Narrative:

I departed prb for return to bur. Before departure I made 2 attempts to contact hawthorne FSS via their 800 # phone at the mobil FBO at prb. After waiting for well over 5 mins each call west/O an answer, I decided to contact hawthorne FSS on 122.4 for en route and arrival advisories. About 5-10 mi out of prb I got through to hawthorne on 122.4, idented my aircraft, position, VFR altitude, route and destination, and requested advisories. FSS gave me temperature,, wind and visibility at bur, then said to contact ZLA (123.65, as memory serves). Upon listening to ZLA, friend and I heard repeated denials for flight following requests from VFR pilots. I switched to santa barbara approach and got flight following at our cruise altitude of 7500'. We were handed off to pt mugu approach about the time we vectored to 087 degrees for the fim VOR. At this time I was able to hear bur's ATIS, which informed me for the first time that its radar was OTS and bur's arsa was not active. About 10 NM before fim, pt mugu terminated my flight following, squawk 1200. Though bur ATIS said to 'contact tower 5 mi before air traffic area,' I called approach on 134.2. ATC told me only that the bur arsa was not in effect and to contact tower 5 mi out. At this time I am roughly 20 NM west of bur in a slow descend, 300-500 FPM at 120 KIAS. I have made dozens and dozens of approachs to bur from this direction and vicinity. Standard, normal arsa ATC approach instructions are: 'make straight in for runway 8, hold at or above 3000' until clear of vny traffic pattern. Out of downright habit and expectation, I continued my descent to 3000' directly over vny. At that location I contacted bur tower. Tower came back and gave me clearance to 'land runway 8, hold short 1-5; are you east of the san diego (405) freeway?' I read back my landing clearance and acknowledged my position east (just) of the san diego freeway. Friend says tower also said, '...remain at or above 3000'...' too, though I don't recall that. After a normal landing, nothing more was said by ATC other than ground taxi clearance. Only last night did I strike me that I had busted into vny's control zone airspace west/O clearance or approval. Today I've spoken with a # of other pilots and CFI's who had the exact same landing approach yesterday during this unique bur non-arsa day. It seems that everyone presumes that ATC just ignored the certain control zone airspace intrusions at both vny (straight in to runway 8) and whiteman (straight in or left traffic to 15) violations by pilots on 6/X/90. Nonetheless, I am struck that hawthorne FSS, bur approach, bur ATIS and/or bur tower didn't in some fashion apprise pilots of their impending airspace violations (vny's control zone would extend to 3799' and whiteman's to 4004'), or inform pilots to contact vny or whp towers prior to entering their control zones. While there were no incidents that I'm aware of, any problems in their control zones by landing bur traffic would have been solely the responsibility of the PIC's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA PLT DESCENDS INTO ATA WHILE ON APCH TO NEARBY ARPT.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PRB FOR RETURN TO BUR. BEFORE DEP I MADE 2 ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT HAWTHORNE FSS VIA THEIR 800 # PHONE AT THE MOBIL FBO AT PRB. AFTER WAITING FOR WELL OVER 5 MINS EACH CALL W/O AN ANSWER, I DECIDED TO CONTACT HAWTHORNE FSS ON 122.4 FOR ENRTE AND ARR ADVISORIES. ABOUT 5-10 MI OUT OF PRB I GOT THROUGH TO HAWTHORNE ON 122.4, IDENTED MY ACFT, POS, VFR ALT, RTE AND DEST, AND REQUESTED ADVISORIES. FSS GAVE ME TEMP,, WIND AND VISIBILITY AT BUR, THEN SAID TO CONTACT ZLA (123.65, AS MEMORY SERVES). UPON LISTENING TO ZLA, FRIEND AND I HEARD REPEATED DENIALS FOR FLT FOLLOWING REQUESTS FROM VFR PLTS. I SWITCHED TO SANTA BARBARA APCH AND GOT FLT FOLLOWING AT OUR CRUISE ALT OF 7500'. WE WERE HANDED OFF TO PT MUGU APCH ABOUT THE TIME WE VECTORED TO 087 DEGS FOR THE FIM VOR. AT THIS TIME I WAS ABLE TO HEAR BUR'S ATIS, WHICH INFORMED ME FOR THE FIRST TIME THAT ITS RADAR WAS OTS AND BUR'S ARSA WAS NOT ACTIVE. ABOUT 10 NM BEFORE FIM, PT MUGU TERMINATED MY FLT FOLLOWING, SQUAWK 1200. THOUGH BUR ATIS SAID TO 'CONTACT TWR 5 MI BEFORE ATA,' I CALLED APCH ON 134.2. ATC TOLD ME ONLY THAT THE BUR ARSA WAS NOT IN EFFECT AND TO CONTACT TWR 5 MI OUT. AT THIS TIME I AM ROUGHLY 20 NM W OF BUR IN A SLOW DSND, 300-500 FPM AT 120 KIAS. I HAVE MADE DOZENS AND DOZENS OF APCHS TO BUR FROM THIS DIRECTION AND VICINITY. STANDARD, NORMAL ARSA ATC APCH INSTRUCTIONS ARE: 'MAKE STRAIGHT IN FOR RWY 8, HOLD AT OR ABOVE 3000' UNTIL CLR OF VNY TFC PATTERN. OUT OF DOWNRIGHT HABIT AND EXPECTATION, I CONTINUED MY DSNT TO 3000' DIRECTLY OVER VNY. AT THAT LOCATION I CONTACTED BUR TWR. TWR CAME BACK AND GAVE ME CLRNC TO 'LAND RWY 8, HOLD SHORT 1-5; ARE YOU E OF THE SAN DIEGO (405) FREEWAY?' I READ BACK MY LNDG CLRNC AND ACKNOWLEDGED MY POS E (JUST) OF THE SAN DIEGO FREEWAY. FRIEND SAYS TWR ALSO SAID, '...REMAIN AT OR ABOVE 3000'...' TOO, THOUGH I DON'T RECALL THAT. AFTER A NORMAL LNDG, NOTHING MORE WAS SAID BY ATC OTHER THAN GND TAXI CLRNC. ONLY LAST NIGHT DID I STRIKE ME THAT I HAD BUSTED INTO VNY'S CTL ZONE AIRSPACE W/O CLRNC OR APPROVAL. TODAY I'VE SPOKEN WITH A # OF OTHER PLTS AND CFI'S WHO HAD THE EXACT SAME LNDG APCH YESTERDAY DURING THIS UNIQUE BUR NON-ARSA DAY. IT SEEMS THAT EVERYONE PRESUMES THAT ATC JUST IGNORED THE CERTAIN CTL ZONE AIRSPACE INTRUSIONS AT BOTH VNY (STRAIGHT IN TO RWY 8) AND WHITEMAN (STRAIGHT IN OR LEFT TFC TO 15) VIOLATIONS BY PLTS ON 6/X/90. NONETHELESS, I AM STRUCK THAT HAWTHORNE FSS, BUR APCH, BUR ATIS AND/OR BUR TWR DIDN'T IN SOME FASHION APPRISE PLTS OF THEIR IMPENDING AIRSPACE VIOLATIONS (VNY'S CTL ZONE WOULD EXTEND TO 3799' AND WHITEMAN'S TO 4004'), OR INFORM PLTS TO CONTACT VNY OR WHP TWRS PRIOR TO ENTERING THEIR CTL ZONES. WHILE THERE WERE NO INCIDENTS THAT I'M AWARE OF, ANY PROBS IN THEIR CTL ZONES BY LNDG BUR TFC WOULD HAVE BEEN SOLELY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PIC'S.

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.