Narrative:

Flight was from eat to 609. WX was good VFR except in the vicinity of 605. Low ceilings around troutdale forced me to use a columbia river gorge route by troutdale and then through the portland, or, arsa. I called portland approach and was given a transponder code about 25 mi out (10 mi before troutdale). I was descending in order to stay under the cloud cover. Approach asked if I could remain at 2000' or if I could turn north (to an area of higher terrain). I did not realize it at the moment but they were trying to route me either over or north of troutdale control zone. I was unable to comply with either request and stay VFR and told them as much. Controller told me to squawk 1200 and contact troutdale tower. I did so and was told to descend to 1500'. At this point I was only about 5 mi from troutdale. For the next min or so I was analyzing my options, first realizing that I could have stayed at 2000' and with approach. Second, wondering how I was going to get to 605 (at the other side of the inner ring of the arsa) and how I was going to get back in touch with approach before I busted the arsa. I forgot to descend to 1500'. When I was abeam midfield at troutdale I contacted tower and asked for frequency change, reporting position and altitude (2000' an just north of columbia). I was actually about 1950' just under the arsa. To my surprise, the controller sounded angry and said, 'you were assigned 1500', you are now in portland airspace, frequency change approved.' well, I did fail comply with the 1500' assignment. I was not, however, in portland airspace as that airspace begins at 2000'. I suppose I should have reported altitude as 1950'. I was unable to contact portland approach in time to request VFR flight following through the arsa and had to circle in an area bounded by high terrain to the east, and air show to the west, an angry controller to the south and questionable WX to the north. When I did contact approach they told me to remain outside the arsa so I had to fly to the north around the arsa. It seems the controllers had 'washed their hands' of me and decided to leave me to my own devices. I know that I brought this on myself by pissing off the portland controller and she no doubt relayed her displeasure to portland, but by refusing accesses to the only good VFR route to my home base jeopardizes the safety of my flight and passengers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA DOES NOT COMPLY WITH ALT ASSIGNMENT BY TWR. ON FREQ CHANGE TO APCH IS DENIED ACCESS TO ARSA.

Narrative: FLT WAS FROM EAT TO 609. WX WAS GOOD VFR EXCEPT IN THE VICINITY OF 605. LOW CEILINGS AROUND TROUTDALE FORCED ME TO USE A COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE RTE BY TROUTDALE AND THEN THROUGH THE PORTLAND, OR, ARSA. I CALLED PORTLAND APCH AND WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE ABOUT 25 MI OUT (10 MI BEFORE TROUTDALE). I WAS DSNDING IN ORDER TO STAY UNDER THE CLOUD COVER. APCH ASKED IF I COULD REMAIN AT 2000' OR IF I COULD TURN N (TO AN AREA OF HIGHER TERRAIN). I DID NOT REALIZE IT AT THE MOMENT BUT THEY WERE TRYING TO RTE ME EITHER OVER OR N OF TROUTDALE CTL ZONE. I WAS UNABLE TO COMPLY WITH EITHER REQUEST AND STAY VFR AND TOLD THEM AS MUCH. CTLR TOLD ME TO SQUAWK 1200 AND CONTACT TROUTDALE TWR. I DID SO AND WAS TOLD TO DSND TO 1500'. AT THIS POINT I WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 MI FROM TROUTDALE. FOR THE NEXT MIN OR SO I WAS ANALYZING MY OPTIONS, FIRST REALIZING THAT I COULD HAVE STAYED AT 2000' AND WITH APCH. SECOND, WONDERING HOW I WAS GOING TO GET TO 605 (AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE INNER RING OF THE ARSA) AND HOW I WAS GOING TO GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH APCH BEFORE I BUSTED THE ARSA. I FORGOT TO DSND TO 1500'. WHEN I WAS ABEAM MIDFIELD AT TROUTDALE I CONTACTED TWR AND ASKED FOR FREQ CHANGE, RPTING POS AND ALT (2000' AN JUST N OF COLUMBIA). I WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT 1950' JUST UNDER THE ARSA. TO MY SURPRISE, THE CTLR SOUNDED ANGRY AND SAID, 'YOU WERE ASSIGNED 1500', YOU ARE NOW IN PORTLAND AIRSPACE, FREQ CHANGE APPROVED.' WELL, I DID FAIL COMPLY WITH THE 1500' ASSIGNMENT. I WAS NOT, HOWEVER, IN PORTLAND AIRSPACE AS THAT AIRSPACE BEGINS AT 2000'. I SUPPOSE I SHOULD HAVE RPTED ALT AS 1950'. I WAS UNABLE TO CONTACT PORTLAND APCH IN TIME TO REQUEST VFR FLT FOLLOWING THROUGH THE ARSA AND HAD TO CIRCLE IN AN AREA BOUNDED BY HIGH TERRAIN TO THE E, AND AIR SHOW TO THE W, AN ANGRY CTLR TO THE S AND QUESTIONABLE WX TO THE N. WHEN I DID CONTACT APCH THEY TOLD ME TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE ARSA SO I HAD TO FLY TO THE N AROUND THE ARSA. IT SEEMS THE CTLRS HAD 'WASHED THEIR HANDS' OF ME AND DECIDED TO LEAVE ME TO MY OWN DEVICES. I KNOW THAT I BROUGHT THIS ON MYSELF BY PISSING OFF THE PORTLAND CTLR AND SHE NO DOUBT RELAYED HER DISPLEASURE TO PORTLAND, BUT BY REFUSING ACCESSES TO THE ONLY GOOD VFR RTE TO MY HOME BASE JEOPARDIZES THE SAFETY OF MY FLT AND PAXS.

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.