Aircraft penetrated an arsa without first establishing two way radio communication with ATC.

Attributes
ACN	130400
Time
Date	198912
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : phx airport : dvt
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	msl bound lower : 4500 msl bound upper : 4500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : phx
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	cruise other
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 : 10000 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	130400
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

After delivering equipment to chandler (uncontrolled), continued ferry to dvt. Radio reception was good, but really only exchanged xmissions with one agency, (ZAB) to get a check on transponder and mode C. Climbing toward phx to cross over the top to dvt I was not able to make radio contact with approach or phx tower. After switching radio frequencys to opposite radios, still no contact. This wasn't too alarming at the time, for reason of traffic load or other reasons both agencies sometimes are slow to respond to GA aircraft. By the time I was at the edge of the phx area, I continued toward the usually assigned pick-up point, 'firebird lake'. I continued to try to make a radio contact. Having new confidence that it was just a fluke that I did not get an answer, I thought it best to fly a recognizable flight path for VFR overflt and started to climb to the crossing quadrantal altitude, 6500 MSL. By making a precise track and altitude above the tower area, and out of the normal approach control patterns, it seemed it would be less disconcerting to the controllers at phx TRACON. When I was finally able to contact dvt tower the pattern and landing were safe and completed ok. I believe that the discipline of 50 yrs of air operations, and regard for flight safety and my personal integrity kept me pursuing a flight giving the ground controllers the best view of my flight path rather than probably successfully evading the issue of my position and altitude by dropping the mode a and/or C, and slipping around, behind, or under to area. Indicating a radio loss by use of the mode a squawk may have been an excuse, but still would not have excused the initial incursion southeast of phx into the area. I might suggest the ground controllers attempt, on normal, or emergency frequencys, to contact aircraft at 'wherever' squawk 'X' if you have a problem, or please climb/descend, turn to, etc, if there was a concern or a problem generating. While most pilots of my knowledge are aware of the ground controller's problems we try to give them the least hassle while in the air, hoping to sort it out on the ground.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT PENETRATED AN ARSA WITHOUT FIRST ESTABLISHING TWO WAY RADIO COM WITH ATC.

Narrative: AFTER DELIVERING EQUIPMENT TO CHANDLER (UNCONTROLLED), CONTINUED FERRY TO DVT. RADIO RECEPTION WAS GOOD, BUT REALLY ONLY EXCHANGED XMISSIONS WITH ONE AGENCY, (ZAB) TO GET A CHECK ON XPONDER AND MODE C. CLIMBING TOWARD PHX TO CROSS OVER THE TOP TO DVT I WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE RADIO CONTACT WITH APCH OR PHX TWR. AFTER SWITCHING RADIO FREQS TO OPPOSITE RADIOS, STILL NO CONTACT. THIS WASN'T TOO ALARMING AT THE TIME, FOR REASON OF TFC LOAD OR OTHER REASONS BOTH AGENCIES SOMETIMES ARE SLOW TO RESPOND TO GA ACFT. BY THE TIME I WAS AT THE EDGE OF THE PHX AREA, I CONTINUED TOWARD THE USUALLY ASSIGNED PICK-UP POINT, 'FIREBIRD LAKE'. I CONTINUED TO TRY TO MAKE A RADIO CONTACT. HAVING NEW CONFIDENCE THAT IT WAS JUST A FLUKE THAT I DID NOT GET AN ANSWER, I THOUGHT IT BEST TO FLY A RECOGNIZABLE FLT PATH FOR VFR OVERFLT AND STARTED TO CLIMB TO THE XING QUADRANTAL ALT, 6500 MSL. BY MAKING A PRECISE TRACK AND ALT ABOVE THE TWR AREA, AND OUT OF THE NORMAL APCH CTL PATTERNS, IT SEEMED IT WOULD BE LESS DISCONCERTING TO THE CTLRS AT PHX TRACON. WHEN I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO CONTACT DVT TWR THE PATTERN AND LNDG WERE SAFE AND COMPLETED OK. I BELIEVE THAT THE DISCIPLINE OF 50 YRS OF AIR OPERATIONS, AND REGARD FOR FLT SAFETY AND MY PERSONAL INTEGRITY KEPT ME PURSUING A FLT GIVING THE GND CTLRS THE BEST VIEW OF MY FLT PATH RATHER THAN PROBABLY SUCCESSFULLY EVADING THE ISSUE OF MY POSITION AND ALT BY DROPPING THE MODE A AND/OR C, AND SLIPPING AROUND, BEHIND, OR UNDER TO AREA. INDICATING A RADIO LOSS BY USE OF THE MODE A SQUAWK MAY HAVE BEEN AN EXCUSE, BUT STILL WOULD NOT HAVE EXCUSED THE INITIAL INCURSION SE OF PHX INTO THE AREA. I MIGHT SUGGEST THE GND CTLRS ATTEMPT, ON NORMAL, OR EMER FREQS, TO CONTACT ACFT AT 'WHEREVER' SQUAWK 'X' IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM, OR PLEASE CLIMB/DSND, TURN TO, ETC, IF THERE WAS A CONCERN OR A PROBLEM GENERATING. WHILE MOST PLTS OF MY KNOWLEDGE ARE AWARE OF THE GND CTLR'S PROBLEMS WE TRY TO GIVE THEM THE LEAST HASSLE WHILE IN THE AIR, HOPING TO SORT IT OUT ON THE GND.

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.