would be clear of traffic and called unicom FBO to get tower frequency. I contacted tower, and was cleared to cross the east/west runway for landing to meet the ambulance. I talked with the tower supervisor and apologized for the error. He said xyz had contacted them to let them know I was headed their way, so he was pretty sure at the time that the 'no contact' aircraft approaching was in fact me. He stated that he was not seriously upset with the situation but that he had contacted the local flight safety office as procedurally required. I should have used the sectional which would have immediately indicated a controled airport, and will do so in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMS HELI ENTERS ATA WITHOUT CONTACT. BELIEVES ARPT UNCTLED. LANDS.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING AN EMER MEDICAL SVC FLT ORIGINALLY PLANNED FROM A HOSPITAL A, TO A HOSPITAL B. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE DEST WAS CHANGED TO ARPT TO MEET A GND AMBULANCE. I HAD NOT BEEN TO THAT DEST BEFORE. I USED THE ARPT GUIDE BOOKLET TO FIND THE LORAN COORDS AND PROPER FREQS. I INADVERTENTLY SELECTED THE UNICOM FREQ AND NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THAT ARPT, ASSUMED IT WAS AN UNCTLED UNICOM ARPT. MY REASONING FOR USING THE BOOKLET RATHER THAN THE SECTIONAL FOR THE AREA WAS ONE OF CONVENIENCE IN THAT IT WAS EASIER TO HANDLE WHILE MANIPULATING THE CTLS. I PROCEEDED N WITH XYZ APCH CTL THROUGH THE XYZ ATA. I LOST RADAR CONTACT WITH XYZ APCH BEFORE BEING HANDED OFF, BUT RETAINED THE ASSIGNED SQUAWK CODE. AS I APCHED HOSPTIAL B, APPROX 20 NM OUT, THE PATIENT ON BOARD CODED. THIS CAUSED CONSIDERABLE COMMOTION IN THE ACFT AS THE PATIENT WAS GIVEN DRUGS, THE PATIENT WAS INTUBATED, AND THE MEDICAL CREW WAS OUT OF THEIR SEAT BELTS AND MOVING ABOUT THE CABIN. WHEN THE SITUATION WAS BACK UNDER CTL IN THE CABIN I WAS ASKED TO ESTABLISH RADIO CONTACT WITH THE RECEIVING HOSPITAL TO INFORM THEM OF CHANGE IN PATIENT STATUS. I TRIED, WITHOUT SUCCESS, UNTIL I WAS INDICATING 7 NM S OF THE ARPT. I STOPPED TRYING TO CONTACT THE HOSPITAL AND SWITCHED TO UNICOM. I ANNOUNCED MY POS AND INTENTIONS TO LAND ON THE N/S RWY WHICH, AT 1500 FT WAS ALL I COULD SEE. I MADE A SECOND CALL AT 4 MI OUT TO CHANGE THE LNDG SITE TO THE ADJACENT TAXIWAY. BY THE TIME I REALIZED I WAS APCHING A CTLED ARPT WITHOUT THE TWR FREQ, I WAS ON SHORT FINAL. AT THAT POINT I DECIDED IT WOULD BE SAFER TO CONTINUE MY APCH TO THE CLR TAXIWAY/RAMP AREA, AND AVOID THE FLOW OF FIXED WING TFC, THAN TO TURN 180 DEG AND POSSIBLY FLY BACK THROUGH FIXED WING TFC WITHOUT RADIO CONTACT. AFTER LNDG TO A HOVER, I MOVED TO A TAXIWAY WHICH I FELT WOULD BE CLR OF TFC AND CALLED UNICOM FBO TO GET TWR FREQ. I CONTACTED TWR, AND WAS CLRED TO CROSS THE E/W RWY FOR LNDG TO MEET THE AMBULANCE. I TALKED WITH THE TWR SUPVR AND APOLOGIZED FOR THE ERROR. HE SAID XYZ HAD CONTACTED THEM TO LET THEM KNOW I WAS HEADED THEIR WAY, SO HE WAS PRETTY SURE AT THE TIME THAT THE 'NO CONTACT' ACFT APCHING WAS IN FACT ME. HE STATED THAT HE WAS NOT SERIOUSLY UPSET WITH THE SITUATION BUT THAT HE HAD CONTACTED THE LCL FLT SAFETY OFFICE AS PROCEDURALLY REQUIRED. I SHOULD HAVE USED THE SECTIONAL WHICH WOULD HAVE IMMEDIATELY INDICATED A CTLED ARPT, AND WILL DO SO IN THE FUTURE.

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.