Narrative:

I was on a night training flight with a student when this occurred. My student and I were discussing the flight inside before we went out to the airplane. We both lost track of time. After preflight, we contacted tower and proceeded to the runway and took off. I was discussing the takeoff when the tower informed all traffic that the ATIS changed. I misunderstood the announcement that tower made. I thought that they had just closed for the night. We returned to the airport at XA45 pm thinking that it was already after XB00 pm, when the tower closed. My student was under the hood, so I was making all radio calls. I made a call to executive traffic upon reaching downwind and proceeded to call base and final approach. Because there was no response on the frequency, we assumed no other traffic was in the area using CTAF. Just before turning final, I noticed aircraft Y turning final inside of us (we were about 4 mi out). We then made s- turns for separation and proceeded to land. Once we were on the runway, I looked toward the tower, noticed them giving us light signals to exit the runway. I realized at this time we had a radio failure and tower was still open. I contacted tower on our other radio. Our first radio was broadcasting, but not receiving. Our calls had been heard by tower but we couldn't hear their response. I think that if I had kept better track of time and paid more attention to tower communications this would have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT INSTRUCTOR WITH TRAINEE LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC, CITING RADIO FAILURE. FLC ACKNOWLEDGE THEY WERE UNAWARE OF CORRECT TIME, ASSUMING TWR WAS CLOSED, WHEN THEY OBSERVED LIGHT GUN SIGNALS. FLC STATES THEY SHOULD HAVE HAD GREATER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.

Narrative: I WAS ON A NIGHT TRAINING FLT WITH A STUDENT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. MY STUDENT AND I WERE DISCUSSING THE FLT INSIDE BEFORE WE WENT OUT TO THE AIRPLANE. WE BOTH LOST TRACK OF TIME. AFTER PREFLT, WE CONTACTED TWR AND PROCEEDED TO THE RWY AND TOOK OFF. I WAS DISCUSSING THE TKOF WHEN THE TWR INFORMED ALL TFC THAT THE ATIS CHANGED. I MISUNDERSTOOD THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT TWR MADE. I THOUGHT THAT THEY HAD JUST CLOSED FOR THE NIGHT. WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT AT XA45 PM THINKING THAT IT WAS ALREADY AFTER XB00 PM, WHEN THE TWR CLOSED. MY STUDENT WAS UNDER THE HOOD, SO I WAS MAKING ALL RADIO CALLS. I MADE A CALL TO EXECUTIVE TFC UPON REACHING DOWNWIND AND PROCEEDED TO CALL BASE AND FINAL APCH. BECAUSE THERE WAS NO RESPONSE ON THE FREQ, WE ASSUMED NO OTHER TFC WAS IN THE AREA USING CTAF. JUST BEFORE TURNING FINAL, I NOTICED ACFT Y TURNING FINAL INSIDE OF US (WE WERE ABOUT 4 MI OUT). WE THEN MADE S- TURNS FOR SEPARATION AND PROCEEDED TO LAND. ONCE WE WERE ON THE RWY, I LOOKED TOWARD THE TWR, NOTICED THEM GIVING US LIGHT SIGNALS TO EXIT THE RWY. I REALIZED AT THIS TIME WE HAD A RADIO FAILURE AND TWR WAS STILL OPEN. I CONTACTED TWR ON OUR OTHER RADIO. OUR FIRST RADIO WAS BROADCASTING, BUT NOT RECEIVING. OUR CALLS HAD BEEN HEARD BY TWR BUT WE COULDN'T HEAR THEIR RESPONSE. I THINK THAT IF I HAD KEPT BETTER TRACK OF TIME AND PAID MORE ATTN TO TWR COMS THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.