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Small aircraft pilot given transponder code, but not actually cleared into air traffic area before handoff.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 126294 |
| Time | |
| Date | 198910 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : hpn |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90 tower : hpn |
| Operator | general aviation : personal |
| Make Model Name | Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 2 Eng, Retractable Gear |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach landing other |
| Route In Use | enroute : on vectors |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | flight crew : single pilot |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 20 flight time total : 1300 flight time type : 350 |
| ASRS Report | 126294 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | controller : approach |
| Qualification | controller : radar |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other 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 | Ambiguous |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
Departed poughkeepsie airport for white plains, ny. Cleared out of poughkeepsie, received ATIS white plains and monitored tower 15-20 mi out. Very busy and was waiting for turn to contact tower. When I was 12 mi out, an aircraft contacted the tower. The tower instructed him to contact approach. The aircraft then stated approach just handed him to the tower. Tower came back and said approach was handling sequencing and to go back to approach. After hearing that, I immediately when to approach, as it was obvious the tower was going to send me there anyway. I told approach I was 8-10 approximately mi and north O F the field landing with ATIS (they were using runway 16). My heading approximately 170 degrees. At that time approach said 'squawk XXX and identify.' I continued inbound and didn't expect a heading change as I was lined up for a straight-in for 16, and they were very busy. After receiving the code, I checked my LORAN was at 5.5 from the airport. At 1.5 mi from the runway, they called and issued a heading and I was vectored for about 10 mins and cleared to land. Approach instructed me to call by phone and I had to call the tower by radio on the ground. They both stated I entered the area west/O permission. I believed I had the clearance for the following reasons: 1) tower told another aircraft approach was sequencing, after he told the tower approach just handed him to the tower. (This was confusing because I thought the tower would know when an aircraft was given to them from approach.) 2) I contacted approach and received instructions to squawk XXXX and identify only. Past experience and even while I was being vectored then, aircraft on initial contact if they aren't cleared or won't be cleared, they are told to remain clear of the air traffic area or TCA. I continued on assuming I was cleared, and due to congestion expected landing clearance was delayed. I was not instructed to remain clear as other planes were. I don't feel that under the congested circumstances I acted wrong.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SMA PLT GIVEN TRANSPONDER CODE, BUT NOT ACTUALLY CLEARED INTO ATA BEFORE HANDOFF.
Narrative: DEPARTED POUGHKEEPSIE ARPT FOR WHITE PLAINS, NY. CLRED OUT OF POUGHKEEPSIE, RECEIVED ATIS WHITE PLAINS AND MONITORED TWR 15-20 MI OUT. VERY BUSY AND WAS WAITING FOR TURN TO CONTACT TWR. WHEN I WAS 12 MI OUT, AN ACFT CONTACTED THE TWR. THE TWR INSTRUCTED HIM TO CONTACT APCH. THE ACFT THEN STATED APCH JUST HANDED HIM TO THE TWR. TWR CAME BACK AND SAID APCH WAS HANDLING SEQUENCING AND TO GO BACK TO APCH. AFTER HEARING THAT, I IMMEDIATELY WHEN TO APCH, AS IT WAS OBVIOUS THE TWR WAS GOING TO SEND ME THERE ANYWAY. I TOLD APCH I WAS 8-10 APPROX MI AND N O F THE FIELD LNDG WITH ATIS (THEY WERE USING RWY 16). MY HDG APPROX 170 DEGS. AT THAT TIME APCH SAID 'SQUAWK XXX AND IDENT.' I CONTINUED INBND AND DIDN'T EXPECT A HDG CHANGE AS I WAS LINED UP FOR A STRAIGHT-IN FOR 16, AND THEY WERE VERY BUSY. AFTER RECEIVING THE CODE, I CHKED MY LORAN WAS AT 5.5 FROM THE ARPT. AT 1.5 MI FROM THE RWY, THEY CALLED AND ISSUED A HDG AND I WAS VECTORED FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AND CLRED TO LAND. APCH INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL BY PHONE AND I HAD TO CALL THE TWR BY RADIO ON THE GND. THEY BOTH STATED I ENTERED THE AREA W/O PERMISSION. I BELIEVED I HAD THE CLRNC FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS: 1) TWR TOLD ANOTHER ACFT APCH WAS SEQUENCING, AFTER HE TOLD THE TWR APCH JUST HANDED HIM TO THE TWR. (THIS WAS CONFUSING BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE TWR WOULD KNOW WHEN AN ACFT WAS GIVEN TO THEM FROM APCH.) 2) I CONTACTED APCH AND RECEIVED INSTRUCTIONS TO SQUAWK XXXX AND IDENT ONLY. PAST EXPERIENCE AND EVEN WHILE I WAS BEING VECTORED THEN, ACFT ON INITIAL CONTACT IF THEY AREN'T CLRED OR WON'T BE CLRED, THEY ARE TOLD TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ATA OR TCA. I CONTINUED ON ASSUMING I WAS CLRED, AND DUE TO CONGESTION EXPECTED LNDG CLRNC WAS DELAYED. I WAS NOT INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN CLR AS OTHER PLANES WERE. I DON'T FEEL THAT UNDER THE CONGESTED CIRCUMSTANCES I ACTED WRONG.
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.