A J-3 piper cub entered class D airspace at 1;000' without radio or transponder. He had previously b...

Attributes
ACN	810135
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 1000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	J3 Cub
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 70 flight time total : 850 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	810135
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Events
Anomaly	airspace violation : entry non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Aircraft equipped without radio and transponder. Flew into ZZZ earlier in the morning and warned I would return at XA00 to XB00 local. Controller understood and stated to contact via phone coming back. Called ZZZ tower with cell phone to report 10 SM south. Controller did not understand and repeated request. He acknowledged my distance. Held/circled 4 SM outside class D. No light signal from tower. Flew closer in; 2 SM; for the light signal and held for 5 mins. Received no light signal; so I called via cell phone. At which time the tower asked where my radio and transponder was. Reported again I was not equipped and had to convince the controller to let me land. After landing I; the PIC; called the tower and was told that non-radio/non-transponder operations was prohibited within class D. Tower controller relied on radar and radio communication for reporting. Tower is a VFR tower with radar to observe. Did not notice an aircraft holding for 8-10 mins at a distance of 4 and 2 SM.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A J-3 PIPER CUB ENTERED CLASS D AIRSPACE AT 1;000' WITHOUT RADIO OR TRANSPONDER. HE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN GRANTED PERMISSION FOR CELL PHONE COMMUNICATIONS BUT THE CURRENT CONTROLLER DENIED THAT REQUEST.

Narrative: ACFT EQUIPPED WITHOUT RADIO AND XPONDER. FLEW INTO ZZZ EARLIER IN THE MORNING AND WARNED I WOULD RETURN AT XA00 TO XB00 LCL. CTLR UNDERSTOOD AND STATED TO CONTACT VIA PHONE COMING BACK. CALLED ZZZ TWR WITH CELL PHONE TO RPT 10 SM S. CTLR DID NOT UNDERSTAND AND REPEATED REQUEST. HE ACKNOWLEDGED MY DISTANCE. HELD/CIRCLED 4 SM OUTSIDE CLASS D. NO LIGHT SIGNAL FROM TWR. FLEW CLOSER IN; 2 SM; FOR THE LIGHT SIGNAL AND HELD FOR 5 MINS. RECEIVED NO LIGHT SIGNAL; SO I CALLED VIA CELL PHONE. AT WHICH TIME THE TWR ASKED WHERE MY RADIO AND XPONDER WAS. RPTED AGAIN I WAS NOT EQUIPPED AND HAD TO CONVINCE THE CTLR TO LET ME LAND. AFTER LNDG I; THE PIC; CALLED THE TWR AND WAS TOLD THAT NON-RADIO/NON-XPONDER OPS WAS PROHIBITED WITHIN CLASS D. TWR CTLR RELIED ON RADAR AND RADIO COM FOR RPTING. TWR IS A VFR TWR WITH RADAR TO OBSERVE. DID NOT NOTICE AN ACFT HOLDING FOR 8-10 MINS AT A DISTANCE OF 4 AND 2 SM.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.

A J-3 piper cub entered class D airspace at 1;000' without radio or transponder. He had previously been granted permission for cell phone communications but the current controller denied that request.