Narrative:

After a VFR departure from telluride on a scheduled flight (part - - 135) to den, I was acting as PNF and contacted ZDV on 125.35 to request an IFR clearance to den. VFR conditions remained at all times. The copilot was climbing on VFR and center gave us a squawk code. It took a while for center to come back with our clearance, but before we got it and while I was talking to our operations personnel in telluride on radio #2 to give our departure times, center called us back and questioned if we had been cleared (if we had received) a previous clearance from any other controller and asked what was our altitude. It was then when I looked at our altimeter and realized the mistake. I replied that our altitude to center at that time, was 18500 ft. We were in class a airspace without a clearance. The controller answered back telling us that we cannot operate in class a without ATC IFR clearance. I did apologize and received our clearance to den. Never again I will distract my attention talking to company without having received a clearance before. Also another factor was the fact that I am a relatively new captain with a not so experienced first officer who had no previous experience flying in this area. Supplemental information from acn 294744: it was the first day that the captain and I had flown together. The captain has a strong foreign accent that is hard to understand. This communication problem was why we didn't get our clearance earlier. No excuse for my lack of attention, however.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ERRONEOUS PENETRATION OF AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER A VFR DEP FROM TELLURIDE ON A SCHEDULED FLT (PART - - 135) TO DEN, I WAS ACTING AS PNF AND CONTACTED ZDV ON 125.35 TO REQUEST AN IFR CLRNC TO DEN. VFR CONDITIONS REMAINED AT ALL TIMES. THE COPLT WAS CLBING ON VFR AND CTR GAVE US A SQUAWK CODE. IT TOOK A WHILE FOR CTR TO COME BACK WITH OUR CLRNC, BUT BEFORE WE GOT IT AND WHILE I WAS TALKING TO OUR OPS PERSONNEL IN TELLURIDE ON RADIO #2 TO GIVE OUR DEP TIMES, CTR CALLED US BACK AND QUESTIONED IF WE HAD BEEN CLRED (IF WE HAD RECEIVED) A PREVIOUS CLRNC FROM ANY OTHER CTLR AND ASKED WHAT WAS OUR ALT. IT WAS THEN WHEN I LOOKED AT OUR ALTIMETER AND REALIZED THE MISTAKE. I REPLIED THAT OUR ALT TO CTR AT THAT TIME, WAS 18500 FT. WE WERE IN CLASS A AIRSPACE WITHOUT A CLRNC. THE CTLR ANSWERED BACK TELLING US THAT WE CANNOT OPERATE IN CLASS A WITHOUT ATC IFR CLRNC. I DID APOLOGIZE AND RECEIVED OUR CLRNC TO DEN. NEVER AGAIN I WILL DISTRACT MY ATTN TALKING TO COMPANY WITHOUT HAVING RECEIVED A CLRNC BEFORE. ALSO ANOTHER FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT I AM A RELATIVELY NEW CAPT WITH A NOT SO EXPERIENCED FO WHO HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE FLYING IN THIS AREA. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 294744: IT WAS THE FIRST DAY THAT THE CAPT AND I HAD FLOWN TOGETHER. THE CAPT HAS A STRONG FOREIGN ACCENT THAT IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND. THIS COM PROB WAS WHY WE DIDN'T GET OUR CLRNC EARLIER. NO EXCUSE FOR MY LACK OF ATTN, HOWEVER.

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.