Narrative:

I departed torrance airport IFR, intending to fly the shoreline route through the los angeles TCA. I had originally requested 3500' from torrance ground control which coordinated my clearance with the lax TRACON. I received my clearance and departed under positive control, following a handoff from torrance tower. The destination was bur. En route, I realized that 3500' was an incorrect altitude for my direction of flight, and that it would necessitate a climb for a longer period in the TCA. I amended my requested altitude to 2500, which was promptly assigned by lax approach. I also amended my destination to vny instead of burbank, which also was approved. After receiving several vectors, I was terminated by lax approach control northwest of marina del rey and inside the smo air traffic area at 2500'. I immediately called vny tower, stated my location and altitude and was given clearance to land on runway 34L. Technically, I believe I was inside the smo air traffic area because of my altitude but was never out of contact with an air traffic control facility for more than 2 seconds. At all times the WX was good VFR and there were no airplanes in my vicinity. I believe this situation was caused by the implied clearance I had received from lax TRACON to transit the smo air traffic area at 2500'. Since I was not handed off to the smo tower, I do not feel that I am to blame in this incident which involved no other aircraft and no threat to air safety in any way. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states that he followed all procedures as shown on the lax special flight rules area (sfra). He felt, that since he was under radar vectors and had been steered northwest from marina del rey and then turned loose, that he was legally inside the control zone/air traffic area of smo. He had originally planned to use burbank for his destination but due to his engine starting to run a bit rough, he changed that to van nuys. He had a strong feeling about being led down a path if he did indeed enter the control zone illegally. His question was, 'can't something be done to effect coordination between pilots and controllers?'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSSIBLE PENETRATION OF CTL ZONE ATA BY SMA WHILE ON RADAR VECTOR FROM LAX APCH CTLR.

Narrative: I DEPARTED TORRANCE ARPT IFR, INTENDING TO FLY THE SHORELINE ROUTE THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES TCA. I HAD ORIGINALLY REQUESTED 3500' FROM TORRANCE GND CTL WHICH COORDINATED MY CLRNC WITH THE LAX TRACON. I RECEIVED MY CLRNC AND DEPARTED UNDER POSITIVE CTL, FOLLOWING A HANDOFF FROM TORRANCE TWR. THE DEST WAS BUR. ENRTE, I REALIZED THAT 3500' WAS AN INCORRECT ALT FOR MY DIRECTION OF FLT, AND THAT IT WOULD NECESSITATE A CLIMB FOR A LONGER PERIOD IN THE TCA. I AMENDED MY REQUESTED ALT TO 2500, WHICH WAS PROMPTLY ASSIGNED BY LAX APCH. I ALSO AMENDED MY DEST TO VNY INSTEAD OF BURBANK, WHICH ALSO WAS APPROVED. AFTER RECEIVING SEVERAL VECTORS, I WAS TERMINATED BY LAX APCH CTL NW OF MARINA DEL REY AND INSIDE THE SMO ATA AT 2500'. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED VNY TWR, STATED MY LOCATION AND ALT AND WAS GIVEN CLRNC TO LAND ON RWY 34L. TECHNICALLY, I BELIEVE I WAS INSIDE THE SMO ATA BECAUSE OF MY ALT BUT WAS NEVER OUT OF CONTACT WITH AN AIR TFC CTL FAC FOR MORE THAN 2 SECONDS. AT ALL TIMES THE WX WAS GOOD VFR AND THERE WERE NO AIRPLANES IN MY VICINITY. I BELIEVE THIS SITUATION WAS CAUSED BY THE IMPLIED CLRNC I HAD RECEIVED FROM LAX TRACON TO TRANSIT THE SMO ATA AT 2500'. SINCE I WAS NOT HANDED OFF TO THE SMO TWR, I DO NOT FEEL THAT I AM TO BLAME IN THIS INCIDENT WHICH INVOLVED NO OTHER ACFT AND NO THREAT TO AIR SAFETY IN ANY WAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES THAT HE FOLLOWED ALL PROCS AS SHOWN ON THE LAX SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA (SFRA). HE FELT, THAT SINCE HE WAS UNDER RADAR VECTORS AND HAD BEEN STEERED NW FROM MARINA DEL REY AND THEN TURNED LOOSE, THAT HE WAS LEGALLY INSIDE THE CTL ZONE/ATA OF SMO. HE HAD ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO USE BURBANK FOR HIS DEST BUT DUE TO HIS ENGINE STARTING TO RUN A BIT ROUGH, HE CHANGED THAT TO VAN NUYS. HE HAD A STRONG FEELING ABOUT BEING LED DOWN A PATH IF HE DID INDEED ENTER THE CTL ZONE ILLEGALLY. HIS QUESTION WAS, 'CAN'T SOMETHING BE DONE TO EFFECT COORD BETWEEN PLTS AND CTLRS?'

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.