Narrative:

On 7/fri/89, I was en route from my home base, csg, to AL55, a private landing field located near lillian, al. The WX was VFR with over 5 mi visibility. I have traversed this course hundreds of times over the past 15 yrs and have always called pns approach control, even before the implementation of the arsa for flight following. I called pns approach on both 118.0 and 119.0 at approximately 12 NM off the 330 degree right of the crestview VOR. The controller acknowledged my call, and upon my giving my location, stated for me to 'call pns approach when west of the crestview VOR, remain outside the arsa.' when I was on the 270 degree right of crestview I again called pns approach, in the meantime continuously monitoring 119.0 and was at that time told I was then in the arsa.; this procedure is confusing and misleading. To be given a point in which I am to call approach control which will cause me to be in the arsa and at the same time state, 'remain clear of the arsa,' is inconsistent. Furthermore, this is not the first time I have received inconsistent and confusing instructions from pns approach about the arsa. I previously submitted a report to NASA in 10/86 with similar misleading instructions. I cannot see a good reason that when 2-WAY radio communication is established, a discrete squawk cannot be given to an aircraft, particularly when it is to be eminently within the arsa. If the rationale in having arsa's is to require 2-WAY radio communication and identify, it does not seem to be enhanced by controllers declining to identify aircraft and stating 'remain outside the arsa.' in this instance, the controller was not at all overworked and had only 1 or 2 other aircraft on the frequency. It is my recommendation that the controllers be given corrective training with regard to identify of aircraft about to penetrate the arsa and to attempt cooperation with the pilots via discrete squawks and communication rather than the continual 'remain clear of the arsa' instruction. I might note that this procedure seems to work very well around the TCA's west/O this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT ENTERED ARSA AFTER BEING INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN CLEAR. PLT DEVIATION.

Narrative: ON 7/FRI/89, I WAS ENRTE FROM MY HOME BASE, CSG, TO AL55, A PVT LNDG FIELD LOCATED NEAR LILLIAN, AL. THE WX WAS VFR WITH OVER 5 MI VISIBILITY. I HAVE TRAVERSED THIS COURSE HUNDREDS OF TIMES OVER THE PAST 15 YRS AND HAVE ALWAYS CALLED PNS APCH CTL, EVEN BEFORE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ARSA FOR FLT FOLLOWING. I CALLED PNS APCH ON BOTH 118.0 AND 119.0 AT APPROX 12 NM OFF THE 330 DEG R OF THE CRESTVIEW VOR. THE CTLR ACKNOWLEDGED MY CALL, AND UPON MY GIVING MY LOCATION, STATED FOR ME TO 'CALL PNS APCH WHEN W OF THE CRESTVIEW VOR, REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ARSA.' WHEN I WAS ON THE 270 DEG R OF CRESTVIEW I AGAIN CALLED PNS APCH, IN THE MEANTIME CONTINUOUSLY MONITORING 119.0 AND WAS AT THAT TIME TOLD I WAS THEN IN THE ARSA.; THIS PROC IS CONFUSING AND MISLEADING. TO BE GIVEN A POINT IN WHICH I AM TO CALL APCH CTL WHICH WILL CAUSE ME TO BE IN THE ARSA AND AT THE SAME TIME STATE, 'REMAIN CLR OF THE ARSA,' IS INCONSISTENT. FURTHERMORE, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE RECEIVED INCONSISTENT AND CONFUSING INSTRUCTIONS FROM PNS APCH ABOUT THE ARSA. I PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED A RPT TO NASA IN 10/86 WITH SIMILAR MISLEADING INSTRUCTIONS. I CANNOT SEE A GOOD REASON THAT WHEN 2-WAY RADIO COM IS ESTABLISHED, A DISCRETE SQUAWK CANNOT BE GIVEN TO AN ACFT, PARTICULARLY WHEN IT IS TO BE EMINENTLY WITHIN THE ARSA. IF THE RATIONALE IN HAVING ARSA'S IS TO REQUIRE 2-WAY RADIO COM AND IDENT, IT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ENHANCED BY CTLRS DECLINING TO IDENT ACFT AND STATING 'REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ARSA.' IN THIS INSTANCE, THE CTLR WAS NOT AT ALL OVERWORKED AND HAD ONLY 1 OR 2 OTHER ACFT ON THE FREQ. IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THE CTLRS BE GIVEN CORRECTIVE TRNING WITH REGARD TO IDENT OF ACFT ABOUT TO PENETRATE THE ARSA AND TO ATTEMPT COOPERATION WITH THE PLTS VIA DISCRETE SQUAWKS AND COM RATHER THAN THE CONTINUAL 'REMAIN CLR OF THE ARSA' INSTRUCTION. I MIGHT NOTE THAT THIS PROC SEEMS TO WORK VERY WELL AROUND THE TCA'S W/O THIS PROB.

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.