Small aircraft entered class D airspace and land without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	271934
Time
Date	199405
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : 79j
State Reference	AL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : 79j
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 1450 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	271934
Person 2
Affiliation	government : military
Function	controller : local
Qualification	pilot : military
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure 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:

While conducting a photo flight of the southern alabama region my photographer and I landed at the andalusia airport. Due to the nature of photo flts, flight planning is often done en route as the photographer requires. As such, I was not aware of the fact that a military control tower had been established at andalusia. I was under the impression that magenta airports are 'uncontrolled' and simply made position reports announcing my intentions on the unicom frequency of 122.8 MHZ. I landed without contacting the tower. Contributing factors: I did not study the airport area on the sectional enough to notice blue dashed ring encircling the airport. Airport advisories, though requested, did not advise me of this strange airspace marking. Inconsistency in airspace marking on current sectional charts. I.e., class 'D' airports with magenta airports and blue segmented circles missing upper limit altitudes. Example: andalusia (79J), or blue airports missing blue segmented circles and upper limit altitudes. Example: hagler aaf (slj). These inconsistencies are both confusing and potentially dangerous if a pilot were to land while another were to be 'cleared for takeoff' as a result of misreading the sectional chart.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE AND LAND WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: WHILE CONDUCTING A PHOTO FLT OF THE SOUTHERN ALABAMA REGION MY PHOTOGRAPHER AND I LANDED AT THE ANDALUSIA ARPT. DUE TO THE NATURE OF PHOTO FLTS, FLT PLANNING IS OFTEN DONE ENRTE AS THE PHOTOGRAPHER REQUIRES. AS SUCH, I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE FACT THAT A MIL CTL TWR HAD BEEN ESTABLISHED AT ANDALUSIA. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT MAGENTA ARPTS ARE 'UNCTLED' AND SIMPLY MADE POS RPTS ANNOUNCING MY INTENTIONS ON THE UNICOM FREQ OF 122.8 MHZ. I LANDED WITHOUT CONTACTING THE TWR. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I DID NOT STUDY THE ARPT AREA ON THE SECTIONAL ENOUGH TO NOTICE BLUE DASHED RING ENCIRCLING THE ARPT. ARPT ADVISORIES, THOUGH REQUESTED, DID NOT ADVISE ME OF THIS STRANGE AIRSPACE MARKING. INCONSISTENCY IN AIRSPACE MARKING ON CURRENT SECTIONAL CHARTS. I.E., CLASS 'D' ARPTS WITH MAGENTA ARPTS AND BLUE SEGMENTED CIRCLES MISSING UPPER LIMIT ALTS. EXAMPLE: ANDALUSIA (79J), OR BLUE ARPTS MISSING BLUE SEGMENTED CIRCLES AND UPPER LIMIT ALTS. EXAMPLE: HAGLER AAF (SLJ). THESE INCONSISTENCIES ARE BOTH CONFUSING AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS IF A PLT WERE TO LAND WHILE ANOTHER WERE TO BE 'CLRED FOR TKOF' AS A RESULT OF MISREADING THE SECTIONAL CHART.

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.