Unauthorized penetration of airspace. Proximity of control zone.

Attributes
ACN	261607
Time
Date	199401
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : yqq
State Reference	BC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 500 agl bound upper : 800
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : yqq
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 5800 flight time type : 1200
ASRS Report	261607
Person 2
Affiliation	government other
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	inflight encounter : vfr in imc inflight encounter : weather non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	other other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On an aircraft repos flight from alaska to washington. During the flight along the vancouver island coast line, I requested a clearance from comox tower to transition through their control zone. The tower called me back and reported his WX on the field and asked my flight conditions. I reported that I was VFR. (I was flying an amphibious float plane along the coast line over the water.)he then requested that I report abeam the tower. I acknowledged that I would report prior to and also abeam the tower. He gave me a transponder squawk code I explained that the aircraft is from alaska and doesn't have a transponder or encoder. I called the tower and reported abeam at which time he reported that he had me in sight. The tower operator at that time said that he was not able to give me a clearance through the zone because the field was below special VFR conditions. He also said that it would be best if I decided to land. I reported that I would plan on landing. He requested that I report clear of the runway centerline and contact cortney unicom at which time I reported clear of the runway and also reported on the water at comox harbor. I taxied into the harbor and waited for conditions to change. Approximately 2 hour later, departed outside of control zone, continued VFR. My concern with this incident was lack of information from the controller with regard to my clearance into the control zone. Also dealing with military towers in canada can at times be confusing due to their type of terminology. When the tower stated to report abeam the tower, I believed that I was cleared along the shoreline through the zone. Also, not once prior to entering the zone did the tower say that he was below special VFR WX minimums and that I should stay outside of the zone. I don't know if this type of situation is a way to sucker somebody into the zone or if it is a form of tacit approval to transition the zone because the water route is below a runway elevation. I didn't phone the tower up after landing and was not requested to phone anybody.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNAUTH PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE. PROX OF CTL ZONE.

Narrative: ON AN ACFT REPOS FLT FROM ALASKA TO WASHINGTON. DURING THE FLT ALONG THE VANCOUVER ISLAND COAST LINE, I REQUESTED A CLRNC FROM COMOX TWR TO TRANSITION THROUGH THEIR CTL ZONE. THE TWR CALLED ME BACK AND RPTED HIS WX ON THE FIELD AND ASKED MY FLT CONDITIONS. I RPTED THAT I WAS VFR. (I WAS FLYING AN AMPHIBIOUS FLOAT PLANE ALONG THE COAST LINE OVER THE WATER.)HE THEN REQUESTED THAT I RPT ABEAM THE TWR. I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I WOULD RPT PRIOR TO AND ALSO ABEAM THE TWR. HE GAVE ME A XPONDER SQUAWK CODE I EXPLAINED THAT THE ACFT IS FROM ALASKA AND DOESN'T HAVE A XPONDER OR ENCODER. I CALLED THE TWR AND RPTED ABEAM AT WHICH TIME HE RPTED THAT HE HAD ME IN SIGHT. THE TWR OPERATOR AT THAT TIME SAID THAT HE WAS NOT ABLE TO GIVE ME A CLRNC THROUGH THE ZONE BECAUSE THE FIELD WAS BELOW SPECIAL VFR CONDITIONS. HE ALSO SAID THAT IT WOULD BE BEST IF I DECIDED TO LAND. I RPTED THAT I WOULD PLAN ON LNDG. HE REQUESTED THAT I RPT CLR OF THE RWY CTRLINE AND CONTACT CORTNEY UNICOM AT WHICH TIME I RPTED CLR OF THE RWY AND ALSO RPTED ON THE WATER AT COMOX HARBOR. I TAXIED INTO THE HARBOR AND WAITED FOR CONDITIONS TO CHANGE. APPROX 2 HR LATER, DEPARTED OUTSIDE OF CTL ZONE, CONTINUED VFR. MY CONCERN WITH THIS INCIDENT WAS LACK OF INFO FROM THE CTLR WITH REGARD TO MY CLRNC INTO THE CTL ZONE. ALSO DEALING WITH MIL TWRS IN CANADA CAN AT TIMES BE CONFUSING DUE TO THEIR TYPE OF TERMINOLOGY. WHEN THE TWR STATED TO RPT ABEAM THE TWR, I BELIEVED THAT I WAS CLRED ALONG THE SHORELINE THROUGH THE ZONE. ALSO, NOT ONCE PRIOR TO ENTERING THE ZONE DID THE TWR SAY THAT HE WAS BELOW SPECIAL VFR WX MINIMUMS AND THAT I SHOULD STAY OUTSIDE OF THE ZONE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS TYPE OF SITUATION IS A WAY TO SUCKER SOMEBODY INTO THE ZONE OR IF IT IS A FORM OF TACIT APPROVAL TO TRANSITION THE ZONE BECAUSE THE WATER RTE IS BELOW A RWY ELEVATION. I DIDN'T PHONE THE TWR UP AFTER LNDG AND WAS NOT REQUESTED TO PHONE ANYBODY.

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.