Narrative:

Flight following was used throughout the trip, with pilot receiving handoff from one ATC frequency to the next, and flight proceeded routinely until arriving over the ontario arsa. At that time, edwards approach did not handoff pilot to ontario approach and ontario approach told pilot to standby, as ATC delays were occurring. By the time ontario approach was ready to establish two-way radio communication, pilot was leaving ontario airspace. Pilot asked ontario for next ATC frequency, and received it. Delay was also experienced at this frequency, and pilot was given next frequency. This xfer to new frequencys, followed by an inability to obtain two-way radio communication and a squawk code, occurred a total of four times. At the third frequency change, ATC indicated to remain clear of the arsa by not descending below 4500'. (Pilot was at 4500'). Pilot remained at or above 4500' while attempting to obtain clearance into the arsa. At the fourth frequency change, after further delay and inability to get squawk code, ATC informed pilot that the arsa had been penetrated, as the arsa went to 5000' and the pilot was at 4500'. In summary, numerous attempts to 'get into the ATC system' at various frequencys and the ensuing delays, coupled by ATC's direction to try another frequency and then experience the same problem with delays (3 to 10 mins each), contributed to violating arsa airspace. It would have been helpful for ATC to give me a squawk code and then hand me off to the next frequency. This lack of ATC coordination was a contributing factor, since ATC indicated to stay above 4500', when the arsa over the adjacent airspace had a ceiling of 5000' (5400' indicated on sectional). In addition, this was the pilot's first experience flying into the la basin, and daytime visibilities were approximately 7 mi. All of these factors contributed to descending below the arsa ceiling west/O authority/authorized. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. There was no FAA follow up. He was well above the ont arsa and when crossing the pom VOR used a 187 degree radial to abeam anaheim stadium. He then turned more southerly to avoid lax TCA. When contact finally made he was vectored out over the ocean then north. Kept in that area about 10 mins, then vectored to return and enter pattern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA USING FLT FOLLOWING, TOLD REMAIN ABOVE 4500' TO CLEAR ARSA. ONE SECTION OF ARSA 5400'. PENETRATED ARSA.

Narrative: FLT FOLLOWING WAS USED THROUGHOUT THE TRIP, WITH PLT RECEIVING HDOF FROM ONE ATC FREQ TO THE NEXT, AND FLT PROCEEDED ROUTINELY UNTIL ARRIVING OVER THE ONTARIO ARSA. AT THAT TIME, EDWARDS APCH DID NOT HDOF PLT TO ONTARIO APCH AND ONTARIO APCH TOLD PLT TO STANDBY, AS ATC DELAYS WERE OCCURRING. BY THE TIME ONTARIO APCH WAS READY TO ESTABLISH TWO-WAY RADIO COM, PLT WAS LEAVING ONTARIO AIRSPACE. PLT ASKED ONTARIO FOR NEXT ATC FREQ, AND RECEIVED IT. DELAY WAS ALSO EXPERIENCED AT THIS FREQ, AND PLT WAS GIVEN NEXT FREQ. THIS XFER TO NEW FREQS, FOLLOWED BY AN INABILITY TO OBTAIN TWO-WAY RADIO COM AND A SQUAWK CODE, OCCURRED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES. AT THE THIRD FREQ CHANGE, ATC INDICATED TO REMAIN CLR OF THE ARSA BY NOT DSNDING BELOW 4500'. (PLT WAS AT 4500'). PLT REMAINED AT OR ABOVE 4500' WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN CLRNC INTO THE ARSA. AT THE FOURTH FREQ CHANGE, AFTER FURTHER DELAY AND INABILITY TO GET SQUAWK CODE, ATC INFORMED PLT THAT THE ARSA HAD BEEN PENETRATED, AS THE ARSA WENT TO 5000' AND THE PLT WAS AT 4500'. IN SUMMARY, NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS TO 'GET INTO THE ATC SYS' AT VARIOUS FREQS AND THE ENSUING DELAYS, COUPLED BY ATC'S DIRECTION TO TRY ANOTHER FREQ AND THEN EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROB WITH DELAYS (3 TO 10 MINS EACH), CONTRIBUTED TO VIOLATING ARSA AIRSPACE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL FOR ATC TO GIVE ME A SQUAWK CODE AND THEN HAND ME OFF TO THE NEXT FREQ. THIS LACK OF ATC COORD WAS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR, SINCE ATC INDICATED TO STAY ABOVE 4500', WHEN THE ARSA OVER THE ADJACENT AIRSPACE HAD A CEILING OF 5000' (5400' INDICATED ON SECTIONAL). IN ADDITION, THIS WAS THE PLT'S FIRST EXPERIENCE FLYING INTO THE LA BASIN, AND DAYTIME VISIBILITIES WERE APPROX 7 MI. ALL OF THESE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO DSNDING BELOW THE ARSA CEILING W/O AUTH. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. THERE WAS NO FAA FOLLOW UP. HE WAS WELL ABOVE THE ONT ARSA AND WHEN XING THE POM VOR USED A 187 DEG RADIAL TO ABEAM ANAHEIM STADIUM. HE THEN TURNED MORE SOUTHERLY TO AVOID LAX TCA. WHEN CONTACT FINALLY MADE HE WAS VECTORED OUT OVER THE OCEAN THEN N. KEPT IN THAT AREA ABOUT 10 MINS, THEN VECTORED TO RETURN AND ENTER PATTERN.

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.