Unauthorized landing after non adherence to ATC instruction.

Attributes
ACN	313790
Time
Date	199508
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sff
State Reference	WA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 28 flight time total : 3292
ASRS Report	313794
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was receiving TA's and vectors to felts field from spokane approach. Being unfamiliar with the area, I asked about the traffic pattern at felts and was told to expect right traffic for runway 21R at 3500 ft (1500 ft AGL) because of a bluff near the airport. Approach told me to contact tower and give my position. I did and gave them long right downwind for the right. Tower said to report downwind. As I neared the airport, I saw that the bluff was quite close and nearly as high as the pattern altitude. There were also towers on top. I was concerned because the ht and closeness of the hill made my downwind too high and close in for a good approach. While I was sorting through this, I failed to report downwind. As I turned base and final, I concentrated on maintaining control and getting down. I overshot the final (extended runway centerline) and turned back to it. I was still a little high and landed a bit long (but uneventfully). As I rolled out, the tower told me I had failed to report downwind and had not been cleared to land. He was right. The distrs of the nonstandard pattern had preoccupied my thoughts and caused me to fail to report and fail to notice the lack of landing clearance.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH LNDG AFTER NON ADHERENCE TO ATC INSTRUCTION.

Narrative: I WAS RECEIVING TA'S AND VECTORS TO FELTS FIELD FROM SPOKANE APCH. BEING UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA, I ASKED ABOUT THE TFC PATTERN AT FELTS AND WAS TOLD TO EXPECT R TFC FOR RWY 21R AT 3500 FT (1500 FT AGL) BECAUSE OF A BLUFF NEAR THE ARPT. APCH TOLD ME TO CONTACT TWR AND GIVE MY POS. I DID AND GAVE THEM LONG R DOWNWIND FOR THE R. TWR SAID TO RPT DOWNWIND. AS I NEARED THE ARPT, I SAW THAT THE BLUFF WAS QUITE CLOSE AND NEARLY AS HIGH AS THE PATTERN ALT. THERE WERE ALSO TWRS ON TOP. I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THE HT AND CLOSENESS OF THE HILL MADE MY DOWNWIND TOO HIGH AND CLOSE IN FOR A GOOD APCH. WHILE I WAS SORTING THROUGH THIS, I FAILED TO RPT DOWNWIND. AS I TURNED BASE AND FINAL, I CONCENTRATED ON MAINTAINING CTL AND GETTING DOWN. I OVERSHOT THE FINAL (EXTENDED RWY CTRLINE) AND TURNED BACK TO IT. I WAS STILL A LITTLE HIGH AND LANDED A BIT LONG (BUT UNEVENTFULLY). AS I ROLLED OUT, THE TWR TOLD ME I HAD FAILED TO RPT DOWNWIND AND HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO LAND. HE WAS RIGHT. THE DISTRS OF THE NONSTANDARD PATTERN HAD PREOCCUPIED MY THOUGHTS AND CAUSED ME TO FAIL TO RPT AND FAIL TO NOTICE THE LACK OF LNDG CLRNC.

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.