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M20R pilot was unable to communication with the tower because of frequency congestion so he landed without clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 521156 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200108 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bed.airport |
| State Reference | MA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | M-20 Series Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Aircraft 2 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : bed.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-38 Tomahawk |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 35 flight time total : 975 flight time type : 750 |
| ASRS Report | 521156 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| 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 : anomaly accepted |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Airport ATC Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
| Situations | |
| ATC Facility | procedure or policy : bed.tower |
Narrative:
Hanscom tower swamped with traffic on a good VFR day. Tower radar OTS. Tower sequenced my aircraft behind a piper tomahawk. I executed multiple s-turns to provide spacing. At the end of the day, I went ahead and landed. I have no idea if I was actually cleared to do so. Tower frequency so congested that I couldn't get a word in to ask. Aside from the obvious regulatory issue -- landing, taxi, etc, were accomplished without incident. Tower ought not to sequence relatively fast aircraft such as my M20R behind trainers and then ask them to drag the plane in with the stall horn on to accommodate their error. I figured that a go around would make things worse than simply landing. I was never concerned about being able to stop short of the tomahawk.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: M20R PLT WAS UNABLE TO COM WITH THE TWR BECAUSE OF FREQ CONGESTION SO HE LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.
Narrative: HANSCOM TWR SWAMPED WITH TFC ON A GOOD VFR DAY. TWR RADAR OTS. TWR SEQUENCED MY ACFT BEHIND A PIPER TOMAHAWK. I EXECUTED MULTIPLE S-TURNS TO PROVIDE SPACING. AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WENT AHEAD AND LANDED. I HAVE NO IDEA IF I WAS ACTUALLY CLRED TO DO SO. TWR FREQ SO CONGESTED THAT I COULDN'T GET A WORD IN TO ASK. ASIDE FROM THE OBVIOUS REGULATORY ISSUE -- LNDG, TAXI, ETC, WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT INCIDENT. TWR OUGHT NOT TO SEQUENCE RELATIVELY FAST ACFT SUCH AS MY M20R BEHIND TRAINERS AND THEN ASK THEM TO DRAG THE PLANE IN WITH THE STALL HORN ON TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR ERROR. I FIGURED THAT A GAR WOULD MAKE THINGS WORSE THAN SIMPLY LNDG. I WAS NEVER CONCERNED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO STOP SHORT OF THE TOMAHAWK.
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.