Narrative:

I was flying a VFR from melbourne, fl, to gainesville, GA, at 1300 ft MSL with no flight plan. Approximately 15 mi southeast of warner robbins AFB, I called the warner robbins tower. The tower responded that I was unreadable or garbled. I called again giving my tail number, altitude and heading indicating that I wished to enter their airspace. The tower controller responded with a roger and an altimeter setting. That was the beginning of the problem. My call sign (tail number) was not repeated. I read the altimeter setting back and continued on my course of 330 degrees and altitude of 1300 ft MSL, which took me about 1/4 mi off the approach end of the active runway. I received no further calls from the tower. I heard the tower communicate with a landing aircraft on base leg. This aircraft was visible to me and tower advised it of my position. After crossing the airport centerline I heard tower direct a helicopter to approach a red and white civil aircraft at 1200-1400 ft MSL and get a tail number. At that time I called the tower using my tail number. I received no response. I observed the helicopter approach from my left rear, maintain adequate separation and then break away to the left. At that point I was clear of the air traffic area. The problem that arose was loss of communication with the tower due to failure of the controller to note my call sign (tail number) and use it in subsequent communications. I did not discover this until the tower sent a helicopter to read my tail number. As a corrective action I would suggest that standard radio procedures be used. Identify who you are calling, identify yourself, give the message. In conclusion, I am not sure if the controller ever had my call sign, if he was rogering and giving the altimeter setting to someone else at our initial contact or forgot it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE THINKING HE HAS CLRNC TO XMIT. MIL CTLR SENDS HELI TO CHK TAIL NUMBER.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING A VFR FROM MELBOURNE, FL, TO GAINESVILLE, GA, AT 1300 FT MSL WITH NO FLT PLAN. APPROX 15 MI SE OF WARNER ROBBINS AFB, I CALLED THE WARNER ROBBINS TWR. THE TWR RESPONDED THAT I WAS UNREADABLE OR GARBLED. I CALLED AGAIN GIVING MY TAIL NUMBER, ALT AND HDG INDICATING THAT I WISHED TO ENTER THEIR AIRSPACE. THE TWR CTLR RESPONDED WITH A ROGER AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING. THAT WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROB. MY CALL SIGN (TAIL NUMBER) WAS NOT REPEATED. I READ THE ALTIMETER SETTING BACK AND CONTINUED ON MY COURSE OF 330 DEGS AND ALT OF 1300 FT MSL, WHICH TOOK ME ABOUT 1/4 MI OFF THE APCH END OF THE ACTIVE RWY. I RECEIVED NO FURTHER CALLS FROM THE TWR. I HEARD THE TWR COMMUNICATE WITH A LNDG ACFT ON BASE LEG. THIS ACFT WAS VISIBLE TO ME AND TWR ADVISED IT OF MY POS. AFTER XING THE ARPT CTRLINE I HEARD TWR DIRECT A HELI TO APCH A RED AND WHITE CIVIL ACFT AT 1200-1400 FT MSL AND GET A TAIL NUMBER. AT THAT TIME I CALLED THE TWR USING MY TAIL NUMBER. I RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. I OBSERVED THE HELI APCH FROM MY L REAR, MAINTAIN ADEQUATE SEPARATION AND THEN BREAK AWAY TO THE L. AT THAT POINT I WAS CLR OF THE ATA. THE PROB THAT AROSE WAS LOSS OF COM WITH THE TWR DUE TO FAILURE OF THE CTLR TO NOTE MY CALL SIGN (TAIL NUMBER) AND USE IT IN SUBSEQUENT COMS. I DID NOT DISCOVER THIS UNTIL THE TWR SENT A HELI TO READ MY TAIL NUMBER. AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION I WOULD SUGGEST THAT STANDARD RADIO PROCS BE USED. IDENT WHO YOU ARE CALLING, IDENT YOURSELF, GIVE THE MESSAGE. IN CONCLUSION, I AM NOT SURE IF THE CTLR EVER HAD MY CALL SIGN, IF HE WAS ROGERING AND GIVING THE ALTIMETER SETTING TO SOMEONE ELSE AT OUR INITIAL CONTACT OR FORGOT IT.

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.