Narrative:

This was my first flight into the san francisco area. I picked half moon bay airport because it was close to san francisco and I thought I would stay out of congested airspace nar sfo and oak. I stopped in modesto city airport, even though I had plenty of fuel, to top off, call flight service (which I did) and find out the best way to get into, on obviously busy area. I was told to call approach control on departure and get vectors south of san jose, proceed to the ocean, then track northwest to half moon bay airport. WX at sfo was 2500' overcast. In modesto city it was clear. I called approach and asked for vectors. I was given a squawk code and told it was ok to head towards san jose VOR. I was told I was going to be handed off to bay approach shortly. Over calaveras reservoir (sjc 33 degree at 9 mi) I was told they would not be able to hand me off to bay approach, (too busy) to remain clear of all TCAS, arsas, and control zones and to switch frequencys. In effect, they turned me loose in an instant west/O warning. The ceiling at the time was 1300' MSL and the mountains were shrouded in clouds (to the east). I was turned loose 9 mi from san jose airport and just 8 mi from reid hillview airport. I attempted to call bay approach, but they didn't have time to respond. The next thing I knew, I saw an airport right under my left wing (directly below me was reid hillview airport) which I hadn't seen on my TCA chart during the confusion. I was on a southeast heading at the time (from the reservoir) and attempting to stay clear and below the san jose arsa. When I saw the airport below, I altered course to the southwest to clear the air traffic area. In the process of all this, I inadvertently flew into the reid-hillview air traffic area and control zone west/O two way communications. I also may have inadvertently clipped the southeast portion of the san jose arsa (controled from surface to 4000') when I turned away from reid-hillview. I'm not sure whether or not I clipped the arsa but I may have. I believe if approach control is too busy, they should tell you so at first, and not lead one to believe they will be helped then just turned loose in what turned out to be a nightmare of TCAS and arsas. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states this is the last time he will ever fly into such complicated airspace west/O filing IFR. He did not do so because there is no instrument at haf. Feels he should have been given warning long before that ATC might not be able to clear him through area. When radar terminated he was so close to mountains and clouds he could not turn around. Was using terminal chart but was focusing on route for which he was being vectored and was not conscious of rhv airport until directly over it. Was using DME to attempt to keep clear of TCA. Flew west to shoreline and then haf.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA APCHING SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA USING FLT FOLLOWING HAD RADAR SERVICE TERMINATED CLOSE IN. PENETRATES ARSA, CZN AND ATA.

Narrative: THIS WAS MY FIRST FLT INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO AREA. I PICKED HALF MOON BAY ARPT BECAUSE IT WAS CLOSE TO SAN FRANCISCO AND I THOUGHT I WOULD STAY OUT OF CONGESTED AIRSPACE NAR SFO AND OAK. I STOPPED IN MODESTO CITY ARPT, EVEN THOUGH I HAD PLENTY OF FUEL, TO TOP OFF, CALL FLT SVC (WHICH I DID) AND FIND OUT THE BEST WAY TO GET INTO, ON OBVIOUSLY BUSY AREA. I WAS TOLD TO CALL APCH CTL ON DEP AND GET VECTORS S OF SAN JOSE, PROCEED TO THE OCEAN, THEN TRACK NW TO HALF MOON BAY ARPT. WX AT SFO WAS 2500' OVCST. IN MODESTO CITY IT WAS CLR. I CALLED APCH AND ASKED FOR VECTORS. I WAS GIVEN A SQUAWK CODE AND TOLD IT WAS OK TO HEAD TOWARDS SAN JOSE VOR. I WAS TOLD I WAS GOING TO BE HANDED OFF TO BAY APCH SHORTLY. OVER CALAVERAS RESERVOIR (SJC 33 DEG AT 9 MI) I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO HAND ME OFF TO BAY APCH, (TOO BUSY) TO REMAIN CLR OF ALL TCAS, ARSAS, AND CTL ZONES AND TO SWITCH FREQS. IN EFFECT, THEY TURNED ME LOOSE IN AN INSTANT W/O WARNING. THE CEILING AT THE TIME WAS 1300' MSL AND THE MOUNTAINS WERE SHROUDED IN CLOUDS (TO THE E). I WAS TURNED LOOSE 9 MI FROM SAN JOSE ARPT AND JUST 8 MI FROM REID HILLVIEW ARPT. I ATTEMPTED TO CALL BAY APCH, BUT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO RESPOND. THE NEXT THING I KNEW, I SAW AN ARPT R UNDER MY L WING (DIRECTLY BELOW ME WAS REID HILLVIEW ARPT) WHICH I HADN'T SEEN ON MY TCA CHART DURING THE CONFUSION. I WAS ON A SE HDG AT THE TIME (FROM THE RESERVOIR) AND ATTEMPTING TO STAY CLR AND BELOW THE SAN JOSE ARSA. WHEN I SAW THE ARPT BELOW, I ALTERED COURSE TO THE SW TO CLR THE ATA. IN THE PROCESS OF ALL THIS, I INADVERTENTLY FLEW INTO THE REID-HILLVIEW ATA AND CTL ZONE W/O TWO WAY COMS. I ALSO MAY HAVE INADVERTENTLY CLIPPED THE SE PORTION OF THE SAN JOSE ARSA (CTLED FROM SURFACE TO 4000') WHEN I TURNED AWAY FROM REID-HILLVIEW. I'M NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT I CLIPPED THE ARSA BUT I MAY HAVE. I BELIEVE IF APCH CTL IS TOO BUSY, THEY SHOULD TELL YOU SO AT FIRST, AND NOT LEAD ONE TO BELIEVE THEY WILL BE HELPED THEN JUST TURNED LOOSE IN WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE A NIGHTMARE OF TCAS AND ARSAS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THIS IS THE LAST TIME HE WILL EVER FLY INTO SUCH COMPLICATED AIRSPACE W/O FILING IFR. HE DID NOT DO SO BECAUSE THERE IS NO INSTRUMENT AT HAF. FEELS HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN WARNING LONG BEFORE THAT ATC MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO CLR HIM THROUGH AREA. WHEN RADAR TERMINATED HE WAS SO CLOSE TO MOUNTAINS AND CLOUDS HE COULD NOT TURN AROUND. WAS USING TERMINAL CHART BUT WAS FOCUSING ON RTE FOR WHICH HE WAS BEING VECTORED AND WAS NOT CONSCIOUS OF RHV ARPT UNTIL DIRECTLY OVER IT. WAS USING DME TO ATTEMPT TO KEEP CLR OF TCA. FLEW W TO SHORELINE AND THEN HAF.

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.