Narrative:

I was flying from osh to agc. I was on a VFR flight plan, receiving flight following nearly the entire flight. In ohio, I was in communications with ZOB as I approached the pit TCA. Approximately 10 mi from the pit TCA, I asked ZOB if I could expect a TCA clearance from pit approach. The response was 'contact pittsburg approach now on XXX.xx and make the request with them.' I then did so, stating, 'pittsburg approach, small aircraft-identify, 7500, with ATIS for agc.' pit approach then responded with, 'aircraft calling, what are your intentions?' this indicated to me that although I had been told to contact pit approach in a handoff situation, no handoff had actually occurred between ZOB and pit approach. I replied that I had been handed off to pit approach by ZOB and that we were inbound to agc with current ATIS. The controller told me to contact another pit approach frequency. After changing frequencys again, I found that the controller was repeatedly ignoring my check-INS on the radio. After perhaps the seventh or eighth radio call, pit approach responded with, 'radar contact, remain clear of the TCA.' (note: at no time was I told to reset my transponder squawk from the code which was assigned by ZOB). At this point I was only approximately 1/2 mi from the TCA (which extends from 4000 ft to 8000 ft MSL in that area), so I executed an immediate 90 degree right turn to remain clear, while initiating a descent to 3500 ft MSL (so that I could underfly the TCA to agc). In retrospect, I should not have let the botched handoff make me anticipate that I would have gotten a TCA clearance, and should have started either a descent or heading change sooner. As I reached 3500 ft, pit approach cleared me to agc under the TCA. However, I noticed I was approaching what seemed to be a large airport. Checking my TCA chart, I realized that this was wheeling (wv), a tower controled airport with an elevation of 1195 ft. Since I estimated that I flew within approximately 3 mi of wheeling, this put me within their air traffic area. I was surprised that pit approach had not handed me off to the tower, but since I'd had such a difficult time getting the approach controller to respond to me before, I did not request a handoff. If pit approach was too busy to handle VFR advisories (a possibility, as several airline flts were also on the same frequency), then they should have refused the handoff. I wonder what would have happened if I'd had a collision course with another plane. Would they have ignored that the way they apparently ignored the air traffic area incursion? (Yes, I know that VFR-VFR separation isn't guaranteed under VFR flight following).

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA CLRED THROUGH AREA BELOW TCA WHERE PENETRATED ATA.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING FROM OSH TO AGC. I WAS ON A VFR FLT PLAN, RECEIVING FLT FOLLOWING NEARLY THE ENTIRE FLT. IN OHIO, I WAS IN COMS WITH ZOB AS I APCHED THE PIT TCA. APPROX 10 MI FROM THE PIT TCA, I ASKED ZOB IF I COULD EXPECT A TCA CLRNC FROM PIT APCH. THE RESPONSE WAS 'CONTACT PITTSBURG APCH NOW ON XXX.XX AND MAKE THE REQUEST WITH THEM.' I THEN DID SO, STATING, 'PITTSBURG APCH, SMA-IDENT, 7500, WITH ATIS FOR AGC.' PIT APCH THEN RESPONDED WITH, 'ACFT CALLING, WHAT ARE YOUR INTENTIONS?' THIS INDICATED TO ME THAT ALTHOUGH I HAD BEEN TOLD TO CONTACT PIT APCH IN A HDOF SITUATION, NO HDOF HAD ACTUALLY OCCURRED BTWN ZOB AND PIT APCH. I REPLIED THAT I HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO PIT APCH BY ZOB AND THAT WE WERE INBOUND TO AGC WITH CURRENT ATIS. THE CTLR TOLD ME TO CONTACT ANOTHER PIT APCH FREQ. AFTER CHANGING FREQS AGAIN, I FOUND THAT THE CTLR WAS REPEATEDLY IGNORING MY CHK-INS ON THE RADIO. AFTER PERHAPS THE SEVENTH OR EIGHTH RADIO CALL, PIT APCH RESPONDED WITH, 'RADAR CONTACT, REMAIN CLR OF THE TCA.' (NOTE: AT NO TIME WAS I TOLD TO RESET MY TRANSPONDER SQUAWK FROM THE CODE WHICH WAS ASSIGNED BY ZOB). AT THIS POINT I WAS ONLY APPROX 1/2 MI FROM THE TCA (WHICH EXTENDS FROM 4000 FT TO 8000 FT MSL IN THAT AREA), SO I EXECUTED AN IMMEDIATE 90 DEG R TURN TO REMAIN CLR, WHILE INITIATING A DSCNT TO 3500 FT MSL (SO THAT I COULD UNDERFLY THE TCA TO AGC). IN RETROSPECT, I SHOULD NOT HAVE LET THE BOTCHED HDOF MAKE ME ANTICIPATE THAT I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN A TCA CLRNC, AND SHOULD HAVE STARTED EITHER A DSCNT OR HDG CHANGE SOONER. AS I REACHED 3500 FT, PIT APCH CLRED ME TO AGC UNDER THE TCA. HOWEVER, I NOTICED I WAS APCHING WHAT SEEMED TO BE A LARGE ARPT. CHKING MY TCA CHART, I REALIZED THAT THIS WAS WHEELING (WV), A TWR CTLED ARPT WITH AN ELEVATION OF 1195 FT. SINCE I ESTIMATED THAT I FLEW WITHIN APPROX 3 MI OF WHEELING, THIS PUT ME WITHIN THEIR ATA. I WAS SURPRISED THAT PIT APCH HAD NOT HANDED ME OFF TO THE TWR, BUT SINCE I'D HAD SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING THE APCH CTLR TO RESPOND TO ME BEFORE, I DID NOT REQUEST A HDOF. IF PIT APCH WAS TOO BUSY TO HANDLE VFR ADVISORIES (A POSSIBILITY, AS SEVERAL AIRLINE FLTS WERE ALSO ON THE SAME FREQ), THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE REFUSED THE HDOF. I WONDER WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I'D HAD A COLLISION COURSE WITH ANOTHER PLANE. WOULD THEY HAVE IGNORED THAT THE WAY THEY APPARENTLY IGNORED THE ATA INCURSION? (YES, I KNOW THAT VFR-VFR SEPARATION ISN'T GUARANTEED UNDER VFR FLT FOLLOWING).

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.