Pilot of a beech bonanza BE35 entered class B airspace and landed at the primary airport without ATC...

Narrative:

Prior to the departure on nov/xa/97 I called to determine availability of fuel at previously used waypoints. The person answering at west memphis airport said that fuel would be available. The wind velocity from high crest to west memphis averaged 40 mph on the nose. As a result, I was low on fuel when I arrived at west memphis. Contrary to the information given by phone, the fuel office at west memphis was closed with a notice on the door to call a number for delayed service. I used the pay phone by the doorway and was repeatedly told by the recording that the call was xferred to another operator for service. Then the phone went dead and I was unable to contact anyone for fuel service. A local person generously let me call mem on his portable phone. The individual I spoke with assured me that I could get fuel. Though I was low on fuel due to the excessive headwinds, I considered it feasible and safe to fly VFR the 17 mi to mem. I attempted to contact mem when 10 mi out, but got no response, perhaps because of radio trouble. I announced my intention to land on runway 18L because I observed 2 airliners approaching and landing on that runway. I altered my course slightly to the north to avoid both interference and turbulence. No other traffic was seen. I changed frequencys hoping to establish communications with mem and heard, faintly, a transmission describing the closed txwys and construction activity on the airport advising caution. Upon landing, well after the second airliner, I cleared the runway and proceeded toward the refueling area. I was stopped by an airfield operations vehicle and instructed to park my aircraft. I was then transported to the FAA office where I was asked about my actions when entering the mem controled area. I explained my attempts for radio contact and the assumption that the tower was aware of my intentions because of the taxiway caution. At no time did I present a safety hazard to any other aircraft. I did not mention that I was very short on fuel and would consider declaring an emergency if I had been instructed to delay landing or proceed to another airport. My bonanza carries 43.5 gallons of usable fuel. When I was refueled, it required 39 gallons to top off the tanks. I am an experienced pilot and would not intentionally plan a trip to turn out as it did. Winds were forecast for 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph when actually they were much higher. I was informed by telephone the day before that refueling would be available at west memphis when it was not. The extreme turbulence during the flight may have been responsible for poor or lack of communications. The remaining flight to florida was normal. I had my transponder on standby in anticipation of a code assignment when entering a controled area. The transponder worked during departure from mem and also approaching the eglin AFB. I will certainly consider these factors when planning my next trip.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF A BEECH BONANZA BE35 ENTERED CLASS B AIRSPACE AND LANDED AT THE PRIMARY ARPT WITHOUT ATC CLRNC DUE TO HIS LOW FUEL STATE AND FREQ CONGESTION. RPTR HAD JUST TAKEN OFF FROM A NEARBY SATELLITE ARPT WHERE NO FUEL WAS AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME PERIOD.

Narrative: PRIOR TO THE DEP ON NOV/XA/97 I CALLED TO DETERMINE AVAILABILITY OF FUEL AT PREVIOUSLY USED WAYPOINTS. THE PERSON ANSWERING AT WEST MEMPHIS ARPT SAID THAT FUEL WOULD BE AVAILABLE. THE WIND VELOCITY FROM HIGH CREST TO WEST MEMPHIS AVERAGED 40 MPH ON THE NOSE. AS A RESULT, I WAS LOW ON FUEL WHEN I ARRIVED AT WEST MEMPHIS. CONTRARY TO THE INFO GIVEN BY PHONE, THE FUEL OFFICE AT WEST MEMPHIS WAS CLOSED WITH A NOTICE ON THE DOOR TO CALL A NUMBER FOR DELAYED SVC. I USED THE PAY PHONE BY THE DOORWAY AND WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD BY THE RECORDING THAT THE CALL WAS XFERRED TO ANOTHER OPERATOR FOR SVC. THEN THE PHONE WENT DEAD AND I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT ANYONE FOR FUEL SVC. A LCL PERSON GENEROUSLY LET ME CALL MEM ON HIS PORTABLE PHONE. THE INDIVIDUAL I SPOKE WITH ASSURED ME THAT I COULD GET FUEL. THOUGH I WAS LOW ON FUEL DUE TO THE EXCESSIVE HEADWINDS, I CONSIDERED IT FEASIBLE AND SAFE TO FLY VFR THE 17 MI TO MEM. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MEM WHEN 10 MI OUT, BUT GOT NO RESPONSE, PERHAPS BECAUSE OF RADIO TROUBLE. I ANNOUNCED MY INTENTION TO LAND ON RWY 18L BECAUSE I OBSERVED 2 AIRLINERS APCHING AND LNDG ON THAT RWY. I ALTERED MY COURSE SLIGHTLY TO THE N TO AVOID BOTH INTERFERENCE AND TURB. NO OTHER TFC WAS SEEN. I CHANGED FREQS HOPING TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH MEM AND HEARD, FAINTLY, A XMISSION DESCRIBING THE CLOSED TXWYS AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY ON THE ARPT ADVISING CAUTION. UPON LNDG, WELL AFTER THE SECOND AIRLINER, I CLRED THE RWY AND PROCEEDED TOWARD THE REFUELING AREA. I WAS STOPPED BY AN AIRFIELD OPS VEHICLE AND INSTRUCTED TO PARK MY ACFT. I WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO THE FAA OFFICE WHERE I WAS ASKED ABOUT MY ACTIONS WHEN ENTERING THE MEM CTLED AREA. I EXPLAINED MY ATTEMPTS FOR RADIO CONTACT AND THE ASSUMPTION THAT THE TWR WAS AWARE OF MY INTENTIONS BECAUSE OF THE TXWY CAUTION. AT NO TIME DID I PRESENT A SAFETY HAZARD TO ANY OTHER ACFT. I DID NOT MENTION THAT I WAS VERY SHORT ON FUEL AND WOULD CONSIDER DECLARING AN EMER IF I HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DELAY LNDG OR PROCEED TO ANOTHER ARPT. MY BONANZA CARRIES 43.5 GALLONS OF USABLE FUEL. WHEN I WAS REFUELED, IT REQUIRED 39 GALLONS TO TOP OFF THE TANKS. I AM AN EXPERIENCED PLT AND WOULD NOT INTENTIONALLY PLAN A TRIP TO TURN OUT AS IT DID. WINDS WERE FORECAST FOR 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH WHEN ACTUALLY THEY WERE MUCH HIGHER. I WAS INFORMED BY TELEPHONE THE DAY BEFORE THAT REFUELING WOULD BE AVAILABLE AT WEST MEMPHIS WHEN IT WAS NOT. THE EXTREME TURB DURING THE FLT MAY HAVE BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR POOR OR LACK OF COMS. THE REMAINING FLT TO FLORIDA WAS NORMAL. I HAD MY XPONDER ON STANDBY IN ANTICIPATION OF A CODE ASSIGNMENT WHEN ENTERING A CTLED AREA. THE XPONDER WORKED DURING DEP FROM MEM AND ALSO APCHING THE EGLIN AFB. I WILL CERTAINLY CONSIDER THESE FACTORS WHEN PLANNING MY NEXT TRIP.

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.

Attributes
ACN	386817
Time
Date	199711
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem
State Reference	TN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2700 msl bound upper : 2700
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : mem tower : mem
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Bonanza 35
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other descent other landing other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	other other : other pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 41 flight time total : 5465 flight time type : 35
ASRS Report	386817
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	incursion : landing without clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Pilot of a beech bonanza BE35 entered class B airspace and landed at the primary airport without ATC clearance due to his low fuel state and frequency congestion. Reporter had just taken off from a nearby satellite airport where no fuel was available at that time period.