Narrative:

I departed pvu at approximately XA45 local time in a C-152/U on a VFR flight plan from pvu to lgu. At the southern tip of the class B at a check point known as 'point of the mountain' I radioed to slc approach my intentions, location and that I had current ATIS. I was given a transponder code of which I dialed in. I was also told to maintain my altitude of 6500 and remain east of interstate 15, the eastern boundary of the slc class B. I was not addressed again. Approximately 15 mins later, 5-10 mins northeast of slc airport I radioed to slc approach asking if I had been forgotten. I was asked for my full n-number and my location. I responded the aircraft information and that I was just northeast heading northbound from the south in the bountiful (a city) area. According to my own calculations I was just on the eastern boundary of the class B in that area which goes from 10000 ft to the surface. I was making my way around the boundary, avoiding the mountains also on the east side. The controller answered that I was in the class B without a clearance and to turn 30 degrees right so he could intercept me on radar. Approximately 10-20 seconds later he radioed that he had me on radar contact and told me once again I was not to be in the class B without a clearance. I told him I had code dialed in and he said he had nothing on his screen. I tuned it in again, trying the 'tst' feature on the transponder and hitting the 'identify' button. He responded that he still had nothing. Apparently my transponder was inoperative. However, when I rented the aircraft, no mention was made of an inoperative transponder in that aircraft, either verbally or written. I had no way of knowing that my transponder (the one in the aircraft) was inoperable. I was given the tower frequency for the next place (hill AFB) who then put me through (after reaching their northern boundary) to ogd tower, a class D. I then proceeded to lgu where I called TRACON and received a 1 time clearance to come back to pvu, and instructions on how to do it. To me the problems were: an inoperative transponder that was not known about. There is no way of letting the controller know who he has talked to, and which codes that he has assigned don't come up, thereby alerting him to a potential problem. I usually receive a clearance to enter the class B along with directions to fly. Apparently, I received no clearance with my initial directions, and because I was not visible due to my inoperable transponder, the controller nor I knew we weren't 'communicating' so to speak electronically. I only found out about the transponder when it was too late. Otherwise I could have taken action to avoid the class B altogether.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT OF AN SMA SEL PENETRATED CLASS B AIRSPACE WHEN HE BELIEVED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED A CLRNC.

Narrative: I DEPARTED PVU AT APPROX XA45 LCL TIME IN A C-152/U ON A VFR FLT PLAN FROM PVU TO LGU. AT THE SOUTHERN TIP OF THE CLASS B AT A CHK POINT KNOWN AS 'POINT OF THE MOUNTAIN' I RADIOED TO SLC APCH MY INTENTIONS, LOCATION AND THAT I HAD CURRENT ATIS. I WAS GIVEN A XPONDER CODE OF WHICH I DIALED IN. I WAS ALSO TOLD TO MAINTAIN MY ALT OF 6500 AND REMAIN E OF INTERSTATE 15, THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE SLC CLASS B. I WAS NOT ADDRESSED AGAIN. APPROX 15 MINS LATER, 5-10 MINS NE OF SLC ARPT I RADIOED TO SLC APCH ASKING IF I HAD BEEN FORGOTTEN. I WAS ASKED FOR MY FULL N-NUMBER AND MY LOCATION. I RESPONDED THE ACFT INFO AND THAT I WAS JUST NE HDG NBOUND FROM THE S IN THE BOUNTIFUL (A CITY) AREA. ACCORDING TO MY OWN CALCULATIONS I WAS JUST ON THE EASTERN BOUNDARY OF THE CLASS B IN THAT AREA WHICH GOES FROM 10000 FT TO THE SURFACE. I WAS MAKING MY WAY AROUND THE BOUNDARY, AVOIDING THE MOUNTAINS ALSO ON THE E SIDE. THE CTLR ANSWERED THAT I WAS IN THE CLASS B WITHOUT A CLRNC AND TO TURN 30 DEGS R SO HE COULD INTERCEPT ME ON RADAR. APPROX 10-20 SECONDS LATER HE RADIOED THAT HE HAD ME ON RADAR CONTACT AND TOLD ME ONCE AGAIN I WAS NOT TO BE IN THE CLASS B WITHOUT A CLRNC. I TOLD HIM I HAD CODE DIALED IN AND HE SAID HE HAD NOTHING ON HIS SCREEN. I TUNED IT IN AGAIN, TRYING THE 'TST' FEATURE ON THE XPONDER AND HITTING THE 'IDENT' BUTTON. HE RESPONDED THAT HE STILL HAD NOTHING. APPARENTLY MY XPONDER WAS INOP. HOWEVER, WHEN I RENTED THE ACFT, NO MENTION WAS MADE OF AN INOP XPONDER IN THAT ACFT, EITHER VERBALLY OR WRITTEN. I HAD NO WAY OF KNOWING THAT MY XPONDER (THE ONE IN THE ACFT) WAS INOPERABLE. I WAS GIVEN THE TWR FREQ FOR THE NEXT PLACE (HILL AFB) WHO THEN PUT ME THROUGH (AFTER REACHING THEIR NORTHERN BOUNDARY) TO OGD TWR, A CLASS D. I THEN PROCEEDED TO LGU WHERE I CALLED TRACON AND RECEIVED A 1 TIME CLRNC TO COME BACK TO PVU, AND INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO DO IT. TO ME THE PROBS WERE: AN INOP XPONDER THAT WAS NOT KNOWN ABOUT. THERE IS NO WAY OF LETTING THE CTLR KNOW WHO HE HAS TALKED TO, AND WHICH CODES THAT HE HAS ASSIGNED DON'T COME UP, THEREBY ALERTING HIM TO A POTENTIAL PROB. I USUALLY RECEIVE A CLRNC TO ENTER THE CLASS B ALONG WITH DIRECTIONS TO FLY. APPARENTLY, I RECEIVED NO CLRNC WITH MY INITIAL DIRECTIONS, AND BECAUSE I WAS NOT VISIBLE DUE TO MY INOPERABLE XPONDER, THE CTLR NOR I KNEW WE WEREN'T 'COMMUNICATING' SO TO SPEAK ELECTRONICALLY. I ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE XPONDER WHEN IT WAS TOO LATE. OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO AVOID THE CLASS B ALTOGETHER.

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.