Narrative:

I took off from front range airport, co, on runway 26, for a flight from front range airport to jefferson county airport, co. I turned on climb out to a heading of 300 degrees, and about 2 mi from front range airport tuned in den radar approach. Den approach was very busy with air traffic. I waited until I was 3 mi south of the construction site of the new denver international airport, and I was able to call den approach. I said, 'den radar, this is small aircraft X off of front range for jeffco.' the controller replied, 'that is small aircraft X,'and I replied, 'xt,' and he replied, 'xt.' he then said, 'you got ZZZZ,' and I thought he said, '7500;' it was not clear. He immediately started to talk to another aircraft, and then several aircraft. I could not reply and get clarification about his instructions. I then turned to a heading of approximately 320 degrees toward barr lake, and at an altitude of 6500' MSL. I was about 1 mi west of the new den international airport construction site. ATC communicated with me and said, 'small aircraft X, radar contact established,' and I believe he said 11 mi south of barr lake; I am not sure. He asked me what kind of aircraft I was, and I replied, 'small aircraft.' he then told me to climb to 7500' and fly to jeffco. I climbed up to 7500' MSL and turned to a heading of approximately 300 degrees. I flew on and about 3 or 4 mins later the controller communicated with me and said, 'xt, what is your location?' I paused and looked at barr lake, and estimated it to be about 3 mi to the north of me. I replied, '3 mi to the north of me.' he replied, 'uh, what? Wait a minute, I have to check on something.' there was a pause of about 10-15 seconds, and he indicated confusion, but I can't remember what he said. He said something like, 'oh, I see.' then he said, 'xt, squawk xyzz.' I then replied, 'xyzz.' ATC then told me to climb to 8000', and I replied, 'xt squawking xxyz, xt.' I climbed to 8000' AGL and headed toward a point about 3 mi north of stanley lake, which would put me right at jeffco. After about 3 or 4 mins of flight the controller started to communicate with me. I will try to quote, paraphrase and sequence in the order of the events. Controller: 'xt, you're awfully close to stapleton.' me: 'xt.' controller: 'you're in the TCA.' controller: 'xt, turn to heading 160 degrees.' me: 'xt.' controller, 'you're in a bad place to be.' controller: 'xt, there is traffic off of stapleton--can you see it?' my reply: 'no.' controller: 'off your right wing--can you see it?' my reply: 'no, I can't see it!.' controller: 'I believe it is an large transport. It should be off your right wing--can you see it?' my reply: 'no!.' controller: turn to heading 160 degrees!' my reply: '180 degrees, 170 degrees, 160 degrees!', then I paused as I was looking for the traffic, and in my excitement, I did not press my push-to-talk transmit switch as I was saying to the controller, 'I cannot see the traffic!' controller: 'xt, talk to me, buddy!' I then replied, 'xt on a heading of 160 degrees!' I think the controller said 'good.' I remember there was relief in his voice, which signaled to me the end of the crisis. It sounded like another controller voice came back and said, 'xt, are you familiar with I-70?' I responded, 'yes, I am; xt.' controller: 'turn to a heading of 190 degrees toward I-70.' my reply: 'xt.' paraphrasing the controller: 'there are no lndgs north or south, overfly stapleton at 8000'.' I replied, 'xt.' I then overflew the north end of north/south runways at stapleton at 8000' AGL, and was uneventfully guided to jeffco by ATC. Human performance considerations: I feel he realized my intention was to fly to jeffco airport from front range airport, but probably not direct. I think the ATC controller should have asked me my intentions. I feel that I, the pilot, should have asked the controller what the problem was when he said he had to check on something, or I should have informed him once again of my intention to fly direct to jeffco. I should have asked the controller if he really wanted me to fly over the approach to stapleton airport. I should have said to the controller that having me climb to 7500' AGL would put me in the TCA. I should have asked the controller for vectors through the TCA. I must realize that the phrase, 'off of front range for jeffco,' may not mean 'direct' to a controller, even if he does not give me vectors for the flight through the TCA. I felt that I was acting ok during the time of crisis, although I did not push the push-to-talk transmit switch when I lowered the plane's nose to try and see the traffic. I feel the controller's statement, 'talk to me, buddy,' was a personal way of saying, 'we've got to work together.