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A PA34-200T ATP pilot landing without clearance after losing communication frequency while on a turbulent approach to dpa, il.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 561823 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200210 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dpa.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | IMC |
| Weather Elements | Turbulence |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : dpa.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200T Turbo Seneca II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Navigation In Use | ils localizer & glide slope : 295 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Route In Use | approach : instrument precision arrival : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 73.9 flight time total : 2475 flight time type : 803 |
| ASRS Report | 561823 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger illness incursion : landing without clearance inflight encounter : weather inflight encounter : turbulence non adherence : far non adherence : clearance |
| Independent Detector | other controllera other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | faa : reviewed incident with flight crew other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Weather Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Was cleared for approach to dpa via ILS runway 10, circle to land runway 20. I had set audio on the communication panel to transmit the audio from the marker beacon to the head set. Crossing the OM, I reached over to turn off the audio and told tower that I was marker inbound. I heard no further xmissions from tower after that. I landed runway 20 without having a clearance to land. I taxied to parking without any contact with tower or ground. What I had done was hit the wrong audio button and turned off the automatic selector which was 2 buttons over from the marker audio button. Factors that I believe caused this mistake were a very strong crosswind which made it very difficult to stay on the localizer during the approach (the autoplt actually kicked off because of the extreme crab required). In addition, turbulence was at least moderate, maybe worse. Another factor was that both passenger had just thrown up and wanted to know what I had aboard to help them clean up. I called tower and apologized. They said no problem, that they could hear me and no loss of separation had occurred. I decided that to 'fly the airplane' was the best thing for me to do.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A PA34-200T ATP PLT LWOC AFTER LOSING COM FREQ WHILE ON A TURBULENT APCH TO DPA, IL.
Narrative: WAS CLRED FOR APCH TO DPA VIA ILS RWY 10, CIRCLE TO LAND RWY 20. I HAD SET AUDIO ON THE COM PANEL TO XMIT THE AUDIO FROM THE MARKER BEACON TO THE HEAD SET. XING THE OM, I REACHED OVER TO TURN OFF THE AUDIO AND TOLD TWR THAT I WAS MARKER INBOUND. I HEARD NO FURTHER XMISSIONS FROM TWR AFTER THAT. I LANDED RWY 20 WITHOUT HAVING A CLRNC TO LAND. I TAXIED TO PARKING WITHOUT ANY CONTACT WITH TWR OR GND. WHAT I HAD DONE WAS HIT THE WRONG AUDIO BUTTON AND TURNED OFF THE AUTO SELECTOR WHICH WAS 2 BUTTONS OVER FROM THE MARKER AUDIO BUTTON. FACTORS THAT I BELIEVE CAUSED THIS MISTAKE WERE A VERY STRONG XWIND WHICH MADE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO STAY ON THE LOC DURING THE APCH (THE AUTOPLT ACTUALLY KICKED OFF BECAUSE OF THE EXTREME CRAB REQUIRED). IN ADDITION, TURB WAS AT LEAST MODERATE, MAYBE WORSE. ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THAT BOTH PAX HAD JUST THROWN UP AND WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I HAD ABOARD TO HELP THEM CLEAN UP. I CALLED TWR AND APOLOGIZED. THEY SAID NO PROB, THAT THEY COULD HEAR ME AND NO LOSS OF SEPARATION HAD OCCURRED. I DECIDED THAT TO 'FLY THE AIRPLANE' WAS THE BEST THING FOR ME TO DO.
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.