A VFR pilot with flight following was handed off from pdx TRACON to hio tower but was unable to esta...

Attributes
ACN	1204964
Time
Date	201404
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	HIO.Airport
State Reference	OR
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft Low Wing 1 Eng Retractable Gear
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	Descent
Route In Use	Direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Flying Single Pilot
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Flight Instructor Flight Crew Flight Engineer
Experience	Flight Crew Last 90 Days 35 Flight Crew Total 21000 Flight Crew Type 2000
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Airspace Violation All Types Deviation - Procedural Clearance Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Narrative:

VFR flight following to hio; after handoff from portland approach; was told to contact hillsboro tower. Numerous calls to tower went unanswered. I could clearly hear tower controller talking to other pilots and became exasperated being ignored. I finally got the controller's attention by stating; 'hillsboro tower XXX; this is my fourth (or fifth) call; how do you hear me!!'?? The controller told me to call the tower after landing for a possible deviation. Called tower and explained that I was a VFR radar handoff from portland approach. He said he could see where there would be a problem in this case but the rules state you must have clearance before entered their airspace. I felt we were cleared in by portland radar approach.lesson learned: what I thought was a handoff from portland approach to hillsboro tower was apparently not a handoff. I was on my own and didn't realize it. I penetrated hillsboro class D without receiving prior approval. This will not happen again.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A VFR pilot with flight following was handed off from PDX TRACON to HIO Tower but was unable to establish communications and; thinking he had clearance entered HIO airspace; but was later advised he had violated Class D.

Narrative: VFR flight following to HIO; after handoff from Portland Approach; was told to contact Hillsboro Tower. Numerous calls to Tower went unanswered. I could clearly hear Tower Controller talking to other pilots and became exasperated being ignored. I finally got the Controller's attention by stating; 'Hillsboro Tower XXX; this is my fourth (or fifth) call; how do you hear me!!'?? The Controller told me to call the Tower after landing for a possible deviation. Called Tower and explained that I was a VFR radar handoff from Portland Approach. He said he could see where there would be a problem in this case but the rules state you must have clearance before entered their airspace. I felt we were cleared in by Portland Radar Approach.Lesson learned: What I thought was a handoff from Portland Approach to Hillsboro Tower was apparently not a handoff. I was on my own and didn't realize it. I penetrated Hillsboro Class D without receiving prior approval. This will not happen again.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.

A VFR pilot with flight following was handed off from pdx TRACON to hio tower but was unable to establish communications and; thinking he had clearance entered hio airspace; but was later advised he had violated class D.