Helicopter pilot flies through air traffic area areas without contacting tower of air traffic area.

Attributes
ACN	125748
Time
Date	198910
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : pao
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 500 msl bound upper : 600
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pao tower : sjc tower : nuq
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Helicopter
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	125748
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route sfo to sjc handed off from sfo tower to san carlos tower which reported out of regular service but provided altimeter setting and 1 traffic advisory. No other communication until contact with san jose tower, which advised of air traffic area encroachment of palo alto and moffett. Pilot was unaware of facility back in service. Very busy environment due to earthquake and pilot unfamiliar with area were major factors in this situation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: HELICOPTER PLT FLIES THROUGH ATA AREAS WITHOUT CONTACTING TWR OF ATA.

Narrative: ENRTE SFO TO SJC HANDED OFF FROM SFO TWR TO SAN CARLOS TWR WHICH REPORTED OUT OF REGULAR SERVICE BUT PROVIDED ALTIMETER SETTING AND 1 TFC ADVISORY. NO OTHER COM UNTIL CONTACT WITH SAN JOSE TWR, WHICH ADVISED OF ATA ENCROACHMENT OF PALO ALTO AND MOFFETT. PLT WAS UNAWARE OF FAC BACK IN SERVICE. VERY BUSY ENVIRONMENT DUE TO EARTHQUAKE AND PLT UNFAMILIAR WITH AREA WERE MAJOR FACTORS IN THIS SITUATION.

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.