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA X SQUAWKED WRONG TRANSPONDER CODE, PENETRATED DEN TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I TOOK OFF FROM FRONT RANGE ARPT, CO, ON RWY 26, FOR A FLT FROM FRONT RANGE ARPT TO JEFFERSON COUNTY ARPT, CO. I TURNED ON CLBOUT TO A HDG OF 300 DEGS, AND ABOUT 2 MI FROM FRONT RANGE ARPT TUNED IN DEN RADAR APCH. DEN APCH WAS VERY BUSY WITH AIR TFC. I WAITED UNTIL I WAS 3 MI S OF THE CONSTRUCTION SITE OF THE NEW DENVER INTL ARPT, AND I WAS ABLE TO CALL DEN APCH. I SAID, 'DEN RADAR, THIS IS SMA X OFF OF FRONT RANGE FOR JEFFCO.' THE CTLR REPLIED, 'THAT IS SMA X,'AND I REPLIED, 'XT,' AND HE REPLIED, 'XT.' HE THEN SAID, 'YOU GOT ZZZZ,' AND I THOUGHT HE SAID, '7500;' IT WAS NOT CLEAR. HE IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO TALK TO ANOTHER ACFT, AND THEN SEVERAL ACFT. I COULD NOT REPLY AND GET CLARIFICATION ABOUT HIS INSTRUCTIONS. I THEN TURNED TO A HDG OF APPROX 320 DEGS TOWARD BARR LAKE, AND AT AN ALT OF 6500' MSL. I WAS ABOUT 1 MI W OF THE NEW DEN INTL ARPT CONSTRUCTION SITE. ATC COMMUNICATED WITH ME AND SAID, 'SMA X, RADAR CONTACT ESTABLISHED,' AND I BELIEVE HE SAID 11 MI S OF BARR LAKE; I AM NOT SURE. HE ASKED ME WHAT KIND OF ACFT I WAS, AND I REPLIED, 'SMA.' HE THEN TOLD ME TO CLB TO 7500' AND FLY TO JEFFCO. I CLBED UP TO 7500' MSL AND TURNED TO A HDG OF APPROX 300 DEGS. I FLEW ON AND ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS LATER THE CTLR COMMUNICATED WITH ME AND SAID, 'XT, WHAT IS YOUR LOCATION?' I PAUSED AND LOOKED AT BARR LAKE, AND ESTIMATED IT TO BE ABOUT 3 MI TO THE N OF ME. I REPLIED, '3 MI TO THE N OF ME.' HE REPLIED, 'UH, WHAT? WAIT A MINUTE, I HAVE TO CHK ON SOMETHING.' THERE WAS A PAUSE OF ABOUT 10-15 SECS, AND HE INDICATED CONFUSION, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID. HE SAID SOMETHING LIKE, 'OH, I SEE.' THEN HE SAID, 'XT, SQUAWK XYZZ.' I THEN REPLIED, 'XYZZ.' ATC THEN TOLD ME TO CLB TO 8000', AND I REPLIED, 'XT SQUAWKING XXYZ, XT.' I CLBED TO 8000' AGL AND HEADED TOWARD A POINT ABOUT 3 MI N OF STANLEY LAKE, WHICH WOULD PUT ME RIGHT AT JEFFCO. AFTER ABOUT 3 OR 4 MINS OF FLT THE CTLR STARTED TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME. I WILL TRY TO QUOTE, PARAPHRASE AND SEQUENCE IN THE ORDER OF THE EVENTS. CTLR: 'XT, YOU'RE AWFULLY CLOSE TO STAPLETON.' ME: 'XT.' CTLR: 'YOU'RE IN THE TCA.' CTLR: 'XT, TURN TO HDG 160 DEGS.' ME: 'XT.' CTLR, 'YOU'RE IN A BAD PLACE TO BE.' CTLR: 'XT, THERE IS TFC OFF OF STAPLETON--CAN YOU SEE IT?' MY REPLY: 'NO.' CTLR: 'OFF YOUR RIGHT WING--CAN YOU SEE IT?' MY REPLY: 'NO, I CAN'T SEE IT!.' CTLR: 'I BELIEVE IT IS AN LGT. IT SHOULD BE OFF YOUR RIGHT WING--CAN YOU SEE IT?' MY REPLY: 'NO!.' CTLR: TURN TO HDG 160 DEGS!' MY REPLY: '180 DEGS, 170 DEGS, 160 DEGS!', THEN I PAUSED AS I WAS LOOKING FOR THE TFC, AND IN MY EXCITEMENT, I DID NOT PRESS MY PUSH-TO-TALK XMIT SWITCH AS I WAS SAYING TO THE CTLR, 'I CANNOT SEE THE TFC!' CTLR: 'XT, TALK TO ME, BUDDY!' I THEN REPLIED, 'XT ON A HDG OF 160 DEGS!' I THINK THE CTLR SAID 'GOOD.' I REMEMBER THERE WAS RELIEF IN HIS VOICE, WHICH SIGNALED TO ME THE END OF THE CRISIS. IT SOUNDED LIKE ANOTHER CTLR VOICE CAME BACK AND SAID, 'XT, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH I-70?' I RESPONDED, 'YES, I AM; XT.' CTLR: 'TURN TO A HDG OF 190 DEGS TOWARD I-70.' MY REPLY: 'XT.' PARAPHRASING THE CTLR: 'THERE ARE NO LNDGS N OR S, OVERFLY STAPLETON AT 8000'.' I REPLIED, 'XT.' I THEN OVERFLEW THE N END OF N/S RWYS AT STAPLETON AT 8000' AGL, AND WAS UNEVENTFULLY GUIDED TO JEFFCO BY ATC. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: I FEEL HE REALIZED MY INTENTION WAS TO FLY TO JEFFCO ARPT FROM FRONT RANGE ARPT, BUT PROBABLY NOT DIRECT. I THINK THE ATC CTLR SHOULD HAVE ASKED ME MY INTENTIONS. I FEEL THAT I, THE PLT, SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR WHAT THE PROB WAS WHEN HE SAID HE HAD TO CHK ON SOMETHING, OR I SHOULD HAVE INFORMED HIM ONCE AGAIN OF MY INTENTION TO FLY DIRECT TO JEFFCO. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR IF HE REALLY WANTED ME TO FLY OVER THE APCH TO STAPLETON ARPT. I SHOULD HAVE SAID TO THE CTLR THAT HAVING ME CLB TO 7500' AGL WOULD PUT ME IN THE TCA. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED THE CTLR FOR VECTORS THROUGH THE TCA. I MUST REALIZE THAT THE PHRASE, 'OFF OF FRONT RANGE FOR JEFFCO,' MAY NOT MEAN 'DIRECT' TO A CTLR, EVEN IF HE DOES NOT GIVE ME VECTORS FOR THE FLT THROUGH THE TCA. I FELT THAT I WAS ACTING OK DURING THE TIME OF CRISIS, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT PUSH THE PUSH-TO-TALK XMIT SWITCH WHEN I LOWERED THE PLANE'S NOSE TO TRY AND SEE THE TFC. I FEEL THE CTLR'S STATEMENT, 'TALK TO ME, BUDDY,' WAS A PERSONAL WAY OF SAYING, 'WE'VE GOT TO WORK TOGETHER.'

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.