Small aircraft questions ATC handling going through arsa.

Attributes
ACN	136256
Time
Date	199002
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : nuq airport : pao
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2000 msl bound upper : 2000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak tower : nuq
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, Low Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 22 flight time total : 29835 flight time type : 19
ASRS Report	136256
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Pao tower apparently has a LOA or understanding with moffett tower re: transit of the nuq air traffic area by civilian aircraft on southeast departures to the sjc area. Pao ATIS advises 'aircraft landing rhv or sjc advise on initial contact.' normal procedure is to be given a discrete transponder code prior to departure, an altitude to be maintained, and a frequency to contact nuq tower. Nuq will then hand the aircraft off to sjc tower for landing or transit to rhv. What is not disseminated to the troops is that if a departure is planned to the southeast west/O landing at either airport mentioned, no discrete code will be issued and the aircraft will be handed off to bay approach. Prior to departure pao, advised ground of route of flight and planned altitude, landed oceano. Cleared to taxi by ground, no discrete code issued; called tower for takeoff and requested code; tower requested my route of flight and advise squawk 1200' cleared for early crosswind and downwind and to contact nuq tower. Nuq came right up and requested I maintain 2000' MSL. Just past nuq airfield boundary, heading 120 (pao downwind) passed off to bay approach. By the time I raised bay I was approaching the sjc arsa inner ring, if not right on the edge. Concurrently, due to the good visibility, I observed an aircraft lift off of sjc runway 30L. I altered course to the right as I didn't care to be flying down the throat of the departures while trying to raise bay. Bay was surprised to say the least at my appearance; wondered where I had come from; told him nuq handed me off and I was maintaining 2000' and wanted to climb and be vectored around or through the arsa inner ring. Next day discussed the situation with pao tower personnel in the cabin. They advised that a discrete code will only be issued if landing at rhv or sjc, thus the 1200 squawk I got. Apparently west/O a discrete code, bay does not know you're coming down the chute unless specifically advised by nuq. In this case, apparently was not done. I believe that if nuq transits are authority/authorized the next sector should be prepared to accept or vector the inbound aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA QUESTIONS ATC HANDLING GOING THROUGH ARSA.

Narrative: PAO TWR APPARENTLY HAS A LOA OR UNDERSTANDING WITH MOFFETT TWR RE: TRANSIT OF THE NUQ ATA BY CIVILIAN ACFT ON SE DEPS TO THE SJC AREA. PAO ATIS ADVISES 'ACFT LNDG RHV OR SJC ADVISE ON INITIAL CONTACT.' NORMAL PROC IS TO BE GIVEN A DISCRETE XPONDER CODE PRIOR TO DEP, AN ALT TO BE MAINTAINED, AND A FREQ TO CONTACT NUQ TWR. NUQ WILL THEN HAND THE ACFT OFF TO SJC TWR FOR LNDG OR TRANSIT TO RHV. WHAT IS NOT DISSEMINATED TO THE TROOPS IS THAT IF A DEP IS PLANNED TO THE SE W/O LNDG AT EITHER ARPT MENTIONED, NO DISCRETE CODE WILL BE ISSUED AND THE ACFT WILL BE HANDED OFF TO BAY APCH. PRIOR TO DEP PAO, ADVISED GND OF RTE OF FLT AND PLANNED ALT, LANDED OCEANO. CLRED TO TAXI BY GND, NO DISCRETE CODE ISSUED; CALLED TWR FOR TKOF AND REQUESTED CODE; TWR REQUESTED MY RTE OF FLT AND ADVISE SQUAWK 1200' CLRED FOR EARLY XWIND AND DOWNWIND AND TO CONTACT NUQ TWR. NUQ CAME RIGHT UP AND REQUESTED I MAINTAIN 2000' MSL. JUST PAST NUQ AIRFIELD BOUNDARY, HDG 120 (PAO DOWNWIND) PASSED OFF TO BAY APCH. BY THE TIME I RAISED BAY I WAS APCHING THE SJC ARSA INNER RING, IF NOT RIGHT ON THE EDGE. CONCURRENTLY, DUE TO THE GOOD VISIBILITY, I OBSERVED AN ACFT LIFT OFF OF SJC RWY 30L. I ALTERED COURSE TO THE RIGHT AS I DIDN'T CARE TO BE FLYING DOWN THE THROAT OF THE DEPS WHILE TRYING TO RAISE BAY. BAY WAS SURPRISED TO SAY THE LEAST AT MY APPEARANCE; WONDERED WHERE I HAD COME FROM; TOLD HIM NUQ HANDED ME OFF AND I WAS MAINTAINING 2000' AND WANTED TO CLB AND BE VECTORED AROUND OR THROUGH THE ARSA INNER RING. NEXT DAY DISCUSSED THE SITUATION WITH PAO TWR PERSONNEL IN THE CABIN. THEY ADVISED THAT A DISCRETE CODE WILL ONLY BE ISSUED IF LNDG AT RHV OR SJC, THUS THE 1200 SQUAWK I GOT. APPARENTLY W/O A DISCRETE CODE, BAY DOES NOT KNOW YOU'RE COMING DOWN THE CHUTE UNLESS SPECIFICALLY ADVISED BY NUQ. IN THIS CASE, APPARENTLY WAS NOT DONE. I BELIEVE THAT IF NUQ TRANSITS ARE AUTH THE NEXT SECTOR SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACCEPT OR VECTOR THE INBND ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.