Small aircraft enters class D airspace without clearance.

Attributes
ACN	271759
Time
Date	199405
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ash
State Reference	NH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : ash
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 15 flight time total : 480 flight time type : 100
ASRS Report	271759
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : local
Qualification	controller : non radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was flying cross country direct from hampton, nh, airfield to orange, ma, airport at 1500 ft MSL with flight following from manchester control. I was 4 mi south of nashua airport when approach terminated flight following and told me to contact nashua tower as I was near or in their airspace, a class D airspace. I contacted nashua tower, who told me I was in their space and next time to contact them sooner. My perception was I was on the edge of nashua airspace and had been cleared until manchester approach dropped flight following and by then it was too late. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: analyst called reporter to counsel that flight following is not a clearance for anything. Reporter stated he had been talking to other pilots and and now knows that he must be responsible for his own navigating and must initiate frequency change, not wait for ATC to do so. Did not like getting chewed out!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS CLASS D AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: I WAS FLYING XCOUNTRY DIRECT FROM HAMPTON, NH, AIRFIELD TO ORANGE, MA, ARPT AT 1500 FT MSL WITH FLT FOLLOWING FROM MANCHESTER CTL. I WAS 4 MI S OF NASHUA ARPT WHEN APCH TERMINATED FLT FOLLOWING AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT NASHUA TWR AS I WAS NEAR OR IN THEIR AIRSPACE, A CLASS D AIRSPACE. I CONTACTED NASHUA TWR, WHO TOLD ME I WAS IN THEIR SPACE AND NEXT TIME TO CONTACT THEM SOONER. MY PERCEPTION WAS I WAS ON THE EDGE OF NASHUA AIRSPACE AND HAD BEEN CLRED UNTIL MANCHESTER APCH DROPPED FLT FOLLOWING AND BY THEN IT WAS TOO LATE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ANALYST CALLED RPTR TO COUNSEL THAT FLT FOLLOWING IS NOT A CLRNC FOR ANYTHING. RPTR STATED HE HAD BEEN TALKING TO OTHER PLTS AND AND NOW KNOWS THAT HE MUST BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OWN NAVING AND MUST INITIATE FREQ CHANGE, NOT WAIT FOR ATC TO DO SO. DID NOT LIKE GETTING CHEWED OUT!

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.