Small aircraft enters air traffic area without calling tower, tower caught and position was disputed...

Attributes
ACN	163666
Time
Date	199011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : bow
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bow
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	government other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 25 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	163666
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I fly for polk county mosquito control, flying out of bartow airport. On the day of this report, I was flying our small transport which we have configured to a spray ship in addition to regular spray gear we also have a smoke system installed. On this day I was flying the aircraft and checking the smoke system. I was flying at approximately 500' going north about 10 mi south of bartow airport. At 5 south of the airport I broke to the west to avoid the bartow air traffic area. I then proceeded west and reported to bartow tower for landing. The tower operator asked me if I had been south of the airport using my smoke system. I said yes. The operator then said I was in his air traffic area at the time. I said no I was not. I was close but had not entered his air traffic area. He again said I had been in the air traffic area. No further communication was attempted on this matter. Bartow tower is a visibility tower with no radar, run by the city of bartow. I have been flying our of bartow 6 yrs and am well aware of the air traffic area. I think in this case my estimate of position is better than someone on the ground looking down range 5 mi. I think the smoke system made the aircraft appear closer to the tower operator than it was.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS ATA WITHOUT CALLING TWR, TWR CAUGHT AND POSITION WAS DISPUTED.

Narrative: I FLY FOR POLK COUNTY MOSQUITO CTL, FLYING OUT OF BARTOW ARPT. ON THE DAY OF THIS RPT, I WAS FLYING OUR SMT WHICH WE HAVE CONFIGURED TO A SPRAY SHIP IN ADDITION TO REGULAR SPRAY GEAR WE ALSO HAVE A SMOKE SYS INSTALLED. ON THIS DAY I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND CHKING THE SMOKE SYS. I WAS FLYING AT APPROX 500' GOING N ABOUT 10 MI S OF BARTOW ARPT. AT 5 S OF THE ARPT I BROKE TO THE W TO AVOID THE BARTOW ATA. I THEN PROCEEDED W AND RPTED TO BARTOW TWR FOR LNDG. THE TWR OPERATOR ASKED ME IF I HAD BEEN S OF THE ARPT USING MY SMOKE SYS. I SAID YES. THE OPERATOR THEN SAID I WAS IN HIS ATA AT THE TIME. I SAID NO I WAS NOT. I WAS CLOSE BUT HAD NOT ENTERED HIS ATA. HE AGAIN SAID I HAD BEEN IN THE ATA. NO FURTHER COM WAS ATTEMPTED ON THIS MATTER. BARTOW TWR IS A VIS TWR WITH NO RADAR, RUN BY THE CITY OF BARTOW. I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUR OF BARTOW 6 YRS AND AM WELL AWARE OF THE ATA. I THINK IN THIS CASE MY ESTIMATE OF POS IS BETTER THAN SOMEONE ON THE GND LOOKING DOWN RANGE 5 MI. I THINK THE SMOKE SYS MADE THE ACFT APPEAR CLOSER TO THE TWR OPERATOR THAN IT WAS.

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.