Narrative:

I departed pearson (vancouver, wa) bound for salem. Ceiling was 2100' visibility 3-7 mi. After leaving the portland arsa and pdx approach/departure I contacted seattle center for flight following and was denied. Continued on to salem via V23 from the btg VOR. Landed at salem, mins later departed salem for albany. On the return from albany I tried making contact with salem tower (the aircraft has multiple radios). After no response I checked my flight guide to verify frequency. It was correct, so I tuned radio #1 to CTAF and made contact finally at about 2 1/2-2 mi south at 1500' as I reported to CTAF. Heard no other instructions to me as I traversed salem mcnary tried contact again leaving the control zone but had no response, at which time I contacted portland approach reporting south of charbonneau. Crossed pdx mid-field and continued to pearson. Upon arriving at pearson a phone message from ms X, salem tower was waiting. We talked briefly and professionally and she said she was referring to flight standards. I have contacted them also in trying to cooperate in this matter. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter states he had experienced an near midair collision at about 800' departing the traffic pattern. Feels the evasive action to avoid aircraft contributed to problem of transiting the air traffic area. Maneuvering placed him in a position which made it harder to avoid the air traffic area when communication was not established. Reporter feels tower controller simply did not respond to initial calls which were made well outside the air traffic area. Had a very quick response from pdx approach, so knew radios functioned. After phone conversation reporter contacted local FAA office and was encouraged to file NASA report. He was VFR at all times. FAA rep says high degree of pilot/controller problems in this area.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAILURE TO CONTACT TWR WITH REPEATED CALLS UNTIL ABOUT TWO AND ONE HALF MILES FROM ARPT, INSIDE ATA.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PEARSON (VANCOUVER, WA) BOUND FOR SALEM. CEILING WAS 2100' VISIBILITY 3-7 MI. AFTER LEAVING THE PORTLAND ARSA AND PDX APCH/DEP I CONTACTED SEATTLE CTR FOR FLT FOLLOWING AND WAS DENIED. CONTINUED ON TO SALEM VIA V23 FROM THE BTG VOR. LANDED AT SALEM, MINS LATER DEPARTED SALEM FOR ALBANY. ON THE RETURN FROM ALBANY I TRIED MAKING CONTACT WITH SALEM TWR (THE ACFT HAS MULTIPLE RADIOS). AFTER NO RESPONSE I CHECKED MY FLT GUIDE TO VERIFY FREQ. IT WAS CORRECT, SO I TUNED RADIO #1 TO CTAF AND MADE CONTACT FINALLY AT ABOUT 2 1/2-2 MI S AT 1500' AS I REPORTED TO CTAF. HEARD NO OTHER INSTRUCTIONS TO ME AS I TRAVERSED SALEM MCNARY TRIED CONTACT AGAIN LEAVING THE CTL ZONE BUT HAD NO RESPONSE, AT WHICH TIME I CONTACTED PORTLAND APCH REPORTING S OF CHARBONNEAU. CROSSED PDX MID-FIELD AND CONTINUED TO PEARSON. UPON ARRIVING AT PEARSON A PHONE MESSAGE FROM MS X, SALEM TWR WAS WAITING. WE TALKED BRIEFLY AND PROFESSIONALLY AND SHE SAID SHE WAS REFERRING TO FLT STANDARDS. I HAVE CONTACTED THEM ALSO IN TRYING TO COOPERATE IN THIS MATTER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATES HE HAD EXPERIENCED AN NMAC AT ABOUT 800' DEPARTING THE TFC PATTERN. FEELS THE EVASIVE ACTION TO AVOID ACFT CONTRIBUTED TO PROBLEM OF TRANSITING THE ATA. MANEUVERING PLACED HIM IN A POSITION WHICH MADE IT HARDER TO AVOID THE ATA WHEN COM WAS NOT ESTABLISHED. REPORTER FEELS TWR CTLR SIMPLY DID NOT RESPOND TO INITIAL CALLS WHICH WERE MADE WELL OUTSIDE THE ATA. HAD A VERY QUICK RESPONSE FROM PDX APCH, SO KNEW RADIOS FUNCTIONED. AFTER PHONE CONVERSATION REPORTER CONTACTED LCL FAA OFFICE AND WAS ENCOURAGED TO FILE NASA REPORT. HE WAS VFR AT ALL TIMES. FAA REP SAYS HIGH DEGREE OF PLT/CTLR PROBLEMS IN THIS AREA.

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.