Narrative:

Cessna TR-182, oxygen equipped. I was all by myself flying VFR direct from 40E (la cholla, tucson, az) to 1v5 (boulder, co). High pressure area over the rockies with no meteorological limitations. Navigation mostly by LORAN and VOR. Departing 40E I flew direct via gpu to dro climbing in intervals until reaching 13500 ft. Having the oxygen turned on, I decided to climb to 17500 ft to cross the mountains on the way to the denver area. En route I was monitoring the various center frequencys to get the altimeter setting of the area and follow the traffic in my area. I, however, did not talk to the controllers. The transponder was on 1200 altitude encoding all the time. Abeam silverton, following V59-421, a bank of clouds with tops slightly above my altitude reached across my path. Being completely taken by the beauty of the situation (forest colors, snow capped mountains, unlimited visibility) and the fact that the climb performance of the plane was great, I kept on climbing to 19500 ft. Listening to ZDV on 125.35 I got the altimeter setting of 30.30. Cruising along and approaching blue mesa, I heard the controller inquiring an airliner to identify my plane. The pilot reported a high wing aircraft of the type centurion or C210 with a red nose. They discussed for a moment the possibility of a wrong altimeter setting on my behalf and considered a possible setting somewhat low to get me below 18000 ft. (Obviously the setting was wrong for the airspace.) the controller never attempted to contact me and neither did I. After clearing blue mesa and having become aware of my error, I descended towards leadville and continued at 13500 ft to granby and into boulder. Having passed the united states private pilot-land test just recently but flying with a swiss private pilot-land license since 1961 in a number of foreign countries, I can explain the violation of airspace just to a temporary nonalertness. I have to stress that I had started to use the installed oxygen from somewhere between gup and dro and used it until approaching boulder and a positive oxygen flow was indicated in the supply tube all the time. Somewhere in my mind the next critical altitude to take note of was FL240 since I am training for IFR. So the mental flag for the 18000 ft limit did not come on. It is clear to me and I do not deny that I violated class a airspace without the proper clearance and altimeter setting, however, it was not with intent and consciously being aware of the violation at that time. From the radio communication and visually there was never the situation of a separation conflict. There is, of course, the question why I did not file for 'flight following' for such a long flight. The controller would have been able to alert me prior to entering class a airspace. The reason for this is simply 'you do not get help from FAA!' (or only from very few of them). Having learned to fly without dependence on controllers to guide you and constantly chat to, I am used to depending on my own making use of all the information available in preflight and en route. This should not be considered arrogance. Occasionally I have tried the flight following but I could not find an advantage. However, with my IFR training things tend to change somewhat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA ENTERS CLASS A AIRSPACE WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: CESSNA TR-182, OXYGEN EQUIPPED. I WAS ALL BY MYSELF FLYING VFR DIRECT FROM 40E (LA CHOLLA, TUCSON, AZ) TO 1V5 (BOULDER, CO). HIGH PRESSURE AREA OVER THE ROCKIES WITH NO METEOROLOGICAL LIMITATIONS. NAV MOSTLY BY LORAN AND VOR. DEPARTING 40E I FLEW DIRECT VIA GPU TO DRO CLBING IN INTERVALS UNTIL REACHING 13500 FT. HAVING THE OXYGEN TURNED ON, I DECIDED TO CLB TO 17500 FT TO CROSS THE MOUNTAINS ON THE WAY TO THE DENVER AREA. ENRTE I WAS MONITORING THE VARIOUS CTR FREQS TO GET THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF THE AREA AND FOLLOW THE TFC IN MY AREA. I, HOWEVER, DID NOT TALK TO THE CTLRS. THE XPONDER WAS ON 1200 ALT ENCODING ALL THE TIME. ABEAM SILVERTON, FOLLOWING V59-421, A BANK OF CLOUDS WITH TOPS SLIGHTLY ABOVE MY ALT REACHED ACROSS MY PATH. BEING COMPLETELY TAKEN BY THE BEAUTY OF THE SIT (FOREST COLORS, SNOW CAPPED MOUNTAINS, UNLIMITED VISIBILITY) AND THE FACT THAT THE CLB PERFORMANCE OF THE PLANE WAS GREAT, I KEPT ON CLBING TO 19500 FT. LISTENING TO ZDV ON 125.35 I GOT THE ALTIMETER SETTING OF 30.30. CRUISING ALONG AND APCHING BLUE MESA, I HEARD THE CTLR INQUIRING AN AIRLINER TO IDENT MY PLANE. THE PLT RPTED A HIGH WING ACFT OF THE TYPE CENTURION OR C210 WITH A RED NOSE. THEY DISCUSSED FOR A MOMENT THE POSSIBILITY OF A WRONG ALTIMETER SETTING ON MY BEHALF AND CONSIDERED A POSSIBLE SETTING SOMEWHAT LOW TO GET ME BELOW 18000 FT. (OBVIOUSLY THE SETTING WAS WRONG FOR THE AIRSPACE.) THE CTLR NEVER ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT ME AND NEITHER DID I. AFTER CLRING BLUE MESA AND HAVING BECOME AWARE OF MY ERROR, I DSNDED TOWARDS LEADVILLE AND CONTINUED AT 13500 FT TO GRANBY AND INTO BOULDER. HAVING PASSED THE UNITED STATES PVT PLT-LAND TEST JUST RECENTLY BUT FLYING WITH A SWISS PVT PLT-LAND LICENSE SINCE 1961 IN A NUMBER OF FOREIGN COUNTRIES, I CAN EXPLAIN THE VIOLATION OF AIRSPACE JUST TO A TEMPORARY NONALERTNESS. I HAVE TO STRESS THAT I HAD STARTED TO USE THE INSTALLED OXYGEN FROM SOMEWHERE BTWN GUP AND DRO AND USED IT UNTIL APCHING BOULDER AND A POSITIVE OXYGEN FLOW WAS INDICATED IN THE SUPPLY TUBE ALL THE TIME. SOMEWHERE IN MY MIND THE NEXT CRITICAL ALT TO TAKE NOTE OF WAS FL240 SINCE I AM TRAINING FOR IFR. SO THE MENTAL FLAG FOR THE 18000 FT LIMIT DID NOT COME ON. IT IS CLR TO ME AND I DO NOT DENY THAT I VIOLATED CLASS A AIRSPACE WITHOUT THE PROPER CLRNC AND ALTIMETER SETTING, HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT WITH INTENT AND CONSCIOUSLY BEING AWARE OF THE VIOLATION AT THAT TIME. FROM THE RADIO COM AND VISUALLY THERE WAS NEVER THE SIT OF A SEPARATION CONFLICT. THERE IS, OF COURSE, THE QUESTION WHY I DID NOT FILE FOR 'FLT FOLLOWING' FOR SUCH A LONG FLT. THE CTLR WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ALERT ME PRIOR TO ENTERING CLASS A AIRSPACE. THE REASON FOR THIS IS SIMPLY 'YOU DO NOT GET HELP FROM FAA!' (OR ONLY FROM VERY FEW OF THEM). HAVING LEARNED TO FLY WITHOUT DEPENDENCE ON CTLRS TO GUIDE YOU AND CONSTANTLY CHAT TO, I AM USED TO DEPENDING ON MY OWN MAKING USE OF ALL THE INFO AVAILABLE IN PREFLT AND ENRTE. THIS SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED ARROGANCE. OCCASIONALLY I HAVE TRIED THE FLT FOLLOWING BUT I COULD NOT FIND AN ADVANTAGE. HOWEVER, WITH MY IFR TRAINING THINGS TEND TO CHANGE SOMEWHAT.

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.