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Aircraft departed primary airport within arsa after practice IFR apches. Cancelled IFR and requested VFR to home airport. Told to squawk 1200 and contact nuq which is enroute home base. On contact clearance was 'transit at or below 1500'. Remain clear of arsa'. Confusing since aircraft departed from within arsa and was in it at the time of the clearance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 112701 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198905 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : sjc |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1000 msl bound upper : 1000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : nuq |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Fixed Gear |
| Flight Phase | climbout : intermediate altitude |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : private |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 33 flight time total : 160 flight time type : 36 |
| ASRS Report | 112701 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : local |
| Qualification | controller : non radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
We had completed an IFR training flight with the san jose (sjc) 30L ILS approach. While making the low approach at the termination of the approach, we requested from sjc tower to cancel IFR and proceed VFR to our home airport of palo alto (pao). The tower approved the request, instructed us to squawk 1200, and told us to contact moffett tower (nuq). We contacted nuq and stated we had departed sjc and were landing pao. Nuq tower approved a transition at or below 1500' and added 'remain clear of the san jose arsa'. Since we had departed san jose and were well within the inner core of the arsa, this was clearly impossible. We questioned the instruction stating again we had departed san jose and were currently in the arsa. Moffett tower replied that the arsa begins at 2500'. (The outer core actually begins at 2500 west of moffett and 1500' east of moffett.) it appeared that moffett was referring to the outer core and we proceeded accordingly. Recommendations: clearer instructions should be given by controllers to avoid confusion by pilots unfamiliar with the area and desired procedures. An instruction such as 'remain clear of the outer core of the arsa' or 'after leaving the arsa, remain clear' would better describe the desired procedure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACFT DEPARTED PRIMARY ARPT WITHIN ARSA AFTER PRACTICE IFR APCHES. CANCELLED IFR AND REQUESTED VFR TO HOME ARPT. TOLD TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CONTACT NUQ WHICH IS ENROUTE HOME BASE. ON CONTACT CLRNC WAS 'TRANSIT AT OR BELOW 1500'. REMAIN CLEAR OF ARSA'. CONFUSING SINCE ACFT DEPARTED FROM WITHIN ARSA AND WAS IN IT AT THE TIME OF THE CLRNC.
Narrative: WE HAD COMPLETED AN IFR TRAINING FLT WITH THE SAN JOSE (SJC) 30L ILS APCH. WHILE MAKING THE LOW APCH AT THE TERMINATION OF THE APCH, WE REQUESTED FROM SJC TWR TO CANCEL IFR AND PROCEED VFR TO OUR HOME ARPT OF PALO ALTO (PAO). THE TWR APPROVED THE REQUEST, INSTRUCTED US TO SQUAWK 1200, AND TOLD US TO CONTACT MOFFETT TWR (NUQ). WE CONTACTED NUQ AND STATED WE HAD DEPARTED SJC AND WERE LNDG PAO. NUQ TWR APPROVED A TRANSITION AT OR BELOW 1500' AND ADDED 'REMAIN CLEAR OF THE SAN JOSE ARSA'. SINCE WE HAD DEPARTED SAN JOSE AND WERE WELL WITHIN THE INNER CORE OF THE ARSA, THIS WAS CLEARLY IMPOSSIBLE. WE QUESTIONED THE INSTRUCTION STATING AGAIN WE HAD DEPARTED SAN JOSE AND WERE CURRENTLY IN THE ARSA. MOFFETT TWR REPLIED THAT THE ARSA BEGINS AT 2500'. (THE OUTER CORE ACTUALLY BEGINS AT 2500 W OF MOFFETT AND 1500' E OF MOFFETT.) IT APPEARED THAT MOFFETT WAS REFERRING TO THE OUTER CORE AND WE PROCEEDED ACCORDINGLY. RECOMMENDATIONS: CLEARER INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD BE GIVEN BY CTLRS TO AVOID CONFUSION BY PLTS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA AND DESIRED PROCEDURES. AN INSTRUCTION SUCH AS 'REMAIN CLEAR OF THE OUTER CORE OF THE ARSA' OR 'AFTER LEAVING THE ARSA, REMAIN CLEAR' WOULD BETTER DESCRIBE THE DESIRED PROCEDURE.
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.