Narrative:

On the morning of jul/tue/93, (approximately XX30 lst) I flew my small aircraft through the los angeles TCA. I had purchased a new la TCA terminal chart and an IFR blow up chart of the area. I had asked local pilots for the best route and altitude to transition the la area. I had studied the charts and had marked my route well on both of the local area charts. My aircraft was only able to climb to 9000 on that hot summer day in the valley, being fully loaded and with my 110 hp engine. Approach control gave me vectors through a low section of the mountains to the van nuys area. At that point, van nuys approach asked me to descend to 8000 ft which I did. They then asked me to descend to 7000 ft, which I thought would put me into a thin cloud deck and into the terrible haze layer. I asked that I might remain at that altitude rather than having to fly into the very busy la area in IMC conditions. Approach was continually changing my clearance and I was having to read back the changes, tune the VOR, and find the different airways, intxns and VOR on the map and fly the aircraft. I told them that I really wanted to stay at 8000 and they vectored me out of traffic and gave me another route. I was later rerouted along another airway. When I reached paradise VOR, the final controller (ontario approach) told me to climb to 13000 to go through banning pass. I told him that my plane wouldn't go that high and he yelled at me 'didn't they explain that you couldn't go through the pass at a lower altitude?' and I replied, 'no, they didn't.' I had thought that I could go through the pass at 9500 ft, but I knew prior to takeoff that, if I couldn't' get over the pass, I could cancel my IFR clearance and proceed VFR. I then cancelled my IFR clearance and continued on uneventfully to bermuda dunes airport. I was told by palm springs approach to contact the FSDO supervisor at the van nuys FAA facility by telephone upon landing. I was told that I might be guilty of not accepting a clearance while in the la TCA. I thought that I had planned my flight well. I didn't know how high my aircraft would climb in the valley on that hot summer day. As far as I know, I complied with all directives. I thought that I could negotiate a change in the FAA directed flight plan if I could not comply or if it put me in a perilous position. I realize that flying through the los angeles TCA is more complex flying than flying around my small town airport in texas. However, I do not feel that I did anything that should put me in violation of FAA directives.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMA SINGLE ENG LAND PVT ACFT REFUSED AN ATC AMENDED CLRNC WHILE WITHIN A TCA.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JUL/TUE/93, (APPROX XX30 LST) I FLEW MY SMA THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES TCA. I HAD PURCHASED A NEW LA TCA TERMINAL CHART AND AN IFR BLOW UP CHART OF THE AREA. I HAD ASKED LCL PLTS FOR THE BEST RTE AND ALT TO TRANSITION THE LA AREA. I HAD STUDIED THE CHARTS AND HAD MARKED MY RTE WELL ON BOTH OF THE LCL AREA CHARTS. MY ACFT WAS ONLY ABLE TO CLB TO 9000 ON THAT HOT SUMMER DAY IN THE VALLEY, BEING FULLY LOADED AND WITH MY 110 HP ENG. APCH CTL GAVE ME VECTORS THROUGH A LOW SECTION OF THE MOUNTAINS TO THE VAN NUYS AREA. AT THAT POINT, VAN NUYS APCH ASKED ME TO DSND TO 8000 FT WHICH I DID. THEY THEN ASKED ME TO DSND TO 7000 FT, WHICH I THOUGHT WOULD PUT ME INTO A THIN CLOUD DECK AND INTO THE TERRIBLE HAZE LAYER. I ASKED THAT I MIGHT REMAIN AT THAT ALT RATHER THAN HAVING TO FLY INTO THE VERY BUSY LA AREA IN IMC CONDITIONS. APCH WAS CONTINUALLY CHANGING MY CLRNC AND I WAS HAVING TO READ BACK THE CHANGES, TUNE THE VOR, AND FIND THE DIFFERENT AIRWAYS, INTXNS AND VOR ON THE MAP AND FLY THE ACFT. I TOLD THEM THAT I REALLY WANTED TO STAY AT 8000 AND THEY VECTORED ME OUT OF TFC AND GAVE ME ANOTHER RTE. I WAS LATER REROUTED ALONG ANOTHER AIRWAY. WHEN I REACHED PARADISE VOR, THE FINAL CTLR (ONTARIO APCH) TOLD ME TO CLB TO 13000 TO GO THROUGH BANNING PASS. I TOLD HIM THAT MY PLANE WOULDN'T GO THAT HIGH AND HE YELLED AT ME 'DIDN'T THEY EXPLAIN THAT YOU COULDN'T GO THROUGH THE PASS AT A LOWER ALT?' AND I REPLIED, 'NO, THEY DIDN'T.' I HAD THOUGHT THAT I COULD GO THROUGH THE PASS AT 9500 FT, BUT I KNEW PRIOR TO TKOF THAT, IF I COULDN'T' GET OVER THE PASS, I COULD CANCEL MY IFR CLRNC AND PROCEED VFR. I THEN CANCELLED MY IFR CLRNC AND CONTINUED ON UNEVENTFULLY TO BERMUDA DUNES ARPT. I WAS TOLD BY PALM SPRINGS APCH TO CONTACT THE FSDO SUPVR AT THE VAN NUYS FAA FACILITY BY TELEPHONE UPON LNDG. I WAS TOLD THAT I MIGHT BE GUILTY OF NOT ACCEPTING A CLRNC WHILE IN THE LA TCA. I THOUGHT THAT I HAD PLANNED MY FLT WELL. I DIDN'T KNOW HOW HIGH MY ACFT WOULD CLB IN THE VALLEY ON THAT HOT SUMMER DAY. AS FAR AS I KNOW, I COMPLIED WITH ALL DIRECTIVES. I THOUGHT THAT I COULD NEGOTIATE A CHANGE IN THE FAA DIRECTED FLT PLAN IF I COULD NOT COMPLY OR IF IT PUT ME IN A PERILOUS POS. I REALIZE THAT FLYING THROUGH THE LOS ANGELES TCA IS MORE COMPLEX FLYING THAN FLYING AROUND MY SMALL TOWN ARPT IN TEXAS. HOWEVER, I DO NOT FEEL THAT I DID ANYTHING THAT SHOULD PUT ME IN VIOLATION OF FAA DIRECTIVES.

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.