Narrative:

On apr/sun/94 I departed davis (2d8) on runway 27 in a C172 with my 2 children on board for a pleasure flight to mt pleasant, mi (mop). Upon departure I immediately made left traffic remaining at 1400 MSL on the downwind with my transponder at 1200 altitude reporting and monitoring unicom 122.8 I subsequently turned base and headed northbound. Upon crossing the northern boundary of the base leg: I switched frequencys to lansing departure and began a climb at approximately 500 FPM. Upon climbing I contacted ATC with ATIS, destination, intended route of flight (victor airway), and intended altitude (5500 MSL). A very abrupt response came from the controller to exit the area. I guess I did not pick up the instruction, because after trying to establish contact again he told me to exit the class C airspace, and then I believe he gave me a squawk and a vector. I complied immediately when given the vector. On previous departures from davis upon climb out after passing the approach path for 28L (klan), I have switched from advisory frequency 122.80 to klan departure, monitored, then communicated without a problem. This was different, and maybe that's where the confusion may have been on my part. I cannot recall as to when I broke through the 2100 MSL class C or if I had ventured into the 5 mi boundary 49/sfc. If the controller could have been more helpful (i.e. Descend or turn east) rather than simply saying 'exit' in an abrupt manner, I would have complied immediately as I did when vectored. I understand it is still no excuse for being in class C airspace without authorization. I should point out also that I heard him tell another pilot to exit as well, and it appeared by the congestion on the frequency that there were a lot of planes in the area talking with ATC. After that I was instructed to proceed to requested altitude and continue on my own navigation (V233) and I remained on departure frequency. Somewhere along the way I must have adjusted the radio volume, because of my children having headphones on. I cannot recall at what point, nor for how long, but I noticed that klan ATC had not handed me off and I was well north of their area. In fact, with this realization I noted the radio had been very quiet. I turned the volume up and sure enough I heard klan approach departure. Realizing what I had done I radioed to klan of my radio problem. They asked me to call the tower and gave me the phone number. Immediately upon landing at mop, I called and I was apologetic regarding the lost communication and I admitted I should have been more attentive to the radio silence. The supervisor who spoke with me then brought up my class C airspace entry, and I was cooperative in my explanation. I did not ask how far into the airspace I had ventured. Frankly, I wanted to be cooperative, but I did not want to engage in a detailed conversation over the phone. My own solution to this incident is to be more attentive -- especially to radio silence, and also to be more cognizant of my altitude when climbing out of uncontrolled field under class C airspace. Also, I must also learn to pay attention even though I had my 2 children ( 11 and 6) on board for the first time. I was probably over concerned for their comfort.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF SMA ENTERED CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ON APR/SUN/94 I DEPARTED DAVIS (2D8) ON RWY 27 IN A C172 WITH MY 2 CHILDREN ON BOARD FOR A PLEASURE FLT TO MT PLEASANT, MI (MOP). UPON DEP I IMMEDIATELY MADE LEFT TFC REMAINING AT 1400 MSL ON THE DOWNWIND WITH MY XPONDER AT 1200 ALT RPTING AND MONITORING UNICOM 122.8 I SUBSEQUENTLY TURNED BASE AND HEADED NBOUND. UPON XING THE NORTHERN BOUNDARY OF THE BASE LEG: I SWITCHED FREQS TO LANSING DEP AND BEGAN A CLB AT APPROX 500 FPM. UPON CLBING I CONTACTED ATC WITH ATIS, DEST, INTENDED RTE OF FLT (VICTOR AIRWAY), AND INTENDED ALT (5500 MSL). A VERY ABRUPT RESPONSE CAME FROM THE CTLR TO EXIT THE AREA. I GUESS I DID NOT PICK UP THE INSTRUCTION, BECAUSE AFTER TRYING TO ESTABLISH CONTACT AGAIN HE TOLD ME TO EXIT THE CLASS C AIRSPACE, AND THEN I BELIEVE HE GAVE ME A SQUAWK AND A VECTOR. I COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY WHEN GIVEN THE VECTOR. ON PREVIOUS DEPS FROM DAVIS UPON CLBOUT AFTER PASSING THE APCH PATH FOR 28L (KLAN), I HAVE SWITCHED FROM ADVISORY FREQ 122.80 TO KLAN DEP, MONITORED, THEN COMMUNICATED WITHOUT A PROB. THIS WAS DIFFERENT, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE CONFUSION MAY HAVE BEEN ON MY PART. I CANNOT RECALL AS TO WHEN I BROKE THROUGH THE 2100 MSL CLASS C OR IF I HAD VENTURED INTO THE 5 MI BOUNDARY 49/SFC. IF THE CTLR COULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELPFUL (I.E. DSND OR TURN EAST) RATHER THAN SIMPLY SAYING 'EXIT' IN AN ABRUPT MANNER, I WOULD HAVE COMPLIED IMMEDIATELY AS I DID WHEN VECTORED. I UNDERSTAND IT IS STILL NO EXCUSE FOR BEING IN CLASS C AIRSPACE WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. I SHOULD POINT OUT ALSO THAT I HEARD HIM TELL ANOTHER PLT TO EXIT AS WELL, AND IT APPEARED BY THE CONGESTION ON THE FREQ THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PLANES IN THE AREA TALKING WITH ATC. AFTER THAT I WAS INSTRUCTED TO PROCEED TO REQUESTED ALT AND CONTINUE ON MY OWN NAV (V233) AND I REMAINED ON DEP FREQ. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY I MUST HAVE ADJUSTED THE RADIO VOLUME, BECAUSE OF MY CHILDREN HAVING HEADPHONES ON. I CANNOT RECALL AT WHAT POINT, NOR FOR HOW LONG, BUT I NOTICED THAT KLAN ATC HAD NOT HANDED ME OFF AND I WAS WELL N OF THEIR AREA. IN FACT, WITH THIS REALIZATION I NOTED THE RADIO HAD BEEN VERY QUIET. I TURNED THE VOLUME UP AND SURE ENOUGH I HEARD KLAN APCH DEP. REALIZING WHAT I HAD DONE I RADIOED TO KLAN OF MY RADIO PROB. THEY ASKED ME TO CALL THE TWR AND GAVE ME THE PHONE NUMBER. IMMEDIATELY UPON LNDG AT MOP, I CALLED AND I WAS APOLOGETIC REGARDING THE LOST COM AND I ADMITTED I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE TO THE RADIO SILENCE. THE SUPVR WHO SPOKE WITH ME THEN BROUGHT UP MY CLASS C AIRSPACE ENTRY, AND I WAS COOPERATIVE IN MY EXPLANATION. I DID NOT ASK HOW FAR INTO THE AIRSPACE I HAD VENTURED. FRANKLY, I WANTED TO BE COOPERATIVE, BUT I DID NOT WANT TO ENGAGE IN A DETAILED CONVERSATION OVER THE PHONE. MY OWN SOLUTION TO THIS INCIDENT IS TO BE MORE ATTENTIVE -- ESPECIALLY TO RADIO SILENCE, AND ALSO TO BE MORE COGNIZANT OF MY ALT WHEN CLBING OUT OF UNCTLED FIELD UNDER CLASS C AIRSPACE. ALSO, I MUST ALSO LEARN TO PAY ATTN EVEN THOUGH I HAD MY 2 CHILDREN ( 11 AND 6) ON BOARD FOR THE FIRST TIME. I WAS PROBABLY OVER CONCERNED FOR THEIR COMFORT.

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.