Narrative:

I was on a training flight in an small aircraft as flight instructor. I was transiting the seattle TCA at 3500' on an eastbound heading directly over seattle tacoma airport. I was receiving flight following from seattle approach control and was inbound to land at renton municipal airport which is 5 NM northeast of seatac airport. I was cleared to begin my descent to renton and was advised by seattle approach that renton was landing runway 33R traffic. I passed an altitude of 1500' inbound to renton when seattle approach asked if I could make a straight in approach for 33 at renton. I said I could and maneuvered to place myself on 2 mi final. I was then told to change frequency to renton tower. I called renton tower and told them I was on extended final, renton tower replied what was I doing in their air traffic area! I told them I was following seattle approach instructions. They said they heard nothing from seattle approach, and when they get busy seattle approach doesn't always call. I was told to do a 360 degree turn to avoid possible traffic conflict, and then cleared to land. A possible dangerous situation was created by this lack of communication. Contributing factors: I was on my first flight through the seattle TCA. I had spent 3 years flying in the daytona beach airport. I was used to working closely with approach control for vectors to the airport and then being handed off to tower. Obviously, I was maybe a little too complacent by assuming the same close working relationship existed here. I was following ATC instructions, but in the future, will be quicker to question ATC and try to prevent this situation from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA SMA UNAUTH PENETRATION OF RNT ARPT TRAFFIC AREA.

Narrative: I WAS ON A TRAINING FLT IN AN SMA AS FLT INSTRUCTOR. I WAS TRANSITING THE SEATTLE TCA AT 3500' ON AN EBND HDG DIRECTLY OVER SEATTLE TACOMA ARPT. I WAS RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING FROM SEATTLE APCH CTL AND WAS INBND TO LAND AT RENTON MUNI ARPT WHICH IS 5 NM NE OF SEATAC ARPT. I WAS CLRED TO BEGIN MY DSCNT TO RENTON AND WAS ADVISED BY SEATTLE APCH THAT RENTON WAS LNDG RWY 33R TFC. I PASSED AN ALT OF 1500' INBND TO RENTON WHEN SEATTLE APCH ASKED IF I COULD MAKE A STRAIGHT IN APCH FOR 33 AT RENTON. I SAID I COULD AND MANEUVERED TO PLACE MYSELF ON 2 MI FINAL. I WAS THEN TOLD TO CHANGE FREQ TO RENTON TWR. I CALLED RENTON TWR AND TOLD THEM I WAS ON EXTENDED FINAL, RENTON TWR REPLIED WHAT WAS I DOING IN THEIR ATA! I TOLD THEM I WAS FOLLOWING SEATTLE APCH INSTRUCTIONS. THEY SAID THEY HEARD NOTHING FROM SEATTLE APCH, AND WHEN THEY GET BUSY SEATTLE APCH DOESN'T ALWAYS CALL. I WAS TOLD TO DO A 360 DEG TURN TO AVOID POSSIBLE TFC CONFLICT, AND THEN CLRED TO LAND. A POSSIBLE DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS CREATED BY THIS LACK OF COM. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I WAS ON MY FIRST FLT THROUGH THE SEATTLE TCA. I HAD SPENT 3 YEARS FLYING IN THE DAYTONA BEACH ARPT. I WAS USED TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH APCH CTL FOR VECTORS TO THE ARPT AND THEN BEING HANDED OFF TO TWR. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS MAYBE A LITTLE TOO COMPLACENT BY ASSUMING THE SAME CLOSE WORKING RELATIONSHIP EXISTED HERE. I WAS FOLLOWING ATC INSTRUCTIONS, BUT IN THE FUTURE, WILL BE QUICKER TO QUESTION ATC AND TRY TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.