Small aircraft unable to contact approach on handoff, enters TCA without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	223581
Time
Date	199210
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 2500 msl bound upper : 2500
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : oak tracon : n90
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	descent other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 8 flight time total : 350 flight time type : 300
ASRS Report	223581
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : clearance non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

En route to sfo from redding, ca, VFR. ATC oakland tower handed me off to bay approach over oakland area just before TCA. I called in to approach control and continued VFR descent to sfo. I called bay approach several times then called sfo tower and was cleared to land. No problems. Traffic minimal. Did not establish contact with control. I assumed everything was ok and I kept proceeding VFR but apparently there was loss of radio contact. Happened in a short time. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he had been on flight following with center for over an hour. Usual procedure when he had done this before is to be handed off to approach and cleared through TCA to land sfo. He assumed same thing was occurring. They knew he was there and where he was going so he must be cleared. Analyst counseled reference TCA procedure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA UNABLE TO CONTACT APCH ON HDOF, ENTERS TCA WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: ENRTE TO SFO FROM REDDING, CA, VFR. ATC OAKLAND TWR HANDED ME OFF TO BAY APCH OVER OAKLAND AREA JUST BEFORE TCA. I CALLED IN TO APCH CTL AND CONTINUED VFR DSCNT TO SFO. I CALLED BAY APCH SEVERAL TIMES THEN CALLED SFO TWR AND WAS CLRED TO LAND. NO PROBLEMS. TFC MINIMAL. DID NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH CTL. I ASSUMED EVERYTHING WAS OK AND I KEPT PROCEEDING VFR BUT APPARENTLY THERE WAS LOSS OF RADIO CONTACT. HAPPENED IN A SHORT TIME. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE HAD BEEN ON FLT FOLLOWING WITH CTR FOR OVER AN HR. USUAL PROC WHEN HE HAD DONE THIS BEFORE IS TO BE HANDED OFF TO APCH AND CLRED THROUGH TCA TO LAND SFO. HE ASSUMED SAME THING WAS OCCURRING. THEY KNEW HE WAS THERE AND WHERE HE WAS GOING SO HE MUST BE CLRED. ANALYST COUNSELED REF TCA PROC.

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.