Pilot of an small aircraft aircraft inadvertently entered an air traffic area without establishing 2...

Attributes
ACN	240994
Time
Date	199305
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mvy
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 300 agl bound upper : 300
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mvy tower : lga
Operator	other
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft
Flight Phase	cruise other cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 12700 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	240994
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The aircraft, an small aircraft amphibian. The task, low level (air traffic area below 500 ft AGL) flight with state fish, wildlife biologist checking migratory water fowl nesting sites. The problem was set up when the pilot turned down the volume on both communication radios in order to better hear the biologist on the aircraft intercom. No ATC communication was required at the time (for about 40 mins). Approaching the air traffic area of a non federal control tower, the pilot attempted to establish communication and get permission to work low level in the air traffic area to within 1.5 mi of the airport. Previously, this tower had been a seasonal tower. When unable to raise the tower, the pilot double-checked the frequency, tried both radios, etc. Still no luck. So, assuming the tower hadn't opened for the season, broadcasted his intentions on the CTAF, and got no response. Upon completing the nest site inspections in this area, the next area was inside the air traffic area of a full time federal control tower. Once again, repeated calls got no response, so (bright boy) the pilot sought new reasons. The volume turn down was remembered/discovered. An immediate call was made to the first tower (NFCT) confessing and apologizing (profusely). The next folks reminded the pilot of the necessity for a clearance into the air traffic area, but said he wasn't busy and no conflict occurred. He'd gotten all my calls. I still feel really stupid! I entered an air traffic area without a clearance because I jumped on the first explanation (seasonal tower) I came to, instead of thoroughly trouble-shooting the problem! Factors affecting performance: high workload in low level ground reference moderate banked turns, high total time in this type aircraft -- plenty of time in this particular aircraft, but no in the past 45 days. Task oriented to the flying! Allowed me to fix too quickly on why no response from tower.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA ACFT INADVERTENTLY ENTERED AN ATA WITHOUT ESTABLISHING 2-WAY RADIO COMS WHILE CONDUCTING A GOV WILD LIFE SURVEY.

Narrative: THE ACFT, AN SMA AMPHIBIAN. THE TASK, LOW LEVEL (ATA BELOW 500 FT AGL) FLT WITH STATE FISH, WILDLIFE BIOLOGIST CHKING MIGRATORY WATER FOWL NESTING SITES. THE PROB WAS SET UP WHEN THE PLT TURNED DOWN THE VOLUME ON BOTH COM RADIOS IN ORDER TO BETTER HEAR THE BIOLOGIST ON THE ACFT INTERCOM. NO ATC COM WAS REQUIRED AT THE TIME (FOR ABOUT 40 MINS). APCHING THE ATA OF A NON FEDERAL CTL TWR, THE PLT ATTEMPTED TO ESTABLISH COM AND GET PERMISSION TO WORK LOW LEVEL IN THE ATA TO WITHIN 1.5 MI OF THE ARPT. PREVIOUSLY, THIS TWR HAD BEEN A SEASONAL TWR. WHEN UNABLE TO RAISE THE TWR, THE PLT DOUBLE-CHKED THE FREQ, TRIED BOTH RADIOS, ETC. STILL NO LUCK. SO, ASSUMING THE TWR HADN'T OPENED FOR THE SEASON, BROADCASTED HIS INTENTIONS ON THE CTAF, AND GOT NO RESPONSE. UPON COMPLETING THE NEST SITE INSPECTIONS IN THIS AREA, THE NEXT AREA WAS INSIDE THE ATA OF A FULL TIME FEDERAL CTL TWR. ONCE AGAIN, REPEATED CALLS GOT NO RESPONSE, SO (BRIGHT BOY) THE PLT SOUGHT NEW REASONS. THE VOLUME TURN DOWN WAS REMEMBERED/DISCOVERED. AN IMMEDIATE CALL WAS MADE TO THE FIRST TWR (NFCT) CONFESSING AND APOLOGIZING (PROFUSELY). THE NEXT FOLKS REMINDED THE PLT OF THE NECESSITY FOR A CLRNC INTO THE ATA, BUT SAID HE WASN'T BUSY AND NO CONFLICT OCCURRED. HE'D GOTTEN ALL MY CALLS. I STILL FEEL REALLY STUPID! I ENTERED AN ATA WITHOUT A CLRNC BECAUSE I JUMPED ON THE FIRST EXPLANATION (SEASONAL TWR) I CAME TO, INSTEAD OF THOROUGHLY TROUBLE-SHOOTING THE PROB! FACTORS AFFECTING PERFORMANCE: HIGH WORKLOAD IN LOW LEVEL GND REF MODERATE BANKED TURNS, HIGH TOTAL TIME IN THIS TYPE ACFT -- PLENTY OF TIME IN THIS PARTICULAR ACFT, BUT NO IN THE PAST 45 DAYS. TASK ORIENTED TO THE FLYING! ALLOWED ME TO FIX TOO QUICKLY ON WHY NO RESPONSE FROM TWR.

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.

Pilot of an small aircraft aircraft inadvertently entered an air traffic area without establishing 2-WAY radio communications while conducting a government wild life survey.