An small aircraft unauthorized penetration of airspace.

Attributes
ACN	96546
Time
Date	198810
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mwa
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1800 msl bound upper : 1800
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mwa
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 14 flight time total : 300 flight time type : 55
ASRS Report	96546
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I departed southern illinois airport for harrisburg-raleigh airport. Williamson county regional is almost in line with the route of flight and its tower has been closed for a few years. It has been common practice to monitor the CTAF while flying through the control zone, which is what I did. When I was almost out of the control zone I found out the tower was in operation and proceeded to my destination. The factors contributing to this occurrence were: no mention of a tower even existing in the current airport/facility directory, just a CTAF frequency given in the a/FD, no mention at all about a resumption of tower operations, no need to call FSS before the flight because I had flown the route before and I knew the weather was very good VFR. What really caused the problem was a lack of adequate up-to-date dissemination of information. I also assumed the tower would still be closed because it had been for a long time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: I DEPARTED SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AIRPORT FOR HARRISBURG-RALEIGH AIRPORT. WILLIAMSON COUNTY REGIONAL IS ALMOST IN LINE WITH THE ROUTE OF FLIGHT AND ITS TWR HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR A FEW YEARS. IT HAS BEEN COMMON PRACTICE TO MONITOR THE CTAF WHILE FLYING THROUGH THE CONTROL ZONE, WHICH IS WHAT I DID. WHEN I WAS ALMOST OUT OF THE CONTROL ZONE I FOUND OUT THE TWR WAS IN OPERATION AND PROCEEDED TO MY DEST. THE FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS OCCURRENCE WERE: NO MENTION OF A TWR EVEN EXISTING IN THE CURRENT AIRPORT/FACILITY DIRECTORY, JUST A CTAF FREQUENCY GIVEN IN THE A/FD, NO MENTION AT ALL ABOUT A RESUMPTION OF TWR OPERATIONS, NO NEED TO CALL FSS BEFORE THE FLIGHT BECAUSE I HAD FLOWN THE ROUTE BEFORE AND I KNEW THE WEATHER WAS VERY GOOD VFR. WHAT REALLY CAUSED THE PROBLEM WAS A LACK OF ADEQUATE UP-TO-DATE DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION. I ALSO ASSUMED THE TWR WOULD STILL BE CLOSED BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN FOR A LONG TIME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